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Oral history recording with Delia Weyman. Recorded as part of the Italian Memories in Wales project (2008-10), delivered by ACLI-ENAIP and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

00.55 Delia talks about her family; her parents, brothers and sisters and children. Her sons have Italian first names. When she married she changed her name but wanted to keep the Cavarra name going, so her sons have a double barrelled British/Italian surnames. She talks about growing up in an Italian family. The children helped with housework and learnt skills which she appreciates now. They spoke mostly English in the household though their parents spoke Italian which they mostly understood. Delia talks about visiting Sicily and North Italy for 6 weeks every summer; she describes the journey, the places they visited and differences between the North and South. She liked the large family over there, which she didn’t have in Wales. She recalls nearly moving to Italy and describes the culture as very family orientated. She describes her feelings about that.

05.36 Delia’s parents became members of ACLI when they were little so they would mix with other Italian children. She talks about trips, plays, dances, parades and other social activities in detail. She also helped in the kitchen for ACLI. She talks about the ACLI community in Cardiff is depleting, she is considered as the young generation now. She feels she had a lucky childhood and talks about differences between British and Italian upbringings. She talks about the strong discipline of Italian families, family values which she tries to instil in her own children.

09.30 Delia states that she would never change her Italian roots; she is proud and carries an Italian passport, as do her sons, who generally support Italy in the football. She talks about food being different. She describes British food as being a treat when she was a child. Her husband has adapted to Italian culture, and joins them when they socialise. She describes herself as Welsh-Italian. She becomes frustrated when people have trouble pronouncing her name. She talks about pride in her parents, and how they settled in to Wales, learnt the language often independently.

14.12 Delia describes Priolo, where her father was born and where they stay in Sicily when they visit. They would be seen as ‘the English’. She describes the old wash bowl, and the simple life as being fun and adventurous for them. As girls they were never allowed to go out without a chaperone- this lasted until she was married. From Priolo they would visit Siracusa, a fishing port where they would visit the beach, amphitheatre and temple, and she describes the religious activities there. She recalls visiting the family farm, and picking a chicken to take home- not knowing that she would have to eat it later. She talks about her father’s extended family.

20.40 Delia recalls getting together with the whole family for Easter and describes how they would celebrate. She has fond memories of summer, when the family would get together outside on the land where they grew grapes, to eat food and talk. She describes the journey up to her mother’s village, seeing the rice paddies where her grandmother worked on the way and talks about the family they stayed with there. She recalls going to the market; she describes the food they bought there. She talks about the differences between the North and Sicily: In the North it was a smaller family, shorter stay, wetter weather and different pastimes. She describes in detail going out looking for mushrooms on misty mornings, and recalls the smell of the North as the fresh smell after rain.

27.24 Delia talks about missing Italy. She enjoys going back and would love to go back again on the train, and give that experience to sons. She describes the journey through France/Switzerland/Italy in detail and describes seeing the changes in landscape and houses. She talks about missing her grandparents and her remaining family in Italy. She brings the Italian culture into her home through souvenirs, furnishings, language and food. Her sons have tried learning Italian and know some of the language. They put the Italian flag up for football and rugby matches. She doesn’t mix very much with the Italian community in Cardiff, many have left or aren’t as interested in the culture, which she finds sad. She hopes the Italian heritage will carry on with her sons. She talks in detail about her sons and their visits to Italy. Delia and her sons are all registered in Italy and have both English and Italian birth certificates. She talks about difficulties they have with friends or in school, due to the traditional, strict Italian upbringing. People also make fun of their Italian names and the food they eat.

41.17 Delia describes the link with the Italian community through ACLI and a close knit group of her parent’s Italian friends; one Sicilian friend in particular, who she enjoys hearing talk in dialect with her father. She talks in detail about the dialects of her parents and the differences between North Italian and Sicilian dialects. Delia then goes on to talk about the holidays to Sicily and how it would feel going back now, she imagines it has changed a lot. She recalls what they would take and food and souvenirs they bring back with them.

49.00 Delia considers herself mainly Italian and discusses this. Her sons are Italian, Welsh then English though they speak primarily English, little Welsh and some Italian. She would rather they learn Italian than Welsh. When asked if she could see them moving over to Italy- her eldest son would consider moving. Because they have family over there she would feel comfortable with him doing that. She talks about family values and whether they would be safer over there. She also discusses teenage drinking not being as much of a problem in Italy due to the culture.

55.23 Delia talks about her husband and how he sees the Italian culture, settles in with the Italian family. He asked her father for Delia’s hand in marriage as respect for the traditional Italian culture. When asked about work she talks about having given up her job to run the house. When asked about working women in Italy, she says that the woman’s role is in the house, something which she learnt early on. She talks about her mother’s role in their house when she was growing up. However, in her own home she does share the chores between her sons and husband and discusses this as perhaps different to the traditional Italian household. When asked if she thinks any of her Italian family would move over she mentions that some have moved over to Ireland yet the rest would find it difficult to move away from Italy.