No Prodigal son

Heartbreak this month, we are losing a dear brother after 10 years of devoted service to the members and students of our Hoxton branch of Turning Earth. Giuseppe, all the way back in 2013, a wee stripling, straight out of University, was a founding team member and pioneer and has been with us from the day we fired our first kiln, until the last day of June this year. Now having matured into great sophistication and strength of character, an exemplary human, he has finally decided to embark on the next stage of his career. Dammit!

Giuseppe has been a workhorse in the studio and has championed its processes and smooth running from day one with a speedy, reliable zeal; He has a keen attention to detail, takes full personal responsibility for everything he touches, and has been a firm favourite among the Turning Earth members, with his wit and charm, and zero nonsense approach (they have even made him a blue plaque to commemorate his decade of ‘discipline and tough love’- which is now presiding on the wall of his old domain: the plaster area. On top of this, they whipped together a dazzlingly sizeable fund to support him through his transition stage).

He has helped spearhead the management of many of the Turning Earth sales and events and, not least, organise the mammoth move of the learning hub, from Cremer street to Laburnum street, a feat which in itself, was gargantuan, but given the circumstances that the whole organisation had been obliged to deal with, we wouldn't have been able to do it without him!

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In short, Giuseppe has embodied all of the values we strive for here at Turning Earth: Diligence, service, humour, excellence, care…; I could go on, and he has been a leader, a teacher and an inspiration for us all in this way. Indeed, these characteristics are a dream for anyone who has worked in, or had to hire a team, however, time is nigh, he says, to make it on his own, take the plunge, jump out of the familiar apron strings of the community that loves him- otherwise he’d be here for another 10 years, he says.. We wouldn’t complain about that!

Farewell then Giuseppe, we know that with such talents you will be a success in anything you choose to do; we don’t expect to be serving prized calves anytime soon. But these doors will always be open, should you need us.

You can see what this deserter is up to here: 

Instagram: giuseppeparrinelloceramics

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