| A crackin' good day |
[Aug. 25th, 2009|10:40 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  happy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | echos of organs in my head | ] |
Hi everyone.
I just had to write in here about today, because it's been an awesome day. Dad always has Tuesdays off, and mum decided to take today off too, and she asked me to think of somewhere I'd like to go. Well, whenever I'm presented with that question, there's one place that always springs to mind, and that's thursford, a place where there's loads of old steam engines on display, some fantastic mechanical organs, (which is naturally why I love going there), and, the main attraction, a fantastic Wurlitzer organ. You really have to see that thing in action to appreciate it. To hear it on CD's or tapes is one thing, but to hear it actually played there in front of you, is quite a different thing. It just blows me away every time. The first time I went to Thursford, I was about seven I think, and it left me so awestruck, that night, I kept crying uncontrolably, and just didn't know why. Now when I look back, I know why it was. The whole experience was just too good. I've been there a few times since then, and it still leaves me in a state of wow for a few days afterwards.
Today, we got there just before Robert Wolf, the man who plays the Wurlitzer, did his second show, so we were just in time to have a cup of tea and a scone, and then get ourselves seated. It was as awesome as ever. That Wurlitzer has a sound all of its own, and when he struck up, as usual, I got that mega overexcited feeling that I always get. I clapped so hard, my hands hurt. Robert does a clever show, playing only for about half an hour, but in that time, showing just about every mood that organ can go through. Apparently, it's fantastic watching him play, and I can believe it. It has three keyboards, a load of pedals, and loads of switches and stops and things. I've forgotten now just how many pipes it has, but it's a heck of a lot. There's also things that you can't see, but you can certainly hear them. These are mainly percussion, things like glockenspiel, tamborine, cymbals I think, but now I can't remember, and even a triangle. One thing you can see, which would fascinate me if I could, is the piano, that sits to the right of the stage. It's controled by the Wurlitzer, so as Robert plays, this piano literally looks like it's playing itself, the keys all going up and down, as if by magic. In fact, the first time I heard about that, I christened it the "magic piano" and the name's kinda stuck ever since.
After the amazing Wurlitzer show, it was time to hear the mechanical organs. A man goes round them all, making them play. The first two that played were on two old rides. The first one is my favourite. From the very first time I saw it, I just call it the gondolas, because that's what it looks like. You sit in the carriages, and they go round a track, that slopes, so you go up, then down, then up, then down again. I always forget just how steep those slopes are. It gives a kind of slow rocking sensation, but believe me, if you're not expecting it, when you come to a slope down, or should I say, a slope when you tip forward, because some of the seats face backwards, it can feel just like you're gonna tip out. That happened today. When it started, I thought I was going to finish up on the lap of the lady opposite me. I found a ridge in the floor though, and jammed my feet against it. Once I'd done that, it all became very enjoyable indeed. I must admit though, when I got off, for a few moments, I felt a little on the sick side. I came to the conclusion that cream scone pre-gondolas is not a good idea. That still didn't stop me going on the other ride. It's a typical old-fashioned carrousel. (wow! eloquence makes a mess of that one *grin*). It was funny when the carrousel started up. I heard the generator start, (they're all electrically powered now), and said to mum, "watch out, ready for the organ, watch everyone jump when it starts", then it started and I almost jumped out of my skin.
