Kevin McElhone's piece, "Liquidating a Collection", in MMD 020219,
reminds me that there is a historic organ sitting in a yard in London
with the owner asking such a high price that it will never be sold.
He has told me that if he doesn't get his asking price the organ will
just sit there and rot. (The "and rot" bit was added by me.)
He's retired now, but doesn't really need the money, and believes his
price is right. Leaving this situation as it is, the organ will rot
in the yard until the owner dies, and will be left for his family to
dispose of the remains.
The organ I speak of is the 89-key Marenghi of Benny Irvin. Perhaps
someone out there could try to persuade him to reduce his price
(the organ may be original, but is in need of a complete overhaul,
especially the pipework), and even to get it out of the yard and onto
the rally field so it will get the chance of having the cobwebs blown
out, and the organ placed into the public eye. Benny's address is:
Amusement Depot
Poplar Road
Ashford
TW15 1EF
Tel: +44 (0)1784 242863
I hasten to add that although I have been looking after this organ for
nearly 20 years, I stand to gain nothing financially from its sale,
only the satisfaction that this once highly-spoken-of organ will be
preserved for our heritage.
Regards, in hope,
John Page (UK)
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