Piano restorer fears for the future of the trade

A piano restorer says he fears his craft will disappear from the South West unless new people step forward to learn the trade.

Alan Wills has spent 35 years rescuing, repairing and rehoming more than 4,000 pianos from his workshop, Magic Pianos, in South Brent, Devon.

But he now worries about what will happen when he steps back from the bench.

Wills said many of the region's tuners and restorers were ageing, and he saw fewer younger people following behind.

"All the tuners around here are in their mid-50s to 70s, so, in 10 years' time, I want to know who is going to be tuning all these pianos," he said.

"We need piano tuners, and people who can do them up as well."

He said he hoped to bring in a new assistant and pass on everything he knew. It would be a paid role, with the long‑term aim of handing over the workshop completely.

Wills said he had other projects waiting for him, from restoring an old boat to fixing up motorbikes, and he joked that the pianos had taken over his space.

He added: "It is an opportunity for someone to learn how to tune and I can provide them with facilities. But they have to be tenacious and have a little bit of resolve and ambition; there is an opportunity here for them."

Wills served in the Royal Navy until 1989 and said he built his business from nothing.

"I moved my first 30‑odd pianos on a motorbike and sidecar," he said.

He said he now collected unwanted pianos offered online, restored them and found them new homes.

Wills said: "It goes from being something somebody did not want, to somebody's pride and joy again."

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