#More than a Building – Kath Jones – Paparazzi, teacher, chorister tutor.
As a former paparazzi she photographed Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher, she’s worked as a carer, found herself temporarily homeless, taught guitar and music in primary schools, and now as chorister tutor at Hereford Cathedral, Kath Jones admits she has the best job in the world.
“It might sound odd, but I’ve never worked harder or had a more challengingly wonderful job in my life – and that’s down to the people here and the way in which they have embraced me into their lives and the life of this cathedral.
“The people here are just fantastic. Consistently” she added.
It’s such a special place for Kath that she was baptised and confirmed there last month –with the choristers and members of the cathedral community as witness.
She trained as a graphic designer originally, got drawn into photography and began working as a press photographer in the heady days of the 1990s.
She moved to Hereford where she found herself living on a friend’s floor when she was made temporarily homeless. It was here she began caring for people with mental health issues and did some classroom teaching of guitar and music. It was while she was teaching at the Cathedral School that she came across the post for chorister tutor in 2015.
“I love this place, just being here, working here and living here has had an enormous impact on me. Behind the walls of a Cathedral you can learn that spirituality comes in many forms.
“All of us – including Willow the dog – are part of this cathedral family – and I would encourage anyone to go and find their nearest cathedral. It just makes you feel so special and loved.”
