A delightful and intriguing thank-you note.

[Terry McGee]

A letter came in today's mail. That alone is unusual. Handwritten, on note paper, like in the old days. Curiouser and curiouser, cried Alice. But it's what's said that is even more interesting. I think I should share it with you....

Dear Mr McGee
I write to thank you for the work you did restoring my grandfather’s flute. I was raised in a family where beautiful music was paramount in our lives. You may be interested to know a little about the man to whom the flute belonged.
Of English birth, at age 15, he joined the British Navy, and served with them until marrying a Scottish lass when he was transferred to the Coastguard, serving at various stations around the Scottish coast.
Soon after transfer while stationed at Usan, a Norwegian vessel was wrecked in a dreadful storm. Grandpa swam through terrible seas to enable the men to be brought ashore. Queen Victoria awarded him the Royal Albert Medal for bravery, this along with other medals is held by a descendant of his eldest son, now in Denmark.
I fortunately have his flute as my parents, having emigrated earlier, brought grandma out to live with us prior to my birth 97 years ago. Grandpa was invalided out of the Service dying the following day, when my father was only 5 years old.
It is possible the flute was made by his father, as this was his trade.
Thank you again for giving me the pleasure of enjoying my grandson playing Grandpa’s flute in the little time I have left.
Yours sincerely, [name]

I'll let you absorb the above, and come back with some explanatory notes and observations.

[Terry McGee]

So, where to start? Perhaps the first contact. A 40-ish voice called on the phone, asking if I could restore an "Irish flute" that had belonged to his Great Grandfather. I asked if he could email an image, which he then did. I also asked where he was calling from. Turned out that he lived about 30 minutes away. No wonder he seemed a bit surprised that someone in his back yard could fix old flutes!

When I looked at the image, I saw an English cocuswood band flute, probably a treble in Bb (hard to be sure without something to gauge size). It had one key, which we would call Eb. It looked all there, which is always a relief. I invited him to bring it up, which he did next day.

I had hopes I could deal with it on the spot, to save him another trip, but soon found it had two significant splits in the head socket. He had reported that it was hard to play, and harder some times more than others. He was really reluctant to leave it with me, stressing that it was really important to the family, particularly "Nan". I found that touching, and assured him it would only take a few days and I'd keep him in touch with progress.

Indeed, the repairs went easily. Interesting to review my diagnostic notes:

• No stopper
  Two cracks in head socket
  Loose upper ring
  Missing pad
  Key sluggish - no striker plate
  Missing cork on back of key touch
  Rough, dry bore in head and body

Needless to say the absence of a stopper made the flute hard to play and totally weird in the tuning!

The lack of a striker plate (my name for the little bit of metal set into the flute for the spring to bear on) was also significant. As is often the case with old flutes, the spring had dug itself a hole and now wouldn't spring back when pressed. I set in a tiny slip of stainless steel, and the spring was delighted.

Also of interest was the bore. Really roughened, it looked like it had never been oiled. I polished it shiny, and oiled it. Next day it glowed!

And when reassembled, it played its heart out. There were some tuning anomalies, but not life threatening.

The chap came back the following day to pick it up, and was delighted. He played the old Australian folk song "Click go the shears", and an Irish song tune, whose name suddenly escapes me. Turns out he had played fife in a school band. Handy!

As he left, he said, "I'd better go, I have "Nan" in the car". I was tempted to come down and meet her, but thought that was an impertinence. Today's letter was from "Nan".

[PB+J]

Great story! Glad to hear the flute was restored to life

[Terry McGee]

So, what did we learn from "Nan's" letter?

Firstly, that we are going back to the time of Queen Victoria! I am often amazed by serendipitous links with the past. One of my favourites was going to meet Maud Karpeles, in London in 1974. Maud had been Cecil Sharp's "Amanuensis" on his collecting trips to America in 1916 to 1918. What an amazing connection to make! So much so, that I went back to enjoy another visit with her. Maud died a year or two later.

