Piano 106

Piano No.106 was what looked like a relatively modern Challen, originally sold by Wilson Peck of Sheffield. So like No.105 (reference 1 below), another piano which has travelled. Captured at St. Andrew's church in Girton. We were told that St. Andrew was a popular saint in East Anglia.

Challen is a brand I have come across occasionally, most recently last year on the Isle of Wight, as noticed at reference 3. Seen apart, very similar, but side by side as above, both carcases and keyboard can be seen to be slightly different, in particular the arrangement of black and white keys at the right hand end. Although both have a longer blank left than right for some reason. Clearly need to consult someone who knows about pianos.

While Wilson Peck was clearly a big operator in his day. Bing knows all about him. See, for example, reference 4, where I read that the firm had a spot of bother around the time of the first war because of their close connection with the Bechsteins (formerly of the Wigmore Hall, now of Wigmore Street again).

The retailing demise came in the 1980s when Sheffield City Hall decided to take its ticket sales in-house, and the emergence of national record chains (HMV, Virgin Records, Our Price etc.) eroded into Wilson Peck’s earnings.

In 1988, the company vacated Beethoven House [above], and H.L. Brown, jewellers, moved in. Wilson and Peck downsized to premises on Rockingham Gate but that proved short lived. I’m led to believe that Wilson Peck ended up in ‘an end-of-terrace’ corner shop on Abbeydale Road that closed in 2001.

A rather sorry end to a once grand and imposing operation. But I suppose that decline and fall comes to all of us in the end.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2025/06/piano.html.

Reference 2: https://www.girton.church/.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/07/piano-89.html.

Reference 4: https://sheffielder.net/2024/05/19/that-german-company-the-rise-and-fall-of-wilson-peck/.

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