Bill Hamell is definitely IN 2 NE Bill Hamel and one of his finished projects. Oh, Bill tunes pianos alright, but he is neither creaky nor crotchety. ‘Nice‘ would be a better word for him. ‘Normal® would do in a pinch. ‘Gracious‘ even. He shows off a picture of his twoâ€"yearâ€"old grandâ€" son Adam (add ‘proud‘ to the list) as we nibble lemon cake and sip coffee discreetly delivered by his better half. Talk about civilized. Talk about boring. The Hamels moved to Oakville in 1987 when Bell transferred Bill to Toronto for some project work. Believe me, I tried to hide my disappointment. What I really had in mind for this week‘s column was some creaky old piano tuner, kind of crotchety and full of piano lore and tales of bad kids who spill cola on the keyboard and trap the family cat in the baby grand. Alas, all I found was a warm, thoughtful, retired businessman cum musician who dabbles in sacred music. Ho hum. "r. Saturday Night he is not. For 40 years, Bill . V A. Hamel was a number cruncher for Bell Canada with _ music for a hobby. (An accountant with perfect pitch, why not?) It seems Bill was a Montrealer for most of his life; he frequently gave public concerts on the SunLife electronic Carillon in the heart of the city and directed the Bell Telephone Choir for many years. He, also, played the organ and directed the choir in his church. But again, music was only a hobby. This is what the softâ€"spoken gentleman told the reporter when she stopped by his Iroquois Ridge home last week to meet him for the first time, and his lovely wife Betty (making chutney in the kitchen), and their dog, Bijou. In 1989, he gladly took early retireâ€" ment as the company downâ€"sized. FITNESS « FUN » SELFâ€"DEFENSE DAY EVENING CLASSES Between Dorval 4th Line 407 SPEERS RD. UNIT NO. 6 This is when he started tuning pianos in earnest. (The vanity plates on his car read "IN 2 NE"). He had been planning his retireâ€" ment for a number of years and figâ€" ured this would be the perfect craft for a musical jackâ€"ofâ€"allâ€"trades. His service calls could be scheduled to (See ‘An‘ page 4)