Hi All.  My Name is Chris Doe, I live in Stock, Essex, U.K.  I thought
I would post a note to introduce myself, as I am new to the MMD.

I am interested in all mechanical music, and I have been since I was 10
years old (Now being 17).  I own two Street Organs, both built in the
U.K.  They are:

  1) 20-keyless Balchin
  2) 21-keyless Trueman

The Balcin is a rare organ; there was only a few built by the late Jim
Balchin, however this organ was made in the late 1980's.  It is a
follows:

3 notes bass, 8 notes accompaniment, 9 back-to-back continental
bourdons (celeste) on the melody, wind supplied by two double acting
bellows at 6 inches of pressure.  It uses the 20-keyless Raffin spool
type roll and 110 millimeter rolls, using the keyless pressure box system
as used on early Hofbauer kits and early Bruns organs.

It was bought by me in Feb. 1996 in a poor state of repair: it did not
play.  I had the organ re-built by organ-builder Paul McCarthy of this
county in March 1996.  Later, in Feb. 1998, organ-builder John Smith
(famous for his 20-keyless roll playing kits) added adjustable bleeds
for the keyless action; this has greatly increased the repetition on
the action!  It is currently awaiting decorating!

The Trueman was built for me by organ-builder Peter Trueman in Oct
1993.  It is the standard 21-keyless scale used in the U.K.  This scale
is totally different from the Raffin roll scale.  It is also cardboard
books, not rolls.  It was devised in the early 80's for the Dean family
organ-builders by Kevin Meyers (I think).  The organ is the same pipe
layout as the Balchin, but has a 9-note glockenspiel on register.  It
is supplied with wind from a single double-acting bellow at about 8
inches of pressure.  It uses the exhaust pneumatic system, that is common
on all the U.K. small organs, to read the card music.

Pictures of both organs are on my web site.  Please feel free to say
hello by mailing me at <chris.doe@virgin.net> or visit my site

    http://freespace.virgin.net/chris.doe/chris.htm

Best wishes to everyone

Chris Doe
Stock, Essex, U.K.

 [ Welcome aboard, Chris, and thanks for the details.  I didn't know
 [ about the different 20-key scale in England.  Do you perform at
 [ rallies with your organs?  What are you studying at school?  What
 [ styles of music do you like?  Please tell us more about yourself
 [ sometime.   ;)  -- Robbie