Northern Girl; I was born a Southern Bloke myself. But I still grew up knowing the (local) Cooper's and Harris'. My own Auntie bringing Ayres with her.
Now, according to Bob, he can only find the Harris' on the road till 1915. Interesting and worthy of note in itself. See; I knew Harris' who would pass for 'picture book Romany Gypsys' (I mean; Just add huge ear ring and violin!). Yet they were settled.
For all that though, while they lived in houses and gave off no overt signs of their heritage, one could always expect them to turn up at the annual Fairs!
What I think it is ~ although it's never before really crossed my mind to try and look into it before ~ I think it's something about the war / post war period. Something happened then. Maybe the building of the council estates?
Only I have this educated idea, in the corner of my mind, about how a whole wave of Gypsys came in off the road about then. That generation took to houses. There they hunkered down and got on with burying themselves amongst the traditionally settled population.
Only thing is; It was also ~ I suspect ~ that generation which started, if not outright forsaking, then certainly 'putting their roots away'. And they taught their children ('our' parents, maybe) to be good little Gaujo's and fit in.
Thus, by the time 'we' came along? Our own people really remembered only a 'normal' life ~ and maybe the whispered tales of what our Grandparents grew up with.
What does that leave us to tell 'Our' children? Well; Maybe something along the lines of, " There's always been a whisper, amongst the older folk, that we may be descended from Gypsys. And, it must be said, some bloke in a forum is pretty insistent that many of the older names I know of in our past
are names known to have been commonly used by Gypsys back then. "
Unfortunately, 'our' kids response to such a suggestion these days is just as likely to look confused for a moment. Then blurt out something like; " What?
Pikeys?!? 
"
So much has been lost to us
I have no kids of my own. If I did, I'd have had Grand kids by now
But I know one thing for sure. If I were walking a grand child of mine down the road and a Bedford or (these days) Mercedes truck came by, laden with scrap metal and showing a tow bar? If any grand child of mine said, " Look, Gramps!
Pikeys! ". I'd gently correct the little toe rag;
" They'll be Gypsys, son. They're gathering what people in houses have slung out and left to mess the place up. Your Great Grand parents did that. So did I ..... "
Let the little sod choke on
that one!
