Piano

After yesterday's sheet music blip I thought I'd like to show you my lovely old piano, on which I have often vented my anger or raised my spirits depending on what is going on at the time. She's a very old girl, a Victorian German overstrung upright, in need of tuning at the mo because I haven't been playing her for a while until yesterday.

My parents got her when I was about 8 and showing interest in learning to play. I could choose piano or riding lessons but not both, as there wasn't much money to spare in those days. Think I made the right decision although I still love horses even if I haven't the skill to ride them. We had a tatty old upright which someone had given us, but it wasn't very nice to play, so when a guy down the street wanted to sell this one (everyone was getting rid of pianos in those days to make room for TVs and HIFIs), Mum snapped it up for the princely sum of £5. It took 6 men to push it up the hill to our house and I've no idea how they got it over the step as it's really heavy.

I learnt to play on this instrument, and all 4 of my kids have in turn learnt to play on it too, although none have progressed as far as I did, being seduced by other instruments along the way: drums, guitars, flute and saxophone. These are still lying around the place and may come in useful for a rainy-day blip or two, although I keep meaning to take up the sax again having "borrowed" it from #1 daughter when she first went off to uni.

The piano has some rather fine marquetry work on the front, and the original real ivory and ebony keys (they're plastic nowadays) which feel lovely to play. Some of the ivory is chipped at the edges where #1D took a metal hammer to it when a toddler, thinking it was meant to be played like her toy glockenspiel. The original candle holders were missing but a few years ago I found the ones you see in an antique shop, and fitted them over the original holes, although I've never played with the candles lit as I'd probably set fire to both the music and my hair!

Have a great weekend everyone.