Organists and Steam

[Davidb]

It's got to be the NNR then... Its 'yellow' this week, one steam and one diesel alternating a 45 minute service, and over the bank holiday weekend this changes to two steams alternating 45 minutes from each end from 10:30

 

Best advice I can give is to park at Holt and travel to Sheringham, then spend the day there. With the beach and ice creams what more could you want?!

[S_L]

Best advice I can give is to park at Holt and travel to Sheringham, then spend the day there. With the beach and ice creams what more could you want?!

 

 

How about crab sandwiches at Crabbies Crab shop at Salthouse - only a brisk walk away!!!!!

[andyorgan]

Thanks for all the advice. An eventful few days in Norfolk. We ended up on the Sheringham-Holt line. Place was very full, as the BBC were filming something with Melvyn Bragg and Pete Waterman. An enjoyable ride and return, spoiled only by a parking ticket on my return.

 

Anyway, we also had a day in Norwich, including a good look round St Peter's, with that Peter Collins organ in. Has anyone played this? Is it really as 'uncompromising' as the literature suggests? Then on to Kings Lynn today where we found a most interesting small two manual Willis in St Nicholas Chapel, a fabulous building. No longer used for worship, but used for concerts and kept open by the Church Conservation trust. Does anyone know if the organ is still in working condition? And then finally to Terrington St Clement, an extraordinary building on the Fens. Again, anyone ever played here?

 

A useful end to our first family outing to Norfolk. I shall be back to try out the other steam railways!

[AJJ]

Anyway, we also had a day in Norwich, including a good look round St Peter's, with that Peter Collins organ in. Has anyone played this? Is it really as 'uncompromising' as the literature suggests?

 

Yes, fairly - though it was a while ago - also fascinating watching it 'go in' when Mrs AJJ was doing her degree in Norwich.

 

Then on to Kings Lynn today where we found a most interesting small two manual Willis in St Nicholas Chapel, a fabulous building. No longer used for worship, but used for concerts and kept open by the Church Conservation trust. Does anyone know if the organ is still in working condition?

 

Yes it does work - Adrian Richards - DOM at St Margarets KL (worth visit too - case and some pw by Snetzler including some nice 8 & 4 Dulcianas and a 'German' Flute) plays there and there are recordings on the BIOS website.

[David Drinkell]

And then finally to Terrington St Clement, an extraordinary building on the Fens. Again, anyone ever played here?

 

Yes - it's a Rest Cartwright with some Hope-Jonesish stop names. Pretty dull, as they tend to be (unless it's been pepped up since I was there), and of course the building could take something much more enterprising, but it can sound imposing in an octopodish sort of way. Terrington St. John, another fine church although not as specatcular as St. Clement, has a nice vintage Holdich in a Gothicky case.

[David Drinkell]

And then finally to Terrington St Clement, an extraordinary building on the Fens. Again, anyone ever played here?

 

Yes - it's a Rest Cartwright with some Hope-Jonesish stop names. Pretty dull, as they tend to be (unless it's been pepped up since I was there), and of course the building could take something much more enterprising, but it can sound imposing in an octopodish sort of way. Terrington St. John, another fine church although not as spectacular as St. Clement, has a nice vintage Holdich in a Gothicky case.

 

St. Nicholas, Lynn, is a fine Willis and the case is by Oldrid Scott.

[Christopher Price]

Cape Road bridge would be a better bet than the station (although not much good for photos in the down direction) as 70000 is booked to call at Warwick so will be at full blast by Cape Road for the run up Hatton Bank.

 

Although not especially a steam fan I may pop out nearer to SonA for a quick look if it's sunny.

 

P

 

I went, I saw, I heard, I enjoyed! A good start out of Warwick, with a steady climb up Hatton Bank, all good stuff!

 

CP

[handsoff]

I'm glad you saw it; I took this shot of it between Hatton and Bearley. I wonder where Stratford-upon-Avon cathedral is?

[Colin Pykett]

Rather an old thread to be replying to, but I came across bombarde32's post (#27). For some reason the forum isn't currently allowing me to quote it, but s/he said that Sir Walter Alcock used to file the axle boxes for his model steam locos during the sermons at Salisbury!

 

The reason for searching the forum on the connected subjects of 'steam' and 'Alcock' is (1) I didn't want to start a new thread without having done so, and (2) I originally wondered where Sir W's locos went. There were apparently two, made by him, and capable of pulling a man in his various gardens including that in the Salisbury Cathedral close where the neighbours apparently weren't too keen on the noise, smoke and soot. The answer is that one was at one time (and might still be) in the Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum. The other is (or was) in the Buckfastleigh museum of the South Devon Railway Trust. This and a lot more interesting information about Sir Walter's hobby, which attracts a good number of other organists, is in the excellent sleeve notes to Daniel Cook's CD entitled "The Organ Music of Sir Walter Alcock" recorded at Salisbury in 2008 (Priory PRCD 1008).

 

If you like that sort of thing it's well worthwhile in terms of venue, executant and technical quality. I do like it, if only because I was brought up on WGA's organ tutor and many of the pieces in it appear on the disc. Moreover, it has incidentally solved the problem of what happened to his steam engines as mentioned above. So it was an excellent acquisition on both counts.

 

CEP