Margaret & Elsie
This audio interview was recorded in London Bridge, London, U.K during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.
It is between Margaret, who is of Nigerian heritage and her daughter Elsie who is of English and Nigerian heritage. The conversation covers their personal experiences of self-love, mother-daughter relationships, their heritage, food and some of their daily practices. The duration of this recording is 02:03:15 , conducted by Kakazi founder Nicole Nabisere. The items below were selected by Margaret and Elsie as objects, text and images significant to them. Annotations give context and a brief description on how they were digitised.
‘My name is Maragret Abiola Cullen (nee Smith). I was born on the 29th of November 1959 in Kano state of Northern Nigeria, but grew up in Ebute-Metta Lagos, Nigeria. I am the 10th out of 12 children. My mother was Mrs Juliana Ayinke Smith (nee Abonderin) from Ile-Ife in Osun state, but was born in Ita Faji Lagos Nigeria. She was the 2nd born of her parents, a trader, housewife with many creative talents and Chairlady of her church, Christ Apostolic Church Costain Ebute-Metta Lagos.’
‘During my working years, I saved some of my salary to sponsor myself in further studies. Before then, my father did not pay for my school fees as he thinks it’s a waste of money sending girls to school as they will end up in their husband’s kitchen. My mother sold some of her belongings to pay for my first year in Secondary school, then my oldest brother contributed termly to pay my school fees till I finished in 1976. My father wept and apologised to me when I passed my WAEC (equivalent of GCSE) because I defeated his expectations by not getting pregnant before finishing my studies.’
‘ …In 1987 I came to the U.K with my husband… While in the United Kingdom I studied Catering & Baking at West London College, Oxford Circus in 1988. I studied Child Education and Urban Community at Birkbeck College [from] 1989 - 1990. ‘
'The story of the dog and the tortoise
‘Author….Maragret Cullen
Illustrator….. Kathryn Carey
'A long, long time ago, in a village lived a dog and tortoise, and lots of other animals. It hadn’t rained for a very long time, and all the plants started to die, and the animals became very hungry’