Out in the wilds of middle East Sussex lies a major golf course - The East Sussex National Golf Club. On a site adjacent to the course they have built a hotel. The long low building spreads out in a gigantic arc from the original clubhouse and at the outer end are what the hotel calls a Banqueting Hall, (but I like to think of it as a Concert Hall).

Fortunately for all of us, and for the future of the theatre organ, the owner of the course and the hotel loves our instrument and its associated music and commissioned a team consisting basically of David Houlgate, Bob Hercock and myself to build a new Wurlitzer of between 30 and 40 ranks to the highest possible standard. Most of the chests and pipes had already been acquired over a long period and stored in a warehouse in Southall. The chambers were built into the end of the hall strictly to David's specification and a pit dug out on two levels to accommodate both a console on a lift and (at a sufficient depth) an octave of rare 32 foot Diaphones recently acquired from America.

We are at present (July 2007) about three quarters of the way through the construction, assisted by a carpenter (another David) who excels in overcoming problems (such as how do you raise' tuned percussion weighing several hundredweight 14 feet up in the air - and we have eight of them). Several of our friends from Lithuania have also proved a great help to the project; in particular, building a blower room for us, exactly replicating the brickwork of the hall.

All the old Wurlitzer magnets have been replaced by brand new Reisner models. As at Blackpool in a commercial setting in the 21st century, wherever possible tradition must come second to reliability and attractiveness to the general public. All the primary and secondary motors and pallets have been re-leathered. Some of the chests were in a poor and sometimes water-damaged state when received from America and needed extensive refurbishment by Bob Hereock, our wood-finishing genius

This installation is, of course, not a transplant of an existing organ. The chest and pipes have come from many different sources. We now have a four manual console from the organ-stop Pizza Parlour in Mesa, Arizona. The console has been completely stripped down to the bare woodwork, the original action discarded, and a new Opus-Two organ control system is being installed. This will give a recording and playback facility. The keys on all four manuals were a brown colour on receipt from the pizza parlour (nicotine?), and have been recovered and fitted with new contacts. Much new wiring has already been completed, both in the console and on the bottom boards in the chambers.

All the chests are in place on the framework in the two chambers, with regulators and tremulants and offset chests ready for connection. A concert grand piano complete with midi connection to the organ has been acquired. The 32 foot Diaphones have been installed with the boots deep underground in the lower level of the console pit. The tuned percussions have been fitted 14 feet high over the pipe ranks in both chambers, as have the traps.

The 4 manual Wurlitzer 'Modernistic' console in black, gold, silver and copper has been enduring Bob Hercock's special influence to a brand new appearance.

Clark Wilson, who regulated and voiced our Singing Hills Wurlitzer so successfully is our 'Contact Man' in America. He found the console for us and has, with David Houlgate, designed the specification for the National. No doubt he will be regulating and voicing for us when construction is completed.

At present we can't say just when the Wurlitzer will open. There are just too many variables - but it will be soon.

The venue will be an attractive one for many people: A large hotel in the glorious surroundings of a vast golf course with a spacious restaurant, a large Wurlitzer, a large concert hall with plenty of space for electronic organs if needed· an ideal venue for 'Organ Weekends'?

And how about a venue for the Annual General Meetings of certain Organ Societies?