Young Roots

A project for Young People to explore their cultural history and make a permanent record of what they want other people to know about them and their families.

All of the family stories on this site have been written by the young people and detail their unique stories in a way that is relevant to them.

Enjoy!

Blaire's Page

Nan,  Agathus was born in Cooks town in 1932 county Tyrone which is in Northern Ireland  and Granddad, Paddy was born in Dublin in 1934, they met in the same textile factory. They met in 1956, 1^st July and then in 1992 they got divorced. They had 3 lads, Garath, Noel, and Mark. Noel was my Dad, and he was the eldest child. My Dad grew up in Dublin as my granddads family died and they moved into the family home. My Dad was brought up wearing second hand clothes. He was brought up with a lot of superstitions like, don’t cross on the stairs, don’t put new shoes on the bed, don’t put hairbrush on the table, sing before breakfast cry before tea. He did not get on with his brothers when he was little but he gets on with them now. He got on with his mum, but never called her mum he called her hag (As her name was Agathus it was an affectionate nick name)  He was well brought up went to church every Sunday, he would never think to answer his parents back, he would always be back at the right time and he obeyed their rules.

My Dad got expelled from school, at 13 years old, selling cigarettes. He just then started going off the rails at 16 he was in prison for a year. He then moved to London because he felt that he had disappointed his Mum and Dad. He then went into Prison again for 7 years. He then got out when he was 24 - he had loads of kids and left them all. He started doing drugs and getting into criminal activity, for the next ten years he was in and out of prison for various things. Then he met my Mum Steph and they stayed together for 4 years, he left the week before I was born and I did not see him for ten years. Now he is still into criminal activity, but he is getting to know his kids. He is now 55. It's all right getting to know him but he is not reliable. I have 13 brothers and 2 sisters from me Dad’s side ranging from 31 years old to 7 months old  and I am in contact with all of them.

My Nan and Granddad still lives in Ireland they have disowned my Dad so I don’t get to see them, very much. Both my uncles live in Leicester, and I see them both, when my Dad brings me to see them. Both my uncles are twins their wife’s live in Ireland with my Nan and Granddad, and my uncles work over here for Microsoft.    

Both Grandma and Granddad were practising  Roman Catholics.

My mam, was born in Kettering on 8^th February 1967, My Gran was born in Cooktown in Northern Ireland in Cookstown, she was Roman Catholic. She was a machinists, she meet my Granddad who was born in Market Harborough, he was in the air force and meet Gran at a tea dance . They got married on the 12^th January 1954, however she died 23^rd September 1992. I was just coming up for a year old. When my Gran and Granddad met she came back to Market harborough with him, and then from Market Harborough they moved to Leicester because of Granddads work, he worked at Walkers and my Gran still worked in Market Harborough 3 nights a week at a hospital, she was a nurse.

They had 4 kids Mark, Patrick, Geraldine, and Steph. Mark died when he was 4 months old, Patrick was born with a disability down syndrome, and had to be put into a residential home .He died shortly after my Gran, as he could not cope as she was not there. My auntie Gerry, had two kids ,Emma and Michelle, she has now got new partner and recently had a civil ceremony. My Mum has 3 kids me 15, Robyn 9, Curtis 6, I was born in London in Tooting, Robyn and Curtis was born in Leicester. We moved back from London because my Gran died and I have lived all over Leicester, in old Council houses.

I do not go to school because I don’t like working in a school environment, dead daunting I don’t fit in, and people seem to take offence. My Mum is a volunteer and does all different types of jobs, she has volunteered for Leicester Mediation, she has worked at Fern Mentoring, she is my Granddads full time carer and is thinking of joining the police force.

She is single never been married, my brother and sister both have the same Dad, but he is not in their lives.

I am a Roman Catholic and attend Church St Patrick’s church every Sunday, out of the 7 sacraments I have received 4, the reason I attend church is that it sets the week off good, It is just part of my life and routine all my family go my Mum, brothers and sisters go, and my Granddad even though he is not Roman Catholic.

I have a traditional Sunday dinner very Sunday, its beef, pork or lamb two veg and mash potatoes and roast potatoes, home made Yorkshire puddings gravy and a home made cake for afterwards. My mum cooks it and granddad comes. I don’t like it though as I don’t like meat and veg.

My hobbies are shopping, listening to music, reading, dancing.

I class myself as white Irish; I like the fact that I have something different about my heritage.

My achievements are that I have overcome difficulties, I have also done alternative things to school I took GSE’s two years early and passed.

I don’t like being the same as every one else, because it’s boring.

I want to have my own business and I want loads of kids, and I will bring them up well. By the time I am 16 I want to be off my anti depressants and at 40 I want to have my own business, own my own bar. l not sure about having a partner.