(25-11-2025, 01:44 PM)Veggie Wrote: Yes I can play the piano (and I'm certified ) Do I play the piano now, is a complete different question  - answer, not often.
JJB, you would have liked another of my rescues - a pianola/player piano. It came with music rolls that clipped into a holder above the keyboard. When you pedalled, it turned the "roll" which triggered certain keys to play a tune. It was magical. You could sit at the keyboard and pretend to be a brilliant pianist whilst not touching anything with your fingers. It could also be played like a conventional piano.
Sadly, I no longer have it. I bought it from the Matron of a former children's home. Had it fully restored (each note had a little bellows (the size of a teabag) and they all had to be replaced. Not longer after the work was completed, the Matron contacted me and said that she needed it back - that it had been donated to the Home by a charity and was not her's to sell. She agreed to pay for the restoration work and transport back to the Home - so I had to do the decent thing and let it go.
I used to have a boudoir grand piano  too but it didn't like the central heating so I sold it.
Now, I only have the harmonium and an electric piano.
PS, Your brother sounds amazing!