News has come to me that a rare, in fact the only, 110 Gavioli in
the UK been sold to an American collector for a very, very large sum.
If this is true once again part of the UK's heritage is being sold
to the highest bidder and part of the United Kingdom's fairground
history is being scattered to the four winds.

The organ is one of only a very small handful that still exists
of the large organs that were used in the majestic fairground ride,
the Electric Scenic Railway.  The organ in question was my first
introduction to mechanical music and I have a photo of myself at age
eight watching the music go though the keyframe.  My parents could
not drag me away.  Now, 40 years later, my interest is still strong.

I do, however, feel as a historian that these machines in most
collections are taken out of context and people seeing them and
experiencing them have no idea how they were used and in what setting.
They are prized more for the noise that they make than for their
historic importance.

I do hope the sale is not true and if it is perhaps some export stop
could be placed until a UK buyer could save it and allow it to stay in
this country.  We shall see!

Jonathan Holmes