Lying elegantly on the southern slopes of the North Yorkshire moors and just 17 miles from the coast, Pickering is a meeting place of four main roads from the points of the compass.

One's approach is almost guided by the sire of the market town's parish church, rising on high ground above the main street.. The church of St Peter and St Paul is famed for its 15th century murals; its medieval structure starting from Norman times, but the 19th century 'restorer' has left fingerprints.

However, lovely furnishings, gathered throughout time, adorn the interior; screens, 18th century brass chandeliers and pieces by George Pace add tone without demonstration.

The organ is chambered and appears with a notable front on the north side of the chancel. It stands, as it was built in 1905, a two-manual and pedal instrument with attached console by Abbot & Smith of Leeds. The specification raises no eyebrows in 1996; indeed, the only printed word of interest lies on the plaque above the console. This tells us that the organ was given by friends of the Rev G H Lightfoot with the help of Andrew Carnegie.

The acoustics of the church are musically unmemorable and provide yet another factor to lower the expectations of a visiting player. Once on 'yon buffet' (Marsden-speak for bench), tactile and aural senses are aroused. Very comfortable tracker action - pedal, by the way, is pneumatic - aids the handling of a liquid sw stopped diapason.

Pleasing tone from all swell flues 8ft and an effective box aid your best 'diddling' effusions. Your right hand strays to the great lieblich 8ft and charm 'could' be nighŠ

All that is just the start of things. There are no stops anywhere shorter than 4 ft and the pedal organ has only a big boomer and a little boomer - both 16ft!

However. there's more to this instrument than occurs to the player, impressed only by a fashionable stop list. The swell contains a 4ft flute as well as a 4ft principal and the former is good.

Sw bourdon 16ft sounds well 8va and gives a most effective range of musical use when combined with other registers. Both manual departments have this facility for playing 'upstairs' with bourdons, but here at Pickering it is aided by good treble voicing and the result is handmade for accompanying singers.

Great opens 8ft and 4ft are robust (sadly, no 15th); pudding effects are very possible using 16ft and 8ft and the gt trumpet is an absolute stomper - I can see the civic procession at the big service.

Go and play it. Steam is to the North York Moors Railway what Abbot & Smith is to Pickering Church.