Oral history with Violet Shirvanian

00:00 Introduction to interview

00:11 Name, date and place of birth

00:49 School in Iran,

01:39 Leaving Iran aged 14 (c.1977) and coming to the UK and experience of attending language college in Manchester

05:58 Impact of revolution in Iran (1979), attitudes towards her

07:30 Memories of her grandparents and great grandparents, living close to a large family (17 grandchildren), Armenian community life in Iran

[11:07 Violets daughter enters the room]

11:39 Oldest family member remembers: Great Uncle, a traditionalist and family orientated

12:46 Moving to the UK – Canterbury,

[13:12 Interruption – recording paused and restarted]

13:19 Move to Canterbury for three months, moved to Manchester aged 14, after completing language school moved to Buxton, inability to return to Iran, Manchester as her home

16:18 Meeting her husband, meeting him at the Armenian church and marrying aged 24, husbands job (electrician)

18:12 Employment experiences: hospitality, administration and accounting jobs (J. D. Williams, Vodaphone, Nippon Express)

20:23 Childhood ambitions and reality: wanting to be a reporter, impact of Iranian revolution on the Armenian Iranian community – cut off of student fees and financial support from families in Iran etc

22:35 Armenian food – hospitality to other Armenians, learning Armenian cooking from mother, roles of parents and how they have changed

27:15 Preservation of Armenian culture – teaching her daughter cooking etc

28:27 Involvement in the Armenian community in Manchester – involvement in church activities including helping organize events, was treasurer and church warden, member of the Ladies Committee, taught at the Armenian school, ran the nursery

[30:59 appears to have been a pause in the recording]

31:05 Different experiences between herself and her brother around retaining Armenian heritage and integration to the UK, community expectations of what an Armenian mother should be, the changes for her daughters generation

36:59 Family heirlooms from Iran, visiting family around the world

38:44 Differences of experiences of integration between Violet and her brother on coming to the UK

40:19 Traditions from Iran – any lost or retained. Celebrating Christmas on 25 Dec vs 6 Jan, weddings, engagement, birth of a child, her children having intercultural relationships

47:09 Armenian diaspora’s aim to integrate and be an ideal citizen in their new country and the impact this has on them

49:22 End of interview