Holiday greetings to Digesters!  A friend and I bought a Decap Belgian
Cafe Organ at an auction in Sydney, Australia last month.  (I posted
some prices at the time.)  It has just arrived here and we unpacked
it on Christmas Eve!

We're looking for information as a base for restoration.  An enquiry
to the Fair Organ Preservation Society (a membership badge is attached
to the facade) brought a response from Stephen Simpson in England who
remembers working on the organ in 1977.  It was then owned by A K
Spiller.  It is distinctive: mirror tiles all over the facade.

This is a 92-key Mortier organ rebuilt by Decap.  It has no elec-
tronics.  A saxophone, accordion and drum kit are in the facade.
It seems to have eleven ranks of pipes.  The organ is basically sound
but will need a full cosmetic restoration plus pneumatic rebuild after
which it will be a showpiece.  Can anyone help with information?

There was a story that at one time it was known as "Slanny's Organ" in
Britain, and was truck-mounted.  It was taken to Australia in about
1982 but never played there.  Any data, information, clues, photographs
or recordings would be gratefully accepted.

Thanks!  And a Happy New Year.

Michael Woolf
New Zealand