Introducing Curly Idera

I was struggling to write this bio so I asked my eldest who is fifteen, “my love, how would you describe me?” all she could do was sing me 90’s tracks and give me one liners in an American accent! 

She thinks she is hilarious, but between me and you she actually is. She has definitely got the family gene of jokes and laughter. What the hell, she has even taken my funny bone because I have not got one! I have come to embrace that I am not funny, however my family have compensated me because they are waaay funny! Thank God for family.

Yes, I am a family lover and I have learnt a lot especially being the eldest of eight children to mommy Folarin. She is  an amazing woman and I am eternally grateful to her for blessing me with beautiful brothers and sisters.

Hair is just one of the skills that I have. I started my hair adventure from a young age experimenting on my little sisters and cousins. This soon turned into a job!! (Show me the monaaay I hear my eldest daughter say...) This was the foundation that brought me to my present day. I currently own my own hair salon which is based in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham.

It is great when your peers/family can see the potential in you as a child and nurture it. I thank God for my auntie who saw my potential and called me to plait my little cousins hair. This is how I earned my pocket money. (Who gets pocket money when you have sooo many siblings?) God knows we were not born with a silver spoon in our mouth. I have to give a BIG shout out to Curly Chan who kept me company on every journey to my aunts, I can still hear her whisper, “Hurry up Dera, how long now?!" Love ya long time Chant!

I am now looking forward to the Curly Cousin journey that came about through a chat group on whatsapp. The chat was formed by Amuda (I think) for Aminas 30^th birthday party, then it turned into Curly Cousins UK.  I think the chat is great, its an opportunity for the girl cousins to get to know Amina more and visa versa. We catch soooo much joke, the belly cramps that cut my air supply are a thrill. The laughter is indescribable, these women are on another level of humour and straight talk! The read was is good, and we think it needs to go viral!

I am just so grateful for this new chapter as cousins - because it is an opportunity that we have never experienced before. Loved ones are reconnected, age difference doesn’t count, we are just a group of women coming together to experience our lives together while we share our skills and professions with you, and each other. I hope you enjoy the journey with us.

Keep it Curly!

(left to right - Curly Mim, Me and Curly Chan at our Aunties 50th party)

Curly Idera