Secondly is the coincidence of place. Nan, the grandson and the flute live in Moruya NSW. This is the town which once boasted a silver mine which yielded the silver which Jordan Wainwright used for a flute he showed at the Great Exposition in London. Wainwright was formerly an English flute maker, but came out to live and work in Sydney in 1853.

"It is possible the flute was made by his father, as this was his trade." Woah! "Nan's" Great Grandfather was in the flute making trade? This needs follow up!

"Thank you again for giving me the pleasure of enjoying my grandson playing Grandpa’s flute in the little time I have left." "Nan" is now 97 years old. I'll write back to her tomorrow.

I think I've often commented on how privileged I feel to do the stuff I do. Feeling particularly privileged tonight!

[Terry McGee]

Greta story! Glad to hear the flute was restored to life

Yeah, it really bounded back into life. These Bb band flutes are pretty willing, providing they are not held back. The combination of two serious cracks, no stopper, a missing pad and a bore that looked more like pallet wood rather than cocus can be regarded as serious impediments!

I was reminded that I had a nice old Bb treble, given to me by Philip Bate, of the Bate Collection, Oxford, and author of books on many woodwinds, including "The Flute". Just stamped "Improved, London", it's a little beauty.

[eilam]

thank you Terry, that was so much fun to read !!!
e.

[Flutesoftheforest]

Loving the story Terry. Found this which could be of interest:-
http://www.vconline.org.uk/george-oatle ... 67848.html
It could be the same chap.

[Terry McGee]

Could well be, Flutesoftheforest. Thanks for that. I'll keep it in mind as I follow up.

And glad you liked it, eilam. It's rare to find out the story behind the instruments we come across. I have a cupboard full of old flutes here, but almost all sadly acquired without benefit of their historical context. You can only wonder at the tales that cupboard could tell if given a chance! "I say, Nicholson, old chap. Rudall here. Have I told you about the time Potter and I went down the Holloway Road to meet Clinton and Pratten at the Favourite? You'd remember that night, wouldn't you, Siccama?"

Makes you wonder about our own flutes. They should last hundreds of years if not maltreated. But we could disappear in an instant. Your beloved instrument(s) could end up wandering the world looking for new owners, without benefit of backstory. Perhaps we should all note down the known backstory of our flutes so far, and tuck it into the lining of the flute case for the benefit of future owners?

[Nanohedron]

Perhaps we should all note down the known backstory of our flutes so far, and tuck it into the lining of the flute case for the benefit of future owners?

I think that's a capital idea.

[Terry McGee]

So, what information should we attempt to gather? Remembering that this flute might end up on the Portabello Road, or Ebay, or Gumtree, in the back of Elon Musk's sports car in Mars orbit or the markets on Ursa Minor hundreds of years from now. So it would ideally need to be very clearly spelled out.

The maker, even if clearly and firmly stamped on the instrument. What model (if there are more than one). When it was made. Materials. Any unusual features?
EG: Made by Terry McGee, Malua Bay, NSW, Australia in January 2022. "Rudall Perfected" model, African Blackwood. Eccentric Bore head, Improved Elliptical embouchure. Serial No 1090.

Each subsequent owner, their locale, when (and perhaps how?) acquired?
EG: Frieda Bloggs, Spokane, WA, USA. Bought from Ebay, June 2017

Should makers start this piece of paper, filling in the Maker's details and sending it with the flute for the subsequent owners to add to?

What would we title it? "Flute History. (Please keep up-to-date and keep with flute.)"?

Folded and enclosed in a zip-lok bag? But how to ensure it isn't lost? Or tucked away in the back of a drawer and forgotten? Hmmmm....

[leydog]

That really is special, Terry. You provide a service that reaches out farther than you know. Thanks for sharing. It warmed my heart on this cold afternoon.

[Nanohedron]

No need to standardize peripheral info, Terry; it wouldn't work anyway. Some might be detail-heavy with minutiae like what you wore when you got it; others might prove so sparse as to be cryptic. The main thing, I think, is the tantalizing prospect of uncovering a human element that fleshes out the flute's being - sort of like a treasure hunt.

I sort of did that with my last flute: I pasted a handwritten label in the case indicating the flute's year of manufacture.

[jim stone]

Good stuff!