Memories of Povey & Wade

Updated: Friday, 24 August 2001

Hi! Steve

I really enjoy the Newbury paper and the letters from people who have lived there . I was born in Newbury but lived most of my school and teen years in Headley. After leaving school I worked at Povey & Wades on Cheap Street, Newbury for 7yrs (anyone remember them?) Mr. Povey was a great influence on my life. He was a wonderful person. We kept in touch even after I married and came to the States in 1955. I have lived in Texas for the last 32yrs, and have not returned since my mother passed away 7yrs ago. Even then Newbury has changed so much. I was lost. I wonder if my friend Christine Bridges still lives in Thatcham? She worked with me at Povey & Wades.  Also, is Les Newman still playing the piano? Keep the letters coming - its like a step back in time!

Stella (Woodage) Cartee Arrevalo.

E-Mail:  Sacasey1@aol.com

Brenda, Les and Valerie Newman with Stella. Probably taken outside the Newman's house in Gloucester Road, Newbury and taken in early 1970s.

Stella

I was able to tell Stella about Les's passing and pointed her to the appreciation of him which appears on my personal web-site, www.newbury.net/robert.willis/leslie_j_newman.htm. 

I also asked Stella if she would share her memories of the time she spent working at Povey and Wades. Here's a summary of the letters received. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

Robert F. Willis - Webmaster

Received: 31 July 2000

Robert

Thank you for your E-mail. I am delighted to hear from someone that knew Les. I worked with him for several years at Povey & Wades. I had met his wife and daughter on a couple of occasions when I was back in England visiting my family. He was quite a remarkable person whom I admired.

You mentioned Pip Piper, He was our radio mechanic while I was there. I believe he took over the business after Mr. Povey retired .Pip's sons use to come in the shop quite often. I remember them.

I would like to know the details of Les and Brenda's passing, I was shocked to hear they were gone. It seems the years go by so fast one doesn't realize how long its been. Its been 7 yrs since I have been home. Most of my family have gone. I have only my sister left in Winchester.

I would like to E-mail you again after I turn all this over in my mind . I thought I would never be able to find anyone who knew any of those folks back then,

Bless you for bringing a little light from the past .Will talk to you again.

Sincerely Stella.

Received: 31 July 2000

I found your web-page- very enjoyable reading.  Mr. Povey and I tuned all the organs in the vicinity of Newbury. We also installed quite a few blowers of our own design. We improved on them as we went along. That was such a long time ago! I was 20yrs old - the good old days. 

Sincerely Stella.

Received: 3 August 2000

I had forgotten about Alphonse Cary, I guess you could say we were rivals. We had very little to do with them.

When I started work at Povey & Wade, I was hired for the front shop, but I spent most of the time in the workshop out back. Mr. Povey asked me if I would like to work out there, They would hire another girl for the front. I have always been mechanically minded ,so I jumped at the chance.

You mentioned St Mary's Greenham, I have unforgettable memories of that organ. When I first started with Mr.  Povey, I would sit at the console and he would be up in the loft tuning the pipes. As I progressed he would be at the keyboard and I would be up top. At Greenham we entered the organ via the console bench and up the left side into the loft. On exiting the loft I climbed down to the console onto the bench which unexpectedly tipped backwards and I went smack down into the foot pedals.

Mr. Povey took me straight to the hospital  where I emerged with a cast on my right arm up to the elbow. I painted blower motors left handed for the next week or so.

We were very wary of that bench from then on.  I have pictures of both Mr. Povey and myself outside of Greenham church. I kept a record of all the organs we tuned which was twice a year, Easter and Harvest Festival . The book had the specifications of each one, also the blowers we installed. Unfortunately when I left England in 1955 I don't know what happened to it, that was a long time ago. I will ask my sister if she knows where it went. Oh yes I have many memories of those times. 

I still keep in touch with Mr. Povey's niece Joan, who took care of him in later years. We write at Christmastime. I started with them in 1945 about the time the war ended and left around the end of 1952. I got married the beginning of 1953 and left England in 1955.

I will collect some of my memories for you and put them on paper, or rather online. I'm so glad I found you -  its taking me back to the good old days.

