The organ in Ormskirk Parish Church has the services of seven wind reservoirs, delivering wind at a variety of pressures to different parts of the instrument. Pressures vary from 4″wg for the Choir Organ through 4 ¹/₂ “wg for the Great light wind and the Pedal flues, 5″wg for the Swell light wind and 6″wg for the Great Heavy Wind to 10″wg for the Swell Heavy Wind, Choir Tuba and Pedal reeds. The action is also on 10″wg (or, presently 9^3/₄” to be pedantic). After many months of leaking wind, with a large split having developed along both sides of one corner of the main action reservoir, and a great amount of gaffer tape in an attempt to keep it sealed, given its inaccessibility for releathering, it finally refused to be patched up any longer. The team from David Wells Organ Builders, headed up by Gordon Blackledge and Andrew Chattan, moved in, to remove the entire reservoir and take it back to the works to be completely rebuilt. Removal of the bellows from the bowels of the organ proved problematic, as it was surrounded by structural members of the building frame with tolerances of as little as half an inch. To add to this problem, trays of redundant pneumatic tubing from Rushworth’s rebuild of 1927 had been left in situ, but required removal to allow it to be taken out. Given that it, and the leather which had finally failed, had been in place since 1927 (almost a century) it was testament to the superb quality of work which had been done at that time and it demanded that similar care and attention was accorded it at its return to working life. It became necessary to split it down into two sections for removal; this also meant that the final part of the process demanded the two sections being reassembled on site, and the final gluing process completed, using a cauldron of Hot Scotch glue to enable bonding to the splitskin. THe photographs below show various stages of the process, from the dis-assembly on site through the reconstruction in the DWOB works to the reassembly in the organ chamber.
Working to a tight schedule, we cannot thank David Well’s team enough for their commitment and attention to detail, even down to Rob Bateman’s attendance on the Saturday morning, accompanied by his daughter, to make final adjustments so that the organ was in perfect playing condition by the Sunday!

I would add here that David himself has been a great ally, careful critic, and, above all, kind friend to me since the days when he first set up in business on his own account. For my part, I am a leading example of the phrase which declares that ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’! He has supported me (even during a period when I was playing an electronic instrument!) and doggedly (and wisely!) refused to carry out some of my more whacky suggestions and counselled me as to why they were better avoided. He has been a great friend and supporter (despite what some might have imagined!) and, above all, a gentleman of the first order; qualities which he seems to have imbued in his workforce. He has been untouched by the arrogance which has been seen, over the years, to have overtaken some other equally skilled captains of the trade and which has ultimately been the instrument of their downfall. One could not find a better person to work alongside in these matters.