Chapter News
(Feel free to phone chairman Ian Ridley for current information on 01494 674944
The Barry Christie Organ to be removed.
From Edmonton to Barry to .…..?
(The Christie Organ is now safely removed & stored - but read on )
The London and South of England Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society has received notice under the terms of their agreement with the Barry Town Council that the famous Regal Edmonton 4/16 Christie Theatre Organ has to be removed from the magnificent setting of Barry Memorial Hall.
Since the organ’s opening concert there on St David's Day 1987, Barry and ATOS have benefited hugely from a long running series of dances played throughout by David Redfern plus concerts featuring artists from here and overseas. Unfortunately falling audience numbers and the introduction of a board of trustees and a change of hall management a few years ago requiring higher hire charges, meant ATOS had to suspend concert activity.
We could not present concerts running at such a loss for a sustained period. ATOS have been negotiating with the Memorial Hall trustees with a view to re-start concert activity with their support, and we have spent a considerable time trying to produce a positive outcome. However the organ is, in our opinion, not a welcome feature within the current image of the Hall, ATOS has not been encouraged and supported by the Hall’s trustees or by the Town Council as it was in the past, and the orchestra pit and under stage pipe chamber areas are now required for other purposes.
ATOS had hoped that circumstances would change at the hall but this has not turned out to be the case and the 12 month notice for removal has now been served. Currently the magnificent console is entombed on its lift due to the extension of the stage area and though unplayable the instrument is in fine condition.
All who have been involved in presenting and supporting our events over the years at Barry are warmly thanked by the ATOS Chapter Committee.
It is time therefore to consider a new phase in the life of this historic instrument and any thoughts on a future home for it will be welcome.
In the first place please address any ideas to The Chapter's Musical Advisor Len Rawle at 132 Berry Lane, Chorleywood, Herts., WD3 4BT alternatively, further information can be obtained by telephoning Len on 01923 720511
Removal
Work began for the first session began at 9:15 am Monday the 1st March 2010 and by Sunday 7th at 5:15 pm the two chambers were cleared. All that remained was the blower unit (the removal of which required a wall to be dismantled) and the Christie Console. These were removed in two days at the end of the month. In all four seven and a half ton lorry loads were succesfully moved to our safe sorage site up North, during the 11 days we were there. All is now safely gathered in !
Ian Ridley (Chairman) on 01494 674944 31st March 2010
Tooting DVD A few still left.
Place your order now or pick one up at a Woking Concert.
This DVD of 'Raising the Tooting Wurlitzer' has the entire concert from start to finish. Featuring Kevin Morgan, Doreen Chadwick, Len Rawle, Richard Cole & Bob Morgan. It was shot by a team of professional camermen hired by us for the occasion. It is combined with a super Hi Fi stereo recording using professional sound recording equipment. You can spot your friends in the balcony or maybe see yourself.
It has a menu system so that you can replay your favourite segment over again without the effort of spooling to the start of it, and also has a bonus feature of 20 minutes which covers the build up to the occasion.
Order this fund raising DVD with confidence
DVD price £15
plus £1.50 P&P - European P&P £2.00 - USA & Australia P&P £3.00
Send your cheque made payable to ATOS. to:-
Judith Rawle
132, Berry Lane
Chorleywood
Herts
WD3 4BT
Important Announcements.
No more Tooting Concerts till at least late 2011
The national flooding disaster on Friday 20th. July 2007 also struck South London in a big way and in particular the Tooting & Mitcham area. The Chambers of the Wurlitzer in the GALA Bingo establishment (Ex GRANADA) were flooded to a depth of 20". This obviously inundated the bass chests, trunking, regulators, ground frame and wiring. The console being slightly higher in the orchestra pit was just above water level. Len Rawle reached the premises mid to late afternoon and was horrified to see the state of the chambers. He and GALA staff hired pumps, and using buckets as well, reduced the water level to a depth of approx. 3" by 10:00 pm that evening. The remaining water was got rid of on the following Monday. The soaked elements of the instrument were left to dry out before being inspected and wind put through. To do otherwise would cause further damage.
After further inspection it was obvious that the flooding had caused more damage this time than floods in the past. Sadly the floods beat 'Gala' to it, the date for the digging of sumps and the installation of the pumps was scheduled for one week after the floods. After a short delay due of course to the floods, these were subsequently installed, so hopefully flooding to this depth will not happen again, although it must be remembered that flooding in Tooting and Mitcham is a well known phenomenon and can happen during any decent storm.
The damaged bass chests were removed so they can be worked on off site. Some in fact needed to be removed anyway to make way for pump installation. The digging of the sumps for the pump intakes, has created a massive dust problems in both chambers so this will mean a big cleanup job now before further work in the chambers can be carried out. Work carried out on site can only be done between the cleaners coming in at 6:30am and start of Bingo at 10:45am so progress can only be made in small pieces of time. Len of course has many other commitments on his, time such as the Isle of Mann project with which he is personally involved. Our technical team lead by Len, are carrying out repairs to the Woking Wurlitzer - on going at this moment - and as already mentioned above, the removal of the Christie Organ from Barry Memorial Hall. This is all voluntary work for all of us, and it must be remembered that Len must also earn a living playing concerts at home and abroad.
Some strange reports have been seen by some of the committee regarding the state of things at Tooting and the sequence of events which led up to the flood on the 20th July 2007.
A report in the T.O.C. newsletter said " - - Two pumps were installed but apparently they
failed to cope with the flood
waters. The relay was fully submerged, so it may
have to be replaced by solid
state."
You only need to read the top of this section on the problem to know that the flood of 20th July 2007 was just prior to the intended date of digging the sump holes for the pumps. THERE WERE NO PUMPS INSTALLED BEFORE THE FLOOD. The relays were not fully submerged (the water level would have had to have reached the ceiling to do that ) only the bottom two relay cabinets were submered. Nevertheless this has left a serious problem which will be difficult to overcome. The same article I read also intimated that there were two floods - there have been many floods in the distant past - but no more floods since the 20th July 2007 and the installation of the two pumps. I hope this clears up some misunderstandings.
At Tooting some repair work on the badly split
wind trunking has been carried out but more needs to be done for the wind to reach
all parts of the organ. However the relay stacks which were badly submerged in
the flood, pose an almost insurmountable problem. As stated earlier because of the way these have been squashed into the available space,
it is almost impossible to gain sufficient access to rebuild them. Other ideas,
like moving them about within their space will need to be tried.
It has always been very
difficult to carry out work at Tooting due to the almost continuous bingo.
Access has to be gained with the cleaners at around 6 am and any activity which
might make the slightest noise must cease before 11 am for bingo to begin.
However Len and volunteers will not give up, and will slowly work at this
problem to see if the instrument can regain its former glory.
Ian Ridley (chairman) 01494 674944 21st July 2010
The State Theatre Kilburn - Latest news
A way forward has been agreed with the Brent Council, which includes some community use.
Planning permissions are being sought to pave the way for a 10 year scale of refurbishment. The bingo equipment has already been removed and it is intended that the theatre will be restored to it's former glory. More details will follow as they are received.
Ian Ridley (chairman) 01494 674944 11th March 2010
