THE GAVIOLI ORGAN

Elsewhere on this website we asked the question, 'what has happened to the Gavioli fairground organ which used to belong to the Elvaston Castle collection?' This is a rare item and was taken to museum storage facilities at Darley Dale, alongside various similarly valuable items of china, and glass, dresses and costumes, many years ago. At least one former employee of the DCC wondered where these artefacts were now (a good question!). Here, one of them has been found.

In a recent letter published in the Mechanical Musical Digest, an email magazine for enthusiasts, the title of which is self-explanatory, Adam Remet wrote to inform readers that, having read of our search, he had gone on the trail of the 'missing' organ. We have obtained the kind permission of both the Mechanical Musical Digest and Mr Remet to reproduce the letter on our website, which we are very pleased to do. Here it is;

Missing Gavioli Organ Located in Derbyshire
By Adam G Ramet

I noticed on the Fair Organ Preservation Society web site there is a notice asking does anyone know the whereabouts of the Gavioli organ that used to be at Elvaston Castle in Derbyshire. The request was based on info from the guy that put the organ into storage years ago. Well, don't panic. I was curious enough to have a 30-second hunt and found it in under five seconds. Under "Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member/Chief Officer Community Services 11th April 2006 Report of the Strategic Director - Cultural and Community Services; accreditation by Buxton Museum and Art Gallery", you can note the following:

"11.5 The most significant loans out include the Gavioli organ on loan to Crich Tramway Village".

So, mystery solved -- it's theoretically gone/going to the National Tramway Museum on loan. I don't know if it is really there, is on display, is playing, is maintained or anything else about it. If you want to know, why not phone the local council? What's the worst they could do? Ask you to fill out an "open access" information request form in triplicate, pay a fee and wait indefinitely for a non-committal response. Still, searching the Internet "information super-highway" (as opposed to the a local government disinformation sewer lo-way) for "Elvaston", "Castle", "Gavioli" and "Derbyshire", instantly smashes bureaucracy and the Gavioli is found before you can mutter "get me a Limonaire instead".

What is still apparently missing in Derbyshire is the common sense not to waste taxpayers money on staff whose sole function is to create gobbledygook document titles such as "Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member / Chief Officer Community Services 11th April 2006 Report of the ...", blah blah blah, etc. etc., plus someone to type it, another
to print it, copy it, file it, scan it, upload it, assess it, monitor it, discuss it, accredit it, co-ordinate a meeting about it, collate it, re-evaluate it...

Common sense? Oh well, "You can't miss what you never had", as they say. Draw your own conclusions as to the cost and motives in Derbyshire of running a bureaucracy purely to keep people employed.

References:
www.fops.org/gavilost.htm

www.tramway.co.uk

www.derbyshire.gov.uk/Images/content/DemocraticServices/Reports/2005.11.15%20Gavioli.pdf

www.derbyshire.gov.uk/Images/content/DemocraticServices/Reports/2005-11-15%20CCS%20MINS.pdf

www.derbyshire.gov.uk/Images/content/DemocraticServices/Reports/2006-04-11%20Accreditation%20BM&AG.pdf

 

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