Thursday 14/11/24  Emma asked two visitors across to look round, Graham from Marham was first, he saw our visitor centre with finds on display including coins found by Barry with his metal detector and a video of the water wheel turning, then shortly afterwards, Terry and his Alsation, Ellie, came over. Emma showed him the photo albums and told him about our projects. Terry might volunteer with us.

Last week Eddie removed and repaired the cycle rack, today he took it apart and wire brushed it, then repainted it with a tin of Hammerite paint he brought today as the cycle rack was starting to go rusty as its now two and a half years old.

I finished off the bee house we made on Saturday by filing the slot edges smooth, drilling drain holes in the top and mixing up mud for bees to plug the nesting slots. I softened modelling clay on our oven, as we had the fire alight and mixed it with soil from mole hills and water. I put the mud in the tray on top of the bee box, then took it to the wildflower meadow and staked it down, there will be pollen for bees there.

Emma rolled up the water feed hose and put it in the tunnel to protect it from winter weather, this was used to turn the water wheel at the open days. Emma also watered our three Oak saplings in the meadow as we’ve not had any rain recently. Emma and I discussed site preservation and I fixed the kingfisher nest tunnel parts to the wooden board with builders band, this will be built into the river wall when its repaired.

We had sausage rolls outside as it was sunny, Eddie bought them from Papworths Butchers of Swaffham and heated them in our oven above the fire, they were lovely so we’ll have them again. Emma saw a Coal Tit on the peanuts which she identified using the book which Anne Marie gave us. A Robin was on our wheelbarrow, it went in and out of the shed. I brought peanuts today which we put in sealed containers, we didn’t need to re-fill the feeders as they were still full from topping them up on Saturday.

Someone had put a fallen bird nest box on top of our gate frame, Emma went over the bridge and used the steps Helen gave us to retrieve it. I opened it and cleaned it out, it was in good condition apart from the top which was rotten causing it to fall, so I fixed another piece of wood on the back and drilled a fixing hole. Eddie and I took it over the bridge with the ladder & tools and I fitted it back in the tree, this was one of the boxes put up in 2016 by Dennis and Adam.

While we had the ladder out I put it down in front of the water wheel and went down onto the brick floor to put the water feed pipe back in place and tighten the hose clip after the pipe came away. Now the wheel is not chained to it anymore it should stay in place. On our way back along the river bank we saw one of the Cygnets in the river.

Thursday 21/11/24  Our first job after lighting the fire was cutting off a cracked section of gas hose to our camping stove, as it leaked and caught fire last week. Luckily there was enough excess hose to refit the cut end back onto the stove. We checked for leaks and made a cup of tea and sat in the wagon for a while as it was a cold and frosty day.

We brought more fire wood in from the logstore and put it by the fire. I sprayed mouse repellent on the sachets from the kitchen cupboard and the camera cable box, as mice once got in and chewed the cables and tea bags. Eddie and Beryl gave us copies of KL Magazine with the article about the bone mill which we'll leave out for visitors to read.

Eddie and I walked to the wildflower meadow, I took Velcro pads and put them on the mud tray of the bee box to hold it in place, the mud was frozen solid which made the job easier. We saw a Swan in the river near the bridge.

The wire netting on the wildlife habitat was coming away again so I hammered fencing staples in to hold it, this holds pine cones and leaves in place. Eddie filled the peanuts and bird seed and I filled the suet ball feeders, topped up their drinking bowl and put up fat filled coconuts which Beryl gave us today. We saw Great Tits and a Spotted Woodpecker eating peanuts.

Eddie put the bolts from the cycle rack in a pot of oil to clean and lubricate them, then we assembled the rack which was painted last week. We'll keep the rack indoors over winter and put it out before the next open days.

We rolled up the irrigation hose last time, its used for turning the water wheel but there was water trapped in it which could damage the hose if it froze. So today we unrolled it and let the water out, then rolled the hose up and put it back in the tunnel.

We loaded up the river bank signs which were stored in the visitor centre and took them back to The Maltings ready to be put out at the next open days in May. We had a good view of the sunset when we got back.

Fred sent the Gator truck wheels away to be refurbished as the rims were rusty, so we shouldn’t get so many flat tyres now. When checking the oil level I noticed Fred has repaired the starter motor connection after we did a temporary repair when the wire broke off and it wouldn’t start. 

Graham Bartlett  

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