Sincerely Stella

Alphonse Carey's former workshop in Park Street, Newbury. Taken c. 1998 it is just about possible to see the organ pipes and the words: "Alphonse Carey, Organ Builder", although what is beneath is unreadable!

Stella aged 17-18 outside St. Mary's, Greenham

Mr. Povey at St. Mary's, Green ham

Received: 6 August 2000

Incidentally I live "deep in the heart of Texas" 50 miles north of Austin.

I asked my sister if she had any idea what happened to my book about the organs but she doesn't know. I fear it may be lost forever. I will get back to you later with more thoughts of my days at Povey & Wades.

 Sincerely Stella.

Received: 6 August 2000

I would like to get back to the church organs that Mr. Povey and I tuned. I remembered that we had 53 churches that we visited three times a year. I don't know if you would be interested in this. 

The farthest north we went was to Wallingford and Ewelme. I remember Ewelme as being a very ancient church. It always had an awfull smell. Unfortunately these are the kind of things I remember most. (Interesting, but not very helpful. ) The farthest south was to Sherbourne St John. In between was, of course, Newbury's St. Nicolas. I use to go there and work on that   electric console-  there was always points that use to hang up on it.

We went to Hampstead Marshall, Kintbury, .East Woodhay, West Woodhay, Newtown, .Greenham (I told you about Greenham), Ashford  Hill, Baughurst, Brimpton, Beedon, Peasmore, Hermatage, Hampstead Norris, Whitchurch, Wolverton, Chievely, Lekhampstead and Welford which I remember was a very dark an eerie place - I never liked going there! Then there was Boxford, Wickham, East Shefford & Great Shefford, East Garston, Chaddleworth, Compton, Aldworth, East Ilsley & West Ilsley, Chilton, Basildon, .Shefford  Woodlands, Lamborn, Eastbury, Fawley, Brightwalton, Weston, Shaw, Cold Ash, Midgham, Newtown, Enbourne, Kingsclere, Eastbury, Chilton Foliat, Woodland St Mary, Hungerford Newtown, and Speen. We had quite a sizeable area. 

When we went to Wallingford we were gone all day, We use to  take our lunch and visit the local pub and buy cider to have with it. 
Mr. Povey loved the countryside. If there was anything interesting in the vicinity of our work he would always show me.

I have the letters that he wrote to me after I came to the States. I would like to share  some excerpts from them:-

Dated Sept 11th 1961

"I'm glad to be able to say that I am very well, 'tho retired from business still find plenty to occupy my time. People still ring me up to go to their organs .Recently I put a  blower in that little organ at Gt. Shefford, the one we brought from Hurstbourne. No doubt you will remember it and now they want me to put one in at a similar organ at Harwell. My fame still spreads you see. I hope your move to Germany will come off. I shall look forward very much to seeing you again and I shall be glad to give you a trip around some of those places we so often had to visit together, around Lambourne, etc."

Another letter written on Newbury Guildhall Club stationary dated Dec 10th 1956:
"... One experience I will bring to your mind , do you remember when we made our first visit to Lambourne and met old Ernie Bowsher and the vicar. Ernie shook hands with you and said that he could see  who you were "a proper chip off the old block" and how we laughed when I told him that I was not married and had nothing to do with you. Poor old Ernie." 

In the previous letter, he mentioned Lambourne and goes on to say: "I went there the other Sunday evening for an organ recital. Scott very much wanted me to go, I took Papa (that was Mr.  Wade) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I met our old friend the verger, who remembered me and had a good chat about old times."

I   hope this hasn't been too boring, but there's very little I can tell you about the organs we worked on. These are memories from 50 yrs ago. I wish I still had my book of records it gave information on how many manuals they had ,a composition of the stops and footage. how many reeds, woodwinds and whatever. Mr. Povey and I use to collect Pub names. My sister said she had seen that around, but its probably long gone too. We always called Mr. Povey "dad" and he always signed his letters to me yours sincerely "dad".

 I remember we also did the Congregational church. It had a bad habit of syphoning. The tracker actions were bad about that but I think. The Congo, as we called it, was pneumatic. I can't remember what its problem was. That was a common problem anyhow. 

Sincerely Stella.

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