§ Mr. Patrick Mayhew (Royal Tunbridge Wells)With your permission, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to present a petition on behalf of Mr. Frank Walter Holland and the British Piano Museum.
It is the purpose of the petition to obtain for the use of the British Piano Museum a room known as the Science Theatre at Broomhill House, in Southborough in my constituency, built by Sir David Salomons, a distinguished Victorian electrical engineer and the first Jewish Member of the House.
The Science Theatre contains the largest Welte electrical philharmonic reproducing pipe organ in the world, an instrument of unique interest but now in a sad state of dereliction. Broomhill House is now owned by the Department of 219 Health and Social Security, as successor to the Kent County Council, to which Sir David Salomons' daughter bequeathed the house "for certain uses" for the people of Kent. The Department now seeks to use the Science Theatre merely as a conference hall.
The British Piano Museum is alone willing and able to restore the organ and to display it to the public in situ, together with its own unique collection of musical instruments.
The intent of the petition is supported by nearly 5,000 people, among whom are many of my constituents, and it is on their behalf that I now beg leave to present the petition.
§ To lie upon the Table.