King’s Barn Mission Hall organ free to good home
A PLEA has been made to save the organ from King’s Barn Mission Hall.
On Tuesday 6 April the characteristic tin tabernacle is due to be demolished.
Anybody who would like the organ can contact Nigel Chescoe, who is converting the barn to become his new family home.
‘It’s a Yamaha C35 electric organ with stools and original church songbooks,’ Mr Chescoe said.
‘It would have little commercial value but is one of those nostalgic things.
‘This is what generations of families have used to come together for worship. So many people will have memories playing and hearing the organ. The history of this place is incredible.’
Time is ticking so the first to claim the organ will be free to take it.
‘Unless anybody takes it away it will be marched away by builders in two weeks and end up in a skip, which is quite sad.
‘For me, I’d rather see it go to good use.’
When purchasing the hall last year Mr Chescoe was asked if he wished to keep the organ.
For more than 60 years his mother, Beryl Chescoe, was an organist at St Mary Madeleine Church, Twyning.
Mrs Chescoe was also a chorister at Gloucestershire Cathedral and a Company of Saint Kyneburga member in the Diocese of Gloucester.
‘I thought it was quite apt that there was a church organ in the hall as mum would have loved to have played on that for sure, had she still been here,’ Mr Chescoe said.
‘So I ended up inheriting this Methodist chapel organ and here we are a year later.
‘If we can get anybody to pick it up that would be marvellous.’
Nursing homes, private homes, education providers or anybody else with an interest is welcome to get in contact to secure the organ, originally purchased from Gilroy Electronics on Barras Lane.
By October or November Mr Chescoe hopes his new self-build home will be complete, with family and friends pitching in to bring new life into the iconic property.
Anything which can be salvaged or worked into the build will be, such as the semicircular ‘peacock’ window at the front.
All 10 of the other windows will be given to a friend to convert to cloches for growing, with the corrugated sheeting being given to a farmer to create pig shelters.
Contact Chescoe Chartered Surveyors & Architects on 01481 713137 if you would like the organ.
