November 2010
22 Monday Spoke to
members of Eastleigh Catholic Church Society on the
History of the Post Card.
27 Saturday Milling
at Longbridge. I wish we could persuade more
members to join us on milling days and learn the
craft of milling. Can anyone help?
December 2010
2 Thursday Very
heavy (and early) snow. I’m glad we were not
milling.
11 Saturday HMG
meeting at Abbey Hotel, Romsey.
13 Monday Millers
Team Christmas Dinner at Longbridge.
18
Saturday
Milling
cancelled due to heavy snow.
24
Friday
To our eldest daughter’s home in
Dartmouth for Christmas. Much snow especially in
Dorset but roads largely clear. Our youngest
daughter, driving down to Dartmouth via the M5,
reported roads from Bath all clear. Return journey
home on Tuesday 28th. No problems.
January 2011
Friday
Meeting with our Project Manager, John Christmas,
and Alun Brown of Eastleigh Borough Council at the
turbines at Bishopstoke . Alun and his Merry Men
have stanked off the river so that no water can
reach the top of the turbines and have commenced
removing the years of accumulated silt in order to
expose the turbines. The Environmental Agency,
having said this was O.K. have now changed their
mind! We had a meeting arranged for 4th
February to discuss the control sluices at Hockley
Mill.
21 Friday Teabread
prepared for milling at Longbridge Mill.
22 Saturday Milling
at Longbridge with smaller than usual number of
volunteers, but it went well and with many
interested visitors.
February
2011
4 Friday Meeting
at Hockley Mill with representative of Environment
Agency ref. sluices, uncertainties resolved.
8 Tuesday Visited
Jane Hirst with Alison to confirm details for walk
around HMG Alton.
10 Thursday I spoke
to Whitchurch Townswomens’ Guild on water and wind
mills in the morning and talked about postcards to
Fernhill Sheltered Housing in the afternoon.
17 Thursday To
Longbridge Mill ref. work on the waterwheel.
24 Thursday In
making teabread for the Saturday milling, we tried
some minor changes to the recipe and baked the
mixture at a slightly lower temperature, resulting
in what we think is our best yet.
26 Saturday Excellent
milling for February.
March
9 Wednesday Our
daughter Rachel gave us, as a Christmas present,
tickets to a lecture held at Uppark entitled
‘Village Life in the 40s & 50s’ The lecturer spoke
about his father working as Farm Bailiff on a large
estate in Hampshire which paralleled almost exactly
my experience. A very good lunch followed making
the day a superb Christmas present! Thank you,
Rachel.
17 Thursday To Cobbs
Mill in Sussex with a crane -equipped truck to
collect various milling items arranged by John
Christmas.
19 Saturday HMG
Spring Meeting at the French Horn followed by an
authoritative and detailed walk around Alton led by
Jane Hirst. “Jane, it was a delightful trip around
Alton. Thank you very much!”
20 Sunday Trustees
meeting at Crux Easton. We had the opportunity to
look at the work to the wellhead, being carried out
by Messrs. Janes and Co., which looks very good.
29 Tuesday Attended a
work party organised by Dave to carry out various
works at Eling Tide Mill.
April 2011
2 Saturday A
very interesting day in Wales attending the annual
SWWEAC on A1 travel, courtesy of Andy Fish - in his
car this time and not in the minibus. Thanks Andy.
April 2011
16 Saturday To SERIAC
Conference in Brighton this time and in an Eastleigh
bus driven by Andy. Seats were a bit cramped for
such a distance, but the conference was very good.
19 Tuesday
Working party at Pilcot Mill, Dogmersfield. Mill
was swept out and various items neatly stowed on the
rearranged clear lower floor; we were rewarded
with a mouthwatering lunch and in our turn we
promised to return to do the bin and stones floors
May
2011
3 Tuesday Tony & I
spoke to Whitchurch History Society. Our subject
was, ‘So you think you know about Industrial
Archaeology?’ This seemed very well received and we
were rewarded with a generous cheque for group
funds.
4 Wednesday
Further attendance at Pilcot Mill to clear and stow
on the bin and stones floor. Thanks to Dave for the
organising.
7 Saturday
Andy, Mick, Gavin and myself went to Christchurch to
look at excavations on what might have been the town
mill. On site, stretching under two excavations,
the local archaeologists had exposed a sizeable
timber some 7 or 8 feet down and 8 – 10 feet long.
A very interesting morning.
9 Monday Mick
and I went to Winchester City Offices to look at the
plans for the installation of a turbine at Town
Mill, Alresford.