After the two rides, the other organs played one by one. Mum was just describing one of the organs to me, and reading about it, and the man who works them all said "you might want to move back a bit, I'm going to start this one now and it's rather loud." And it certainly was. As that one finished, we moved to the next one, which was much smaller, and this time, although the man didn't speak, I heard him go behind it to start it off. Mum and I were both under the impression that, with it being smaller, it wouldn't be so loud as the first one. Wrong! It was actually even louder, and both of us jumped and made surprised kind of noises. At this point, we seemed to be the only people there. A couple more tunes down the line, I can't remember how many exactly, there was one that played areally bouncy tune, and there was a young boy who came in and was dancing to it. I don't know how old he was, but the thought of that moved me a bit. Someone young, seeing all this wonderful old stuff, and seaming to be really getting something out of it. I wonder how long today will stay with him, and I wonder if it'll have the same effect as it did on me when I first went there. After another tune or two, the man spoke to us again. He commented that we were still there, and I said I'd stay there all day given the chance. We got talking about the organs, and then on to my music boxes, and how I love it when people who originally say they're "not into that kind of thing", hear my disk box or my cylinder, and completely change their minds. I've seen that happen a number of times. Then I said I thought it was wonderful seeing children here, and how seeing these things from an early age would probably stay with them, like it had me, and he said "yeah, but they come to see me as well ya know," laughingly. It was then mum said "oh yeah, it's Santa ya know." I thought at first she meant he was dressed as Santa, as there is a Christmas world part to Thursford. At that point, the man took my hand and put it on his chin, and sure enough, there was the long white beard. I thought at the time that it was fake, but mum told me afterwards that it wasn't, beards really can grow that long. We reckon he must play Santa in the Christmas show they put on there every year. He'd certainly fit the bill. Then he said "there's two more organs if you want to hear them", so we went and listened. The first of the two was a jazz organ, the name of which put mum right off, (she hates jazz), but then, she saw it, and she completely changed her mind. It had an accordion on the top, which played itself, bellows going in and out and keys going up and down, and a saxophone, whose keys went up and down as well as the thing played. There was one organ that sounded like a complete band, but I can't remember if it was that one or the one before it. The final one we heard was my favourite. It's funny, because I've had a CD from Thursford since the last time I went, and I never particularly liked that organ, because it sounded a bit out of tune and things, but I always wondered what it looked like, because it seemed to have a character all of its own. If it was human, it'd have a permanent smile on its face. If you heard it play, you'd know what I mean. Apparently, you can't see a lot of the things on it that I thought you'd be able to see, but mum liked it as much as I do now, and it sounded amazing today.
After all the organs had played, we went into the shops, and what should I find there, but some very nice music boxes. We'd looked into that shop on our way in to see the Wurlitzer show, and one had taken my fancy, but I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, because it played very very slowly, and given the tune it plays, it just didn't sound quite right. However, when I went in the second time, dad picked up another of the same one, and it played a little faster, and sounded a whole lot happier about itself. When we got it to the counter, the lady said that they already had them packed in boxes, but dad asked if I could have that one he had, since I liked the way it played. She unpacked one, and wound it, to see if it was as good, but it, like the first one, seemed to sound like it wanted to fall asleep any minute, so I settled for the one I originally had there. It's strange, because now I've got it home, I can hear, as I thought in the shop, its tone isn't as pretty and clear as the other two, but it just seems happier about itself. It's a single carrousel horse, sitting on a kind of plinth thing, and when you wind it, the horse turns round. It plays a bit from "the entertainer", which I liked, because usually that kind of thing invariably plays the carrousel waltz, and I've already got one that plays that. So now, the total stands at fifty-five.
After that, we got back in the car and headed for a place called Wells Next the Sea, where we had tea. I had a beef lasagna, which was the king of yumpskitude, and for the first time in my life since I can't remember, as soonas the menu was read out to me, I was actually torn between two meals. Usually I can't find a thing that I want, but this time, I was torn between the lasagna, and a delicious sounding chicken dish. I'm definitely getting better at eating out in places I've never eaten before. I know I say that a lot, but each time I do it, I still feel kind of proud of myself, when I think how much of an ordeal I used to find it. It's getting so easy now. Yea to that!.
After that, it was time to head home. IT was such a fantastic day, as it always is when I go there, and I'd do it again any time.
And now, since the organ CD has just finished, I might go and give my new box one more play, and also go and look for my CD cleaning kit. My big hifi's cD player decided to die on me this morning before I went out. I'm not sure if it's justa case of dirt on the lens, or if it's something worse. In actual fact, the effect was kind of funny. One minute, I was listening to Mike Oldfield, then I heard this noise that I first thought was a motorbike, but then I realised it was coming from the speakers, and seeming to interfere with the music. Then Mike kind of slowed down, like a kind of time stretching effect, so I went and stopped the CD, and that was the last CD it played. Now, if I put one in, it kind of grinds a bit, makes nasty noises, then gives up completely. At least I still have the small stereo, although saying that, it was having weird power dropout issues as well last night, so I'm not quite sure what's going on there. Oh well, if the worst comes to the worst, I can rip 'em and shove 'em on the zen stone.
Right I'm really off now. It's been a crackin' good day, and I wish I could spread my happy vibes to all my friends, especially those who need them the most right now.
See ya soon |
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