About Philip Catshill
Philip Catshill is a former British police officer who lives in central England.
He has had several unique life experiences, near death encounters, physical disabilities, and emotional incidents that have combined to provide a firm foundation for his excellent stories.
At the age of 30, after combining an accidental blow to his head with a late-night party, Philip survived his first massive stroke. To return to work as operational police officer proved to be a sometimes amusing, often daunting struggle that took 18 months.
With great pride in this achievement, he survived another 11 years as a fully operational, uniformed police sergeant. During this time, he stretched his mind to the limit by studying for an Open University degree.
Nine years after that first stroke, everything was put on hold when a younger man took interest in his family, his home but mostly, his wife. Within months, Philip’s 19-year marriage came to a crashing end. His inability to cope with the changes left him without a home and estranged from all he loved.
Despite having no faith, Philip was encouraged to pray. Amazingly, he discovered that prayer works! Throughout the loneliness and despair of being without a place to call home, prayer sustained him and brought him to a new life, new love, but most of all, a loving and welcoming family that was happy to love him as their own. It was meant to be a happy ever after ending to the tragedies, but four weeks after his last exam to give him his degree, and just 16 days after his second marriage, his life was to change dramatically.
Philip received injuries in a road accident which exacerbated the residual stroke symptoms. This brought his working life to an abrupt end. Just a few years short of reaching his full pension age, he was declared unfit to perform his police duties and was medically discharged from the police.
Undaunted and determined to defy the return of the right-sided paralysis, he bought an electronic keyboard and began learning to play the piano! By carefully selecting musical passages that concentrated on the left-hand accompaniment rather than the right-handed melody, he achieved piano grade 3. Despite his care in selecting appropriate music, the finger joints on his right hand became stiff and painful. After his second course of silicon injections to lubricate the joints, Philip gave up his piano, but this was not the end of his musical interlude. With his wife’s encouragement, he fulfilled an obscure childhood ambition to play a violin! Although his healthy left hand presented no difficulty in finding the notes, Philip’s bowhand had a mind of its own. However, after many unsuccessful attempts, Philip devised a plastic bow guide and by supporting his right elbow with a medical crutch, he has at least been able to play a note or two!
Although he has switched from his right hand to his left, Philip still enjoys painting and his passion for the ballet is reflected in his art. (https://www.philipcatshill.com)
On his 60th birthday, Philip, who is still severely disabled, decided to write about that first stroke from 30 years before.
Since then, Philip has concentrated on producing first-class fiction and has self-published several full-length novels.
Philip adds: “I’m glad I don’t harbour any ill feelings because I think hatred consumes you quicker and more effectively than cancer.
Life is for loving. We only have one crack at it and I am determined to enjoy every single minute of all that remains, and I can do that because when I was at my lowest and called out to God in despair, He was there!
Prayer works; prayer heals.
Life is wonderful. Live it! Enjoy it!”
