What am I proud of about my cultural heritage? I guess, to answer that, I’d first need a clear understanding of just what my personal cultural heritage is. Fortunately, my digging into my ancestry has helped reveal a deeper picture of where I came from, and the historical connections are quite fascinating.

I have gypsy blood. I didn’t know that until a couple of years ago, but I can trace my family tree – on my father’s side – right back through not one but two lineages of gypsy families, the Blyths and the Faas. Whilst it’s difficult to say that I am outright proud of that heritage, reading through the history has taught me that my ancestors were survivors. They battled hardship and prejudice, and came through it to form a community.

Other elements of my heritage are more conventional (and please don’t take that to mean derogatory). I have ancestors who lived and died working hard to ensure their children could have enough to eat. There’s a certain nobility in that. You could say that my ‘heritage’ is hard work and devotion. I’m quite proud of that.

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