Halesowen used to boast a wonderful old pub called the Queen’s Head, and it was my local for many years, sustaining me with Davenport’s bitter and cheese and onion cobs after a strenuous evening’s reviewing.

I used to go in there for a late breakfast every Saturday morning, when Brenda, the little cleaning lady, was keen to regale me with details of her visits to the weekly lunchtime organ recital at Birmingham Town Hall. “I have my cheese and biscuits at the Old Contemptibles,” she used to say, “and then go to the recital.

“That Thomas Trotter is wonderful!”

Thomas Trotter had only recently followed the late great George Thalben-Ball into the Town Hall organ-loft as Birmingham City Organist, but was rapidly building a name for himself.

Now he’s celebrating already 30 years in the post, and remains as enthusiastic as ever - and still as youthful.

“On a professional level Birmingham means everything to me,” he says of his position.

“Thirty years ago it was very difficult to make a career as an organist without having a prestigious position at a cathedral or major parish church. This was not an option for me as nearly all of these positions come with extensive choir-training duties and I have an aversion to conducting choirs,” he explains with endearing candour.

“The City Organist position has given me the ideal platform from which to pursue a concert career, and in all ways it is a dream job for me. On a personal level the warmth and loyalty of the audience has been very gratifying and I have made many friendships over the years.”

There have been many memorable events during Thomas’s 30 years, including wearing a horned helmet as he battled it out with the late Carlo Curley in Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries as part of a fundraising event for the yet-to-be-built Symphony Hall organ. But he would probably prefer to forget that.

“There have been many” he agrees, “but two stand out.

“The first was the arrival of the long-awaited Klais organ at Symphony Hall in the autumn of 2001. There were capacity audiences for the opening festival, and the organ more than lived up to its expectations and received wonderful ovations.

“The second was the reopening of the Town Hall in 2007. Having been in exile for 11 years, playing my first concert after the renovation was like coming home.

“I can’t imagine that the hall has ever looked better than it does today, and the much-improved acoustics has transformed the sound of the organ. In the opening week I gave two back-to-back recitals on the same day. I’ve never felt so tired at the end of it, but I would happily have done it all again the next day.”

During that overlong period when the Town Hall was initially mothballed and then eventually restored, Thomas gave his lunchtime recitals at other venues (including St Philip’s Cathedral), but every month came back to keep the Town Hall organ warm and keep the bats out of the pipes.

How possessive does he feel about his two instruments, the Mendelssohn-supervised one in the Town Hall and the state-of-the-art installation in Symphony Hall?

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a tinge of resentment when a guest organist comes in and takes over the reins,” he chuckles.

“But these instruments will be around a lot longer than me, and I am their guardian only for as long as I am City Organist. Both organs are renowned in the organ world, and I’m fortunate to be associated with them and happy that other organists have the chance to play them.”

Thirty years of inventive programming must be something of a headache, as Thomas admits.

“Pulling something new out of the bag becomes increasingly challenging after 30 years, but finding unusual repertoire has always been a bit of an obsession of mine.

“Learning new music (new to me, that is, not just newly composed) often informs and enhances my perception of the music I already know, and in Birmingham, where I present multiple recitals in the same venue to a regular audience it’s especially important to be expanding my repertoire and changing my act.

“When I stop being curious about the repertoire, that will be the time to hang up my organ shoes and stop playing!”

* Thomas Trotter performs his 30th anniversary recital at Symphony Hall on Sunday, at Birmingham Town Hall (3pm). Details on 0121 780 3333.