General Chat

QUOTE .......SKY NEWS The identity of the so-called 'Piano Man' has finally been revealed. He has been named as Andreas Grassl, hailing from the tiny community of Prosdorf in Bavaria, Germany. His father Josef and neighbours confirmed that Mr Grassl was the gaunt figure whose picture had featured in media reports across the world over the last few months. The story of a man who did not speak but could play the piano with enormous skill prompted a worldwide search for his identity. The Grassl family lost contact with Andreas after he travelled to France and then eventually to the UK, where he was found wandering on a Kent beach in April. Josef Grassl said the family was unaware of the worldwide publicity and campaign to identify his son, who baffled health workers in the UK with his silence. Social workers had toiled for months in a bid to help Mr Grassl, and it is thought that thousands of pounds were spent in the effort to identify him. Mr Grassl was dubbed the 'Piano Man' by the media after carers described how he had 'played classical music beautifully for four hours' at the mental health unit in Dartford, Kent, where he was treated. However, his keyboard skills have now been thrown into doubt after an insider at the Little Brook Hospital told the Daily Mirror that he would often just tap one note continuously. Mr Grassl broke his silence last week before the German Embassy in London provided him with papers so he could return to his family home in Bavaria at the weekend. XX Sioux

I heard on the radio today that the man can certainly play the piano but how skilled he is is debatable. The Mirror story was very dodgy and came from a 'source'. They reported him as a fraud but I don't see how he is - he never claimed to be anything. Someone who voluntarily spends 19 weeks in a mental hospital (which are very disturbing places if you haven't been in one) without uttering a word was definitely in need of help of some sort. I hope after all this hooha he actually got what help he needed.

mmmmm Joy

From SKY News...................... He was dubbed the Piano Man after the Trust said he 'played classical music beautifully for four hours' to carers. It has since emerged, however, he only played the same note continuously. According to the Daily Mirror, he finally broke his silence last week. The paper says a nurse went into his hospital room in Dartford and asked: 'Are you going to speak to us today?' He simply answered 'Yes, I think I will.' He told staff he was from Germany but made his way to the UK after losing his job in Paris. He yet to be named, although the German government says he is a 21-year-old Bavarian. A spokesman for the German embassy in London said: 'The hospital called us up on Friday morning saying that there was a man claiming to be a German national. 'We contacted his parents and his identification was confirmed. We gave him replacement travel documents and he left the UK using his own arrangements on Saturday morning.'

Yes Len, if you come here they will also offer you care, especially if you can play the piano. So do you want a nice holiday at our expense? Sylvia xxx

Anyone know of a country with better care services and hand-outs than ours ? If so, details please as I would like go there and have a spot of temporary amnesia. len

''The so-called Piano Man has been released from hospital after his condition improved. A national newspaper reported on Monday the man finally broke his silence, stated he was German, and flew home. West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust said it could not comment on the report because of patient confidentiality. The man, who it was claimed was an excellent pianist, was found wandering on Sheppey in April and has been in psychiatric care since then. A statement issued on Monday by the trust said the patient had been discharged following a marked improvement in his condition but the rules regarding patient confidentiality meant there would be no further statement.''

No Donna Man City for 48 years man and boy lol! Dave Wendy sorry for talking over your threadx

Bolton Donna I live near there Walkden! Dx

An illegal Polish immigrant in Italy has identified him as being a French street musician but the hospital staff have said they will only accept an ID when someone can give them a picture of the man or concrete evidence.

West Ham Donna pmsl! Dx

A BIT ABOUT BOBBY CRUSH FOR DONNA DOWN UNDER Few entertainers can claim to have had as varied a career as Bobby Crush .... famous in the U.K for over 30 years primarily as a pianist but also as a songwriter, broadcaster, actor and TV presenter. Bobby became known nationwide after six winning appearances on TV's 'Opportunity Knocks!', receiving along the way the Variety Club of Great Britain's award for 'Best New Artist of 1972'. This was presented to him by the late Lord Mountbatten of Burma and heralded the first of many appearances before members of the Royal Family. Bobby receives the award for Best New Artist Of 1972 from Lord Mountbatten live on 'Opportunity Knocks' with Hughie Green. West End successes include three seasons at the London Palladium co-starring alongside Jack Jones, Vic Damone and Julie Andrews; a year with Max Bygraves in 'SwingalongaMax' at the Victoria Palace and an appearance in 'The Royal Variety Performance' before Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Alvin Stardust, Bobby, Edward Woodward, John Le Mesurier and Arthur Lowe being presented to the Queen Mother after The Royal Variety Performance. More DAVEX

Something like this happened to my brother Les years ago. He was playing football and got knocked out. He recovered and seemed quite normal, got dressed and started out for home. The police picked him up three days later, wandering about in a very distressed state with no memory whatsoever. It was concussion. Fortunately they were able to identfy him from the contents of his wallet. He recovered completely after a few weeks. What makes the case of the piano man odd is that all label had been removed from his clothing. Len

thanks dave :-)

Julie Anne glad it cheered you up Im a bit low myself today but it is something I got off my Dad he tended to try to joke his way out of sad situations and I find it works for me too Take care Julie Anne Dx

they say he may have removed labels as autistic people do this i think someones done it to him personally, he also drew swedish flag, i hope he has family and they are safe dave you made me laugh about bobby crush i have felt a bit low today but that made me laugh

I read that as well as the labels being removed from his clothes, his shoes had all the marks obliterated. There have been suggestions he is autistic. Has he been dumped by a family that don't want to come forward to claim him?

This is amazing, Wendy. The poor man. Makes me count my blessings. Just looked on BBC news online: More than 160 calls have been received by a helpline hoping to identify a classical pianist who has been unable to communicate with police or carers. It has brought new leads in the hunt for the identity of the mystery man, found wandering the streets in Sheerness, Kent, in a soaking wet suit. He stunned carers by drawing detailed pictures of a grand piano and giving a virtuoso classical piano performance. But the 'Piano Man' has not said a word since police picked him up on 7 April. Carers said he played classical music 'beautifully' for four hours. His social worker Michael Camp said the man, in his 20s or 30s, is usually very anxious but 'comes alive' at the piano. The possibility that he might be from Sussex is one lead being investigated after a member of the public called police and suggested a name for him. However, Mr Camp said it may be 'something and nothing' and it was possible the man's identity may never be known. 'It's been such a long time,' he said. 'If nobody can name this guy then I don't see how we can possibly find out. 'The only other way is if we get expert people working with him who are able to use his music and get his identity.' Orchestras around Europe are being contacted to see if they know him. The man's talent came to light after staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he would write his name and instead he drew the piano. The man shocked staff with a performance of classical music after Mr Camp showed him the piano in the hospital's chapel. The mystery man produced a pencil drawing of a grand piano Mr Camp said: 'When we took him to the chapel piano it really was amazing.' The man has since written music, which has been verified as genuine. Several lines of inquiry have been followed, and the hospital brought in interpreters to see if the mystery patient was from Eastern Europe. He is now being held in a secure mental health unit in north Kent while an assessment is carried out. Mr Camp said he was 'extremely distressed' and may have suffered a trauma. Karen Dorey-Rees, adult mental health manager for the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust, said the mystery man was very vulnerable. 'He is not talking at all, he is very frightened,' she said. 'We are aware that he is a very vulnerable man and we would be putting him in a dangerous situation if we let him go.'

Dave Bobby Crush! lololol. That's cheered me up!

Nadine perhaps he was the pianist on the Titanic then! Dx