RACHEL HECHT McCONKEY: 1999 - present
I am one of the 'founder members' of Piping Hot, and am really pleased that I have a group of real musicians to play with at last. I grew up in the USA, and learned to read music at the same time as words, and have played various things including piano (hard to escape when your mother is a piano teacher!), oboe and cor anglais, cello, but principally flute and recorder since I was about 10.

I was fortunate to be able to go a very musical highschool in New York State, and from the band and orchestra conductors I got a broad musical education, playing everything from Vivaldi to music so modern that it was still handwritten, since it was commissioned for our concert band! Also played in the pit band for things like West Side Story, and then while at Cornell University played for the Gilbert and Sullivan society productions. It wasn't until I came to England that I really got into recorders again, since a recorder was easier to pack in a suitcase than a flute.

However, I now have my flute and plenty of recorders, and live with my husband and two daughters in a house overflowing with music! I spend my time making things like earrings when I am not busy teaching music, or finding things for Piping Hot to play in the next concert. .

ALLY McGURK: 1999 - present
Born and bred north of the Border in Edinburgh, I'm the third founder member of Piping Hot. Music has been at the centre of my life as long as I can remember. My first forays into music making were in the days when I had to undertake a certain amount of mountaineering to reach the top of the piano stool, and ever since then it has been impossible to keep me quiet.

Over the years I have, in no particular order, taught guitar and recorder; sung in choirs, including one that entertained our present queen and King Olav of Norway; organised children's orchestras; studied musical instrument repair, during which time I had to learn to play violin, clarinet, flute and tenor horn all at once; sung and played guitar at folk clubs; gone busking; played oboe in the Edinburgh Secondary Schools Orchestra; and I currently play sax for Belfagan Women's Morris and earn a living as part of Marshall McGurk musical instrument repair.

I started playing recorder by accident, but spent many years with no-one to play with unless I taught them first. Meeting Rachel and Val and setting up Piping Hot was one of the happiest adventures I've ever been involved in - proper musicians to play with at last!

I'm also responsible for the design of this website, so if you have any comments or complaints please email me.

RUTH SMITH: 2000 - present

SAMANTHA WILLIS 2004 - present

After living in Sussex, Tyneside, Devon & Cornwall and Sussex again, I moved to Cumbria nearly 2 years ago with my family. This completed my ambition to sample life in all four corners of England and I now live near Wigton with my husband, 2 sons, dog and 2 cats.

I started playing the recorder at infant school and took up the flute a few years later. From youth orchestras to early music groups, via a student "pop" band and wind bands, I have never really stopped playing! I joined Piping Hot with great relief: finding a good recorder ensemble to play with after you have passed the age of 16, is more challenging than you would think.

I don't weave, morris dance, make chairs or do anything arty like the rest of the group - I spend my time being a domestic goddess (i.e. wife and mother; cook, cleaner, gardener, dog-walker,etc) but plan to return to real life sometime in the future.

BRIDGET HILTON 2005 - present

After a lifetime of playing a variety of instruments - accordion, piano, violin, clarinet, crumhorn, rackett, percussion and, of course, recorders, it has been good to find an outlet for at least two of them in my new life in Cumbria. As a (retired) full-time teacher of music and French, (still full-time) mother of three musicians and granny to three more potential musicians, the luxury of time to play is quite something to be savoured. Piping Hot has been a welcome enhancement to life in this respect!

HELEN PENNY 2006 - present

I moved to Cumbria in October 2005, having retired as headteacher of an Arts College in December 2004. I was delighted to be accepted as a member of Piping Hot in January 2006, as I have always loved playing the Recorder. My speciality is playing Jingle Bells on two Descant Recorders at the same time in harmony!

I have been involved in music all my life, probably because my parents were musicians and I did not have much choice about it at the beginning. I love arranging music for different ensembles and have spent a lifetime in teaching, burning the midnight oil doing this for my various groups, usually for the next day. I look forward to playing with Piping Hot in the future; they are certainly a fun group to know.

KATHLEEN ROBERTSHAW 2006 - present

Kathleen's arrival now brings the number of people who are in both Piping Hot and Belfagan to four.

I suppose it all started with my amazing grandad, who worked as a miner, but who was a talented, self-taught musician and artist. I began violin lessons at school, at the age of 7, and haven't stopped making music since, adding on other instruments as I go, most recently the Northumbrian Smallpipes. I trained as a Primary teacher, specialising in music, but have worked in other fields, including a short time as an assistant reindeer herder! A few years ago I was able to fulfil a long-held ambition, and train as a luthier, and now make guitars and related instruments, as well as repairing stringed instruments. Throughout the journey I have played in orchestras and ensembles, and, for twelve years, in a highly successful folk/ceilidh band. After two years of resisting the lure of fiddle and accordian bands in the Highlands of Scotland, I am glad to be back 'int' North', and delighted to be able to make music again.

VAL HETHERINGTON: 1999 - 2006
One of the original 3 founder members, Val hails from Belfast, but is so busy running the music department in one of our local secondary schools she has so far never found the time to write anything about herself. For 7 years she has guided us with her skilful professionalism, but sadly she now finds herself with too many irons in the fire and has handed in her red scarf.

You can't keep a good woman down, you know. Jane tried to leave us, but keeps coming back for more! We're delighted to have her, even for just the odd tune here and there.

JENNY McALONE: 2002 - 2003

SHARON TAYLOR: 2002- 2006

Sharon spent her childhood in London, and has progressed north, via Canterbury, Mid Glamorgan and West Yorkshire, over the years. She has always had an active interest in music, covering a range of areas; stage productions, choirs, folk groups and piano. She joined Piping Hot in Autumn 2002 and this was a return to recorders after 25 years. In her "spare time" she is a hand spinner and weaver.

Sadly for us, Sharon has now moved to New Zealand, husband, sons, cat and all: despite her great enthusiasm for the group, even Sharon finds it a bit far to commute. She has found a choir to sing with in the Antipodes. (Lucky them!) We all miss her greatly.