Thursday 12/9/24 Howard has given us a dining table which we loaded up and took to the mill, Eddie and Howard assembled it and put it outside ready for the open days at the weekend.
Eddie brought the mower and started cutting the grass, but it suddenly stopped working. Howard and Eddie took the cover off and found the cutter belt had come off, Howard managed to fit it back on and get it working again, so they cut all the grass.
Judy Bates of KL Magazine joined us to interview us for an article about the bone mill. I showed Judy around the site and told her the story of the mill, Emma also told Judy about the original HLF renovation grant. The article should be in the November issue.
Last week Howard set sign posts in cement so they are free standing, which saves having to hammer them into the ground, they are for signs along the river bank at the open days. Today the cement had set, so I got them out of the visitor centre and stapled the laminated signs to them and loaded them up to be taken back, so we can put them along the track on our way down on Saturday.
Howard and I went across our bridge and put a poster up on the gate frame about the open days. Debra brought Barry’s mower across and cut the grass by the bridge, along the footpath and around the gate frame ready for the open days, as visitors will be able to join us from the footpath. Hector followed us around while we were working and he enjoyed going in the river again.
We decided to sweep up the grass cuttings for the open days, so we got the sweeper out and hooked it onto the mower and cleared all the grass cuttings which makes the lawns look much better. Cuttings were emptied into the compost bay.
Emma and Howard cleaned the glass and Perspex panels over the brick floors and weeded underