Family Heirloom Piano Discovered at Reading Station

Mary Marsland’s brother, Peter, recently found their great-grandmother’s “quite unique-looking” heirloom piano at Reading Station. The upright piano, which has been named Winnie, was a donation to Reading Station from Great Western Railway (GWR) and wellbeing champion Beth Witney, in support of Mental Health Awareness. Ms. Witney stated that she located the piano listed for free on Facebook Marketplace, adding that “if we hadn’t turned up it was going to be sent to landfill.” Ms. Marsland, who resides in Burghfield, informed BBC Radio Berkshire that her mother and brothers used to play the piano, with her youngest brother independently learning Beethoven’s Für Elise, though she herself was “never one to play.” She remarked, “You just take for granted seeing these things in your grandparent’s house and don’t really pay much attention to it.” Winnie’s current purpose is to contribute to promoting mental health and wellbeing among commuters, offering them a chance to play music. Lucy Shephard, GWR wellbeing manager, commented: “Music is a great way of boosting mental health and we think this will be a popular addition.” Ms. Marsland recounted that her brother was returning from London and traversing Reading station with his wife and daughters when they identified their family’s piano. She stated: “They’d been to a concert in Wembley, they got off the train and then saw it – they couldn’t believe it.” The family had possessed the piano since their grandmother’s passing in the early 2000s. “It was bizarre for them to see it,” Ms. Marsland added. She clarified that her nieces had learned to play on the instrument but subsequently outgrew it and opted for an upgrade, leading to its listing on Facebook Marketplace for free several years prior. Ms. Marsland mentioned: “My great-grandparents, Alfred and May Stephan bought it in Shrewsbury, in the 1920s.” She further stated: “They bought it for my great-uncle Brian – who became an excellent pianist. He went on to own a grand piano and played in Paris – he excelled at it.” The piano relocated to Nottingham in the 1950s, and by the 1970s, it was with Ms. Marsland’s grandmother in Radlett and Watford. Following their grandmother’s death, her brother kept it in Caversham. “Then it magically appeared in Reading Station,” she concluded. The presence of pianos and the sound of them being played has become a common feature at railway stations across the UK. Renowned artists, including Sara Bareilles and Sir Elton John, have also performed publicly at such locations; Sir Elton John notably donated a Yamaha piano to St Pancras in 2016. Sir Elton’s signed piano, which remains at the station, bears the inscription: “Enjoy this piano. It’s a gift. Love, Elton John.”