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Rosie Turner-Bisset [b]Obituary[b]


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Hi All

I want to share my sad news with all you good folks concerning my Partner, Rosie Turner-Bisset, who suddenly collapsed and died from a suspected pulmonary embolism, yesterday evening at about 6.00pm GMT at her home in Newcastle Upon Tyne, the day after she came out of hospital following knee replacement surgery on her left knee. I had specially travelled up to Newcastle to take her out of hospital and spend a few days with her, helping her to recouperate, and was near her when she collapsed. I called the emergency services and asked for an ambulance. A paramedic arrived about 10 minutes later. At that time she was still conscious, but her breathing was very laboured. While he was attending to her, she suddenly stopped breathing, just as two further ambulance crew arrived. They tried to recuscitate her with heart massage and adrenalin injections and ended up taking her to hospital where the emergency resuscitation unit had a a further go at trying to revive her but it was too late. She was just 58 years old, and a year ago, exactly, had taken up a new post as a lecturer in education research methods at Newcastle University. I was planning to move up to Newcastle from London to join her later this year. She was a very fine player of the English concertina and melodeon and a lovely singer with a huge repertoire of tunes and songs, learned over many years. She played for several morris sides, including Great Western and Windsor Morris and was a regular during Sidmouth week playing in The Radway Inn and singing in The Volunteer pub and will be familiar to many people, there and at other folk festivals she regularly attended. Although not a registered member of Concertina.net, she did look in from time to time as a guest (probably to check if I had written anything complimentary or uncomplimentary about her!) She was looking forward to attending the forthcoming Radway Reunion in February and sadly she won't be there in person but hopefully grinning down from above. I haven't quite come to terms with her death yet. It still seems like a bad dream. I am devastated underneath, as are her family, (she has two grown-up daughters by her first husband and two sisters) and many close friends from the folk world who will miss her greatly. I am posting this to let everyone here who may know her or who may have met her, of her sad and untimely passing and also to share my grief with you, as a step towards letting my feelings out and beginning a healing process - my future with her is suddenly not what it was hopefully going to be. I know we are not immortal and have to die sometime but when it is sudden and unexpected and happens to a person with still another potentially 20-30 years of life left, it is cruel.

 

Chris

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I want to share my sad news with all you good folks concerning my Partner, Rosie Turner-Bisset..

Dear Chris,

 

So sorry to hear this news about Rosie. I have memories of her playing for Great Western 20+ years ago, and, more recently, at a couple of "The George" sessions.

 

My thoughts are with you.

 

Regards,

Peter.

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The word is spreading. Frank Lee posted a message about this on the Radway Reunion mailing list this morning. Both Anne and I are upset about this. When we first started going to the Radway Rosie was one of the faces in the crowd, but over the last year or so we began to get to know her as we got to know you. She was a gentle person, very good company and a lovely musician. It is, as Terry Pratchett might say, an absolute buggeration.

 

We are very sorry.

 

Chris & Anne

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Chris,

 

I am so sorry to hear this very sad news.

My last memory of Rosie was playing tunes together at Whitby and having a chat about music, concertinas etc. Then walking round the town with her and Jody Kruskal looking for somewhere to eat.

 

She was a fine player of the English concertina and the melodeon as well as being a wonderful warm person and will be sadly missed.

 

Our thoughts will be with you and her family.

 

Martyn & Frances

Edited by martyn
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This is so sad. Rosie has been a regular at the Cumberland "ABI" session and

at the Greenside session, and being a tune-head myself, I had been

really enjoying all the unusual tunes that she brought along.

 

Not long before Christmas, I was talking to her about the forthcoming

operation, and how she was so looking forward to getting out walking

again once her knee was better. I can't quite believe that this has happened.

 

I've attached a recording I made last June in the Cumberland Arms

that I believe to be of Rosie playing what is perhaps an appropriate

tune for the occasion: it has a sad edge to it, and it's named after

a crag in a lovely part of the Peak District. It's a gorgeous tune too.

(in case the attachment doesn't work, it's also here).

Carl_Wark.mp3

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This is so sad. Rosie has been a regular at the Cumberland "ABI" session and

at the Greenside session, and being a tune-head myself, I had been

really enjoying all the unusual tunes that she brought along.

 

Not long before Christmas, I was talking to her about the forthcoming

operation, and how she was so looking forward to getting out walking

again once her knee was better. I can't quite believe that this has happened.

 

I've attached a recording I made last June in the Cumberland Arms

that I believe to be of Rosie playing what is perhaps an appropriate

tune for the occasion: it has a sad edge to it, and it's named after

a crag in a lovely part of the Peak District. It's a gorgeous tune too.

(in case the attachment doesn't work, it's also here).

 

Hi Roger

Thank you for posting this recording of Rosie playing Carl Wark on her Wheatstone treble Aeola. It's lovely and one of her favourite tunes, from the playing of Blowzabella. Yes, Carl Wark is, indeed, named after a feature in the Peak district. Carl Wark is an Iron Age fort near Hathersage, Derbyshire. The hill known as Carl Wark lies close to Higgar Tor between Stanage and Burbage Edges on the moors above Hathersage and rises high above Burbage Brook.

 

Chris

 

P.S. ABI stands for 'Anything but Irish'; something we need to bear in mind at the forthcoming Radway reunion, hint, hint. But all the regulars know that anyway!!

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my thoughts are with you Chris.

I met Rosie and Chris on Christmas Day 2007 having been playing the english concertina for only about 10 days .The way Rosie played the concertina amazed me.She is still the only good english concertina player I have seen live and consequently the time I spent watching her play really inspired me.Together with Chris' tremendous enthusiasm and help they have played a large part in my own enthusiasm and dedicated learning of the instrument throughout the last 14 months.I'm really ,really sorry Chris.

very best wishes,

simon

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My thoughts are with you Chris.

I met Rosie and Chris on Christmas Day 2007 having been playing the english concertina for only about 10 days .The way Rosie played the concertina amazed me.She is still the only good english concertina player I have seen live and consequently the time I spent watching her play really inspired me.Together with Chris' tremendous enthusiasm and help they have played a large part in my own enthusiasm and dedicated learning of the instrument throughout the last 14 months.I'm really ,really sorry Chris.

very best wishes,

Simon

 

Thank you Simon. I am touched. :)

 

Chris

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