Sad News - Glad Thorp

[John Wild]

Dear Friends

 

It is with deep sorrow that I have to inform you that our dear friend Glad passed

away during the night. After a fall at home, Glad had been in a nursing home for

some weeks, and was not likely to return home for some time. However, she felt ill on Friday afternoon, and was not receiving visitors. She died in her sleep during the night.

 

Glad was 85 and had been an inspiration to several generations of concertina

players.

 

Details of funeral arrangements are not known yet but these can be passed on

when available to those who wish them.

 

I appreciate that many of you will not have known Glad, but this forum is a way of reaching some who did.

 

- John Wild

Edited April 24, 2005 by John Wild

[inventor]

I was very sorry to hear that Gladys Thorp had died. She was always generous with her time, and started many people on the road to playing the English Concertina; which was the love of her life.

She will certainly be much missed at the West Country Concertina Players meetings, where in spite of the long distance involved, was always a regular member. There and at the Kilve weekends she devoted her time to the absolute beginners - and those who had recently started but needed an extra push further along the way.

 

We first met over 50 years ago before she had even started to play the Concertina, and although I moved to many different places she always seemed to pop up somewhere unlikely throughout my life. I hope to write further about our various encounters at a later date.

 

Brian Hayden.

[Robin Madge]

It is my intention to search out any recordings that I have of Gladys and pass them on to the ICA archives, as I did for my recordings of Pat Robson. I would point out that this does not imply that my recordings are any good, but that they may be better than nothing.

 

It is difficult to find any recording of her playing alone, as she was usually leading a group of beginners demonstrating their first tune.

 

I cannot think of anyone who has helped more concertina players, and not only begginers, than Gladys did.

 

Robin Madge

[Chris Timson]

This is sad. Following on the death of Cyril Tawney the other day, it feels as if some of the pillars of the world are knocked away.

 

Chris

[John Wild]

For those that I have not been able to reach in other ways, Glad's funeral will be on Wednesday 11th May. I can be emailed for more details if required.

 

Best wishes,

 

John

[John Wild]

I could not count the total number who attended the funeral service, but there were at least 30 concertina players attending and about 20 of those had their instruments. Some had travelled over 200 miles for the day. We processed behind the hearse providing an escort into the church playing Lord of the Dance. A few hymns were played by the concertina players during the service. The only hitch came when we started Abide With Me in the agreed key of D but the church organist proceded in E flat, so we had to give way.

 

At the reception afterwards, we played a selection of Glad's favourite tunes, met old friends and made some new. It was a joyful funeral - celebrating the life rather than mournng the loss. We all take away memories of a remarkable woman who influenced our lives.

 

May all such services be like it.

 

thank you to all those who gave charitable donations in lieu of flowers. The Samaritans benefited by £25 and UNICEF by £215 and $35.

 

 

Best wishes,

 

John Wild

[Helen]

What a lovely send off.

[Samantha]

Apparently, many people at the Swaledale Squeeze knew Glad, and when we were all gathered together we were told a little about her, and we all played through The Lark in the Clear Air and Lord of the Dance in her memory. It sounds like she was a remarkable and lovely woman, and I found the tributes very moving.

Samantha