News:

New Piano Hits High Notes

Fred Pritchard playing a 'GEM Genesys' Grand Ensemble, Baby Grand Piano with Bow and Steve Wuk (Directors of Musically Yours, Cannock).

A self-playing piano has been carefully hoisted into place at the top of Cannock's tallest building.
The three hour operation took place last Thursday (October 19th 2006) and saw the hi-tech instrument lifted to the sky room at the top of the 12-storey glass hotel at Orbital Plaza, Churchbridge. The room boasts 360 degree views taking in the likes of the Welsh Hills and Malvern Hills and it will be used for various functions. Fred Pritchard, chairman and chief executive of Pritchard Holdings Plc, tried his hand at hitting the high notes on the piano when it was put in place yesterday. He said: "It came up the side of the building on a builder's hoist and then had to be carried across the roof because we couldn't get it up the inside of the building. "We shopped around the country to get a self-playing piano and couldn't find one. then i realised we hadn't tried our own back yard and shopped around Cannock. "I'm always telling people to buy local and I hadn't tried Cannock so I contacted Musically Yours and they had exactly what we needed." The entrepreneur added: "It is fantastic. It wasn't cheap but I'm sure hotel guests, and many will be local people using it for functions, will be delighted with it." The 100-bedroom hotel, run by worldwide chain Ramada International, is set to open next month. It is likely to be called Ramada Birmingham North - Cannock Chase.
Text Taken from the Express & Star & Chronical Newspapers (Oct 2006)