Dear Thorpe Magazine Readers – 2018 is quickly evaporating as we approach yet another C…..mas – (can’t quite bring myself to spell it out yet!!), and I have to admit to missing scribing for your mag over the past few months – so here I am with you again, to see the year out! This […]
“The first snowdrops are starting to emerge from the depths of the dormant earth to show us their beautiful white tepal forms…. like giants we peer downward towards our feet during these dark and dank days. I’m wondering what is to flow from your fingertips to the keyboard for this article dear Catherine?” Blimey, I’d […]
My life seems to be full of uncertainty and distress at the moment, making everything appear topsy-turvy and nonsensical. One of my best friends recently succumbed to cancer…..and too soon after this tragedy I found myself supporting another dear friend at her husband’s funeral. Both people were wonderful musical souls and exceptional artists who were […]
As is the wont of any woman careering at warp speed towards middle age, my nights are often wakeful….with a churning mind as my constant bedfellow. Yet happily, although my dreams are frequently nonsensical, they are often full to the brim with creative ideas. Waking amidst the chaos, I know there might just be my […]
“Knowing you, this will inspire you to write some amazing music, a good story and…..who knows what?” messaged one of my sparky Essex students to me the other day. “Oh, and take care of yourself ☺” Some of you may know the term ‘leitmotif’, a posh expression for a recurring theme. Now, this appears to […]
I drifted into Rome’s Basilica of Saint Cecilia on a beautifully clement February afternoon (meanwhile snow was drifting into Essex – good timing Catherine!). I was greeted by the mellifluous intricacies of baroque organ music. So, perching myself on a pew beside a gleaming marble sculpture of the famous patroness of musicians, I gave myself […]
Brrrr….it’s chilly out there! With the English winter really biting down now and the wind whipping around my hair, causing all manner of mayhem, my thoughts turned to escaping the dismally dark days. As if by instant connection, my mobile text alert chimed with a new message: “Ciao bella….February in England is too cold and […]
The beginning of yet another New Year was nearly upon me, and a proverbial blank piece of music manuscript lay on the table….my head buzzing with thoughts of what might be in the year ahead. This was all accompanied by feelings of both excitement and trepidation of the hidden and yet to unfold secrets of […]
“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others” Gandhi. Jingle Bells…Jingle all the way! Well, ready or not, Christmas is almost here….and so is the supposed time of good will to all – the giving of gifts, and of ourselves. Yuletide is considered a peak employment time for a […]
Who would have thought that our village “Tesco Express” would be the local hub of connectivity and culture? It was whilst waiting patiently in the queue that I had the good fortune to bump into a vastly knowledgeable and insightful artist friend and villager. As we gradually shuffled towards the till we passed comment on […]