Val Bibby’s family background is not entirely known to her but she recalls that her great grandfather was from the West Indies and her grandfather was from Sri Lanka. They emigrated to Hull together on the same ship within the merchant navy as cooks. She talks about a difficult childhood peppered with racist abuse that led her to feelings of shame about her ethnic makeup. An opportunity to return into education also paved the way into exploring her own racial makeup and become more comfortable about her family’s origins. This experience gave her the confidence to transform her life and make a career change after years of steady employment.

This interview was recorded as part of the ‘African Stories – Contemporary Voices’ project. You can read a full transcript of this interview over on the African Stories website by clicking here.