2013-05-24T22:52:42-04:00 Barry Morgan http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=barry-morgan Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Barry Morgan Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1751019 2012-08-07T09:10:28-04:00 2012-10-07T05:12:03-04:00

Barry Morgan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barry-morgan/ Edinburgh Fringe Festival if it damn well kills me!

My goodness, I must apologize for my slip of the tongue there. If my dear departed mother Nancy Morgan ever caught wind of me slipping into expletives she would have given me 'time out' in my lonely room and banned me from playing any organs for days! Well, she's long gone and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since those heady days out in the suburbs of Adelaide, Australia. As I look back I can see it must have been terribly difficult for mother to raise an only child on her own.



You see I never knew my father I'm afraid. He died when I was just a baby. He was drowned at sea in a top-secret submarine incident, went down with all hands.



Fortunately a friend of Nancy's, Mr. Murchison took me under his wing and introduced me to my first organ when I was just a tiny little boy. And my life's purpose was born, to share the joy of the organ with a wider public just like yourselves. But I do digress.



Shoppers, one of my favourite past times is to travel the coast lines of Australia and marvel at the structure and nobility of light houses. I was very excited to be able to get the Toyota so close to this beauty known as Start Point Lighthouse. It was put together in 1836 and I must say shoppers I like a bit of gothic architecture.



I met a few locals on the road (I was hoping they'd be clan Morgan but not this time) and they were having a family fun day with a few sporting activities to rival the XXX Olympiad in London. My goodness could they throw a pole and look at the size of those balls.



I continued on and came across this amazing 'wheel of wonder' I like to call it, but it's real name is the Falkirk Wheel and they use it to get the seaman and their vessels from one level of water way to another. The mind boggles, perhaps one day I could put the Toyota Crown Royal Saloon on a wee boat and give it a try.



I am so excited to have finally arrived in Edinburgh and I'm sure the Hammond Aurora Classic the ultimate spinet organ is thrilled to have been untied and taken down from the roof racks of the Toyota Crown Royal Saloon, oh it's such a lovely motor car.

My season of organ demonstrations has started and I must say there has already been a lot of love in the room. During my first demonstration in Edinburgh I was very happy for Graham, Stephanie and Lorraine who experienced first hand my world famous 'one finger method' and became Certified One Finger Methodists and I'm looking forward to the possibility of a booking for a home organ demonstration in the privacy and comfort of possibly your own lounge room.



I am thrilled to reveal that I may have roots in Scotland. Yes blood runs thicker than whiskey and a few from Clan Morgan have made contact and we are meeting next week, I do believe they are from aristocracy.



I hope to take a battery operated mini organ to a Clan Morgan gathering and who knows it could be the start of a family franchise of Barry Morgan's World Of Organs right here in the land of the brave, Scotland.



Bye for now and remember.... a dog is for Christmas.... an organ is for life!

Barry Morgan's World of Organs. Edinburgh Fringe Festival @ 19.20 Underbelly Bristo Square]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1710657 2012-07-27T12:53:15-04:00 2012-09-26T05:12:33-04:00

Barry Morgan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barry-morgan/ Barry Morgan from Barry Morgan's World Of Organs here and yes I'm on route to Scotland from the Sunnyside Mall in the city of churches Adelaide, Australia to sell my organ at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.



Ladies and gentlemen let me be honest with you this is my virginal voyage abroad and after spending nearly 24hrs high in the sky in what seems to be a "modern as tomorrow" Concorde, I am feeling quite delirious. (Note to self: Barry, send a message to Jamie Oliver, explaining that the plane food could do with a bit of sprucing up! Yes a recipe or two from Barry's tremendous "Catering for the Home Organ Party" pack featuring Australia's favourite fruit, freshly tinned pineapple rings.)

My trip up above the clouds is brought to a grinding halt once I hit customs at Heathrow! I fumble and falter after taking the wrong line, embarrassment ensues and with bright rosy cheeks I retreat to the men's room to gather myself with both hands. I brush off my 100% polyester Safari Suit and once again take up another line. Ah that's better. This time I get further than I did before and officers Feversham and Polwarth take me gently through the whole process, which is not unlike the many initiations to the O.L.L.A. (The Organ Lovers League Of Australia).

I am stamped firmly by officer Polwarth and find I am still able bodied enough to make my departure from Heathrow and out into the summer glare of a typical English foggy day. I board a bus going down on to the docks ...yes I am off to the wharf to release the organ and the Toyota Crown Royal Saloon from the seamen who safely navigated around Cape Horn and up into the North Atlantic. But alas! The bus driver has taken a wrong turn at the top of the hill and I end up in the village of the athletes and the rings of the XXX Olympiad!



Let me be honest with you shoppers I'm really not the sporting type, but that's not to say I don't enjoy waving the flag and cheering on from the grandstand. I make several enquiries as to whether the Olympics has any room for an organist from down under and am met with a closed sign on the door! (figuratively speaking of course)

Never mind it would only keep me from my mission, to sell the organ in Scotland, share the joy of my "one finger method" and return home to Australia with lots of tartan, Morgan tartan to be precise.



Hooray! I find my way back along the banks of the river and I can just see the headlines tomorrow "Barry Morgan's organ comes up the Thames on a tug". We three are reunited at last, myself (the ultimate organ salesman), the Hammond (the ultimate spinet organ), and my trusty Toyota Crown Royal Saloon (oh, it's a lovely motorcar)! I sign on the dotted line and with next to no fuss I am in the streets of London preparing for the journey ahead, north to Edinburgh!



I de-wax the Crown, strap the organ to the roof racks, make a thermos of tea, grab a few Anzac biscuits (stored in a Tupperware container in the boot) and head out onto the open road feeling quite chuffed with my efforts.

My goodness shoppers, I am taking in all the sights and I veer off to the left and pay a spiritual visit to the ultimate theatre organ experience in Blackpool (Did I pack my Cosies?). I'll be in Scotland in a few days and I am hot for a sale, I can feel it in my waters.



I hope to be seeing you at one of my fabulous organ demonstrations and bring your money shoppers, the organ is for sale.
Bye for now and remember.... a dog is for Christmas.... an organ is for life!]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1686449 2012-07-23T05:55:48-04:00 2012-09-22T05:12:05-04:00

Barry Morgan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barry-morgan/ Barry Morgan's World Of Organs.



My goodness shoppers let me tell you how excited I am to be leaving Australia, travelling to Scotland and demonstrating my organ at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and yes shoppers.... the organ is for sale!

This will be my first trip overseas...unless you count my bi-annual trip to Kangaroo Island for the odd home organ party!

Anyway, things are very busy at The World Of Organs, my lovely organ shop situated in the Sunnyside Mall in the city of churches Adelaide, Australia. Well... if you haven't found my organ shop by now then try my 'store locator' on the interweb... just put 'organ joy' into your search engine and you'll be sure to find me.



But I digress shoppers, back to my preparation!

Yes, you could say I'm burning the candle at both ends, although I do know which end I prefer... the one that lights my shingle outside the store, as I am getting ready to share the joy of the organ with you.... my dear international friends.

Let me be honest with you, I am fast becoming... the most famous organ salesman in the southern hemisphere. I can't keep up with the demand for 'organ advice' from all kinds of people including celebrities and the commoners.



The organ is prepped and ready for the voyage out into the swell of the North Atlantic Ocean and yes... my Trusty Toyota Crown Royal Saloon has been waxed, twice and a bit more... so she won't gather any moss or rust amongst the seamen and possibly pirates! My goodness, my nerves, excuse me whilst I pour another Campari. Ahh! That's better.
I wonder...will I be able to get a Campari in Scotland? Do they make a single malt variety?

During my organ demonstrations in the famous Underbelly venue-cathedral-type of stadium space, I am planning to move among you.... my dear international friends and surely secure a couple of 'private' organ demonstrations. Now remember ladies and gentlemen, the organ is for sale and must be sold and the most effective way to close the deal is a home organ demonstration in the privacy and comfort of your own loungeroom complete with my very popular 'organ party' catering pack including many fine recipes utilising Australia's favorite fruit...tinned pineapple rings!

Now as I prepare to cast off the shackles of my former colon-istic existence I must be honest with you ...my dear international friends I have always felt a kinship with Scotland and I'm sure Clan Morgan would feel the same. I am lead to believe the Morgan's who went north became the MacKay's and the Morgan's who went far far south became... organ enthusiasts! Ha ha ha.

No, seriously shoppers I am on the hunt, for some Tartan actually a lot of Tartan. You see I'm as keen as mustard (not the hot English type) to make my own Kilt, especially fitted out for my organ-ic Aussie lifestyle requirements, more on that in a latter letter! (editors note - It's a Blog Barry!)

Well it's time to get off and polish some organs and remember shoppers... a dog is for Christmas... a Hammond organ is for life!

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