A Bridge Over Troubled Water

Judith Piepe – social activist and cultural icon – has died in Levin aged 83. Famous for her mysterious origins and friendships with the likes of Cat Stevens and Paul Simon (she was his agent), Piepe’s door was always open to young strays seeking their fortune in Soho in the 1960s and 70s. She also created what was effectively Britain’s first folk club by inviting her illustrious acquaintances to play at St Anne’s Church – with which she had a lasting association. Piepe emigrated to NZ with her second husband, Stephen Delft, in 1981.

Judith Piepe: 22 February 1920 – 19 June 2003