Blind Piano Tuner at my Primary School

[Jonathan the 2nd]

As I was logging on I realised a strange thing from my childhood. I went to a Catholic school fairly early at 5 years old. The school was run by Nuns with large White Wimples and severe black uniforms. Is it a uniform or a costume? I can`t think of the right word there . Anyway , every so often a blind piano tuner would be led across the classroom by the nun to tune up the piano . The class was full of maybe 30 to 35 of us kids. The discipline must have been severe indeed as the banging away at repeated notes continued as we sat there . I don`t recall anyone talking or being punished while that went on . It seems bizarre to think of tuning a piano while a class of children were in place .
Here`s the odd part of that . All the time I attended the school I don`t remember anyone ever playing that piano . It would have been more than our life was worth for any child to lift the lid and mess around with it .
That neatly sums up my early musical years .
Edit here to fill in the background picture of Plymouth (Devon) years ago . When television outside broadcasts eventually reached down as far as the South West of England they had a programme from Plymouth Hoe Marquee which was used for orchestral concerts as well .The kids there became so unruly it turned into a riot and the BBC cancelled similar programmes for some time after .

[Barrie Heaton]

You know the saying "I fear no-one, As I was Educated by Nuns"

I felt the wrath of the nuns, lots of times, they did like the strap or a ruler on the back of the hand


Barrie