Welcome to Shrewsbury Abbey’s 1911 Hill organ blog


Welcome to Shrewsbury Abbey’s 1911 Hill organ blog

The grand old lady has decided to tell her own story, using modern social media which she has mastered with a little help from her friends

In the pages of this blog, the Organ will tell her own story, reveal some of her best kept secrets, explain why she now needs restoration and completion, and comment on some of the events during the Abbey’s appeal for funds to enable the work to take place



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Summer madness

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Summer madness Well I thought I'd heard it all, but obviously I haven't One of my lovely organists today is going to start a two week cycle ride, the length of the whole country, to raise money for my renovation and new pipes.  Wow! I'm told he's going from South to North  -  not sure why, but then I've never been on a bike  -  and will play 4 organs on the way.  He's playing my keys here in the Abbey next Thursday evening All my followers can easily check on his progress.  He's obviously seen how modern I can be and is going to keep a Blog  -  just like I do  -  and put photographs on something called Instagram How good is that!  And I do hope he will be able to raise lots of money for the work that I need to be done Now, Dear Follower, what are you going to do to raise £££s for me?
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A book about me!

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A book about me! Yes, I’m going to be even more famous than I already am, because there is soon going to be a book about me! Because of all the work that there’s going to be next year, Mr Nigel has looked into dusty files and envelopes to see what he can find out about Mr William’s plans and the changes that have been made since I was installed in 1911 He’s even found out a little more about the old organ that was in this lovely building for the 105 years before me.   Now here’s a secret, and I’m not telling (yet!).   As you know, Mr William called me 2412.   That’s my official Job Number, and I know that because it’s stamped on to my timbers in various places.   Mr William said that he would re-use some pipes from the older organ when he made me.   I’m the only one that knows whether or not he was able to do that, but next year, my secret will be revealed But other secrets are no longer quite so secret.   In a vault in the nearby Cadbury library (I thought Cadbury ju
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Wind (not a repeat!)

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Wind (not a repeat!)   I have already told you about wind, the sort that is used by my lovely pipes to make music   And I have told you about the massive reservoirs used to store wind before it flows through to my pipes.   These huge heavy chests, with hinged sides and floating tops, were carefully built by Mr William in 1911 and have survived all these years, just getting dirtier every year that’s past, and with their leather hinges increasingly having to be patched up   Three of the reservoirs are huge, and the fourth more of a baby size.   They have all been lifted down, and all four have gone for restoration.   This took a lot of heaving, and Mr Gary was fortunate to have such strong henchpeople on hand   Two of the reservoirs went with Mr Edward to his workshop, and the other two have gone to Mr Dave in East London.   Great progress is being made and soon these reservoirs will come back to my Abbey, to be hoisted high up into new positions, and the trunks from the
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