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2006 Round Up, and Entries for Dorset 2007 by John Smith |
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First of all as I am writing this in the week before Christmas 2006 I
would like to wish all the Amateur Organ Builders a very Happy Christmas
and a very prosperous and musical New Year.
I am in awe at the remarkable organs that are being built, and pictured on this site, 2006 has seen some of the very best ever. I put this down to the fact that more and more of us are getting together and the sense of competition is spurring everyone on to do better. A big factor in this has been the annual gathering at Ramsgate. Unfortunately this has had to be postponed for 2007 but we are trying to organise some alternative gatherings. The big event will be our Marquee at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. This has to be the most prestigious field event held anywhere, even bigger than the Calgary Stampede I am told. 2007 will be our fourth year at Dorset and we are hoping to put on the best display so far. If you have built a nice organ and would like to join us there, now is the time to put your name forward. Taking part is the ideal way to see the show, we can camp on site from Saturday ( 25th August) prior to the opening, this gives lots of time to see it all taking shape. We operate a live show with organs playing in turn, last year for the first time interested members of the public were able to join in on various percussion instruments that we supplied. There is no fee paid for taking part but we are undercover and the caravan or camping pass covers 2 adults and 2 children for up to 10 days, which with entrance fees would be worth about £200. To apply please email Tina Petiffer. Another significant event for Amateur Organ Builders was at the Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition held near Warwick in October. 2006 saw three organs winning 1st, 2nd, and most highly commended awards in the miscellaneous section. Individual exhibits are only allowed to win once so why not consider entering yours in 2007 if you think it is up to it? I feel particularly pleased about these awards, seeing them as another indication that Amateur Organ Building is now being taken seriously and becoming an established part of the Model Engineering and Steam Fair scene, much the same as Miniature steam has been for some considerable time.
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