Kevin McElhone might be amused by the tale of my Steck electric
Duo-Art grand.  It was made in the Aeolian factory in Hayes, near
London, and I found it in Wokingham, Surrey, UK.  (Wokingham is where
Julian Dyer lives !)

The lady owner told me her grandfather had bought it new in 1926 and,
when he died, his son emigrated to New Zealand taking the piano with
him.  In due course, the son retired and came home to the UK, bringing
it back again.  When he died, his daughter sold it to me for =L=80 and
I took it home to Hayes, where I lived at the time, within sight of the
original Aeolian factory where it was made.  Despite its travels, it
was in superb un-restored, untouched condition and gave me years of
pleasure.

A final comical twist is that when it was delivered, I proudly called
in my octogenarian neighbour to show him my prize.  He took one look at
it and said "I probably polished that bl**dy thing !"  It turned out
he'd spent the early years of his working life as a french polisher at
the factory down the road.

Richard Stibbons
Cromer, England