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Reyburn CyberTuner Pocket PC Windows Macintosh www.reyburn.com Haynes Piano Manuel Review, Page 24 British Piano Fair at Lords Cricket Ground, Page 23 Editorial — 4 President Writes — 5 Christmas Quiz — 8 Piano Sales Encouragement — 9 Retail Tales — 10 Students’ Pages — 11 Lecturing at the L.C.F — 16 Meet The PTA — 18 Hilary Martin — 20 Council Report — 21 British Piano Fair — 23 Book Review — 24 Letters — 25 PTA Diary — 27 For your advertising in PTA News, at very reasonable rates, please contact: Tania Staite, Flat 8, Deepdene, 15 Streatham Common Northside, London, SW16 3HQ. Copy may then be emailed to the Editor at:[email protected] The next deadline for PTA News is by an SAE. Please obtain the necessary permission Friday 15th January 2010. before submitting copyrighted items. PTA News PTA News is the Newsletter for the Pianoforte Cobblestones Tuners’ Association. All views expressed are those of Church Lane the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the Great Holland views of the PTA or the editorial team. FRINTON-ON-SEA Please address letters intended for publication to Essex CO13 0JS ‘The Editor’, preferably sent via email, computer disk [email protected] or typed. Items can only be returned if accompanied August 2009 3 First of all I should explain that Editorial I’ve called this edition a ‘Students’ Special’ largely because you Matthew Gough students have sent me so much! I’m really grateful for it and it does tie was the centre of in with the John Spice article about his countless happy teaching days at the L.C.F. There are other gatherings with friends, Family, interesting articles as well though, such as neighbours and quite often tramps off the the British Piano Fair report and the street as well, all sharing a good singsong Christmas Quiz. together with beer and other alcoholic Oh yes, Christmas... the trees seem to go beverages in hand and, quite evidently, on up earlier and earlier as the years go by the piano as well, as the countless ring until by the time the big day arrives much marks on the casework now attest. of the surprise and wonder of Christmas has How those great piano parties must have already been and gone. Still, at least it’s a nurtured great community spirit through chance for relatives to catch up with each those dark times and beyond. other after a busy year. A shared Christmas Indeed, one of my old customers carried dinner and Families all around the same on the tradition until just a few years ago, table has to be a good thing (Oh yes it inviting many of her neighbours round each does!) Sunday. This grew into quite an event, the I mention this only because so many ‘Glastonbury’ of Holland-on-Sea. times when I happen to be tuning at a Anyway, I quite fancy getting my folks Family’s Tea Time, I notice one child round the piano on Christmas Day. It's got eating his dinner at a table, another is in to be fun and if there are any visitors (poor front of the computer screen, another has things) or black sheep about, it’s bound to one hand on his play station whilst the other help break the ice or get rid of them early. hand picks up a pile of chips. Perhaps I could even persuade my Well, each to their own, ‘busy lives’ and nieces and nephews to play their recorders, all that, but for me those Family meals guitars or such like on condition of instant around the table every night with all the rest confiscation afterwards. of the crew were very precious. Although So I think I’ve just got time to learn a there were a fair few heated discussions, few Carols before the big day. I might even they were also a great bonding process and play them to a few unlucky customers. a lesson in communications. Anyway, it would be a change from Moon Some people have the view that the River and it might even earn me the prized piano is the TV Dinner of the musical world. mince pie. You can’t really join a pop band with it or So how about it then? A mass PTA rarely an orchestra come to that, and it’s not ‘around the piano at Christmas’ effort. I really that portable is it? Poor old ‘Joanna know those various old ‘pianos that Granny no mates!’ used to play’ are all still in circulation. However, many of the old Londoners Merry Christmas to all of you and until that retire down my neck of the woods tell then........ me how that old piano I’m desperately Happy Tuning..... trying to tune (which always seems to have fallen through two floors during the blitz) 4 The President Writes Firstly, a big Brian Frost thank you to all those who returned their corrected database forms so quickly which formed a fitting tribute has enabled Annette to make sure to someone who had touched so many lives. The all the information contained on the funeral lasted nearly 2 hours and music PTA Database is now as accurate played a big part. The Big Band which as possible. John formed when he retired to Eastbourne For those of you who have yet to return played several numbers during the service. your form it is still not too late, but please The coffin entered the Church to a bear in mind that the new database is now recording of Johnny Pearson linked to the ‘find a tuner’ section on the accompanying John on clarinet playing PTA website, and therefore your contact Sleepy Shores. Both family and friends details and post towns covered may not be spoke about John during the service, and correct. Dave Gilroy was commissioned gradually one was able to build up a picture by the PTA to write the new database and I of John’s life. Several fellow PTA would like to thank him for all his hard Members had also made the journey to work. PTA Member Fiona Gilroy is Dave’s Eastbourne to pay their last respects. wife, and has also helped Dave in the I was asked by his widow Pam to say a background using knowledge she had built few words about his involvement with the up about the Association whilst PTA Year PTA. It was an honour to speak on behalf Book editor — thank you Fiona. of the Association, this is what I said: In November I attended the Europiano Delegates’ meeting in Frankfurt. For the Eulogy delivered at the funeral of first time an ABPT Delegate was in John Spice on 1st October 2009 attendance as the ABPT had been elected a Member of Europiano at the general I first met John (as he was known to us) meeting in the Cezck Republic last May. in 1977 when I was a student at the London ABPT Member Martin Locke was their College of Furniture where he taught piano representative, and he gave an extremely tuning on a part time basis for a number of eloquent speech setting out the goals of the years. His professional approach to ABPT within Europiano. He stated that the teaching was greatly respected by his ABPT would like to work more closely students and he seemed very at home with with other visually impaired piano tuners a group of eager learners circled around who are Members of Europiano. Martin him while he demonstrated what he was said that with the closure of the piano trying convey to us. course at Hereford the ABPT felt it In 1951, when he found earning a living especially important that they make contact as a professional musician increasingly with piano tuners in a similar situation to difficult, John trained as a piano tuner at themselves throughout Europe. I am London’s Northern Polytechnic in Pitfield looking forward to working with my ABPT Street. He came top of his class with 90%. colleagues at future meetings. A colleague and friend of John, At the beginning of October I attended Malcolm McKeand, remembers that when the funeral of John Spice. The service August 2009 5 The President Writes Continued he was a twelve year old he had had a One of John’s students, Colin succession of piano tuners to tune the Crawford, did a series of caricatures of family piano, and was unhappy with them the staff at London College of Furniture. all. John was the first piano tuner to make Colin’s version portrayed him with an ear the piano ‘sound right’ and he then trumpet falling asleep over a piano. John became Malcolm’s tuner until Malcolm was so taken with the drawing that he himself trained for the profession, partly asked Colin for a copy – even though the as a result of John’s enthusiasm for the caption read ‘Variety is the life of Spice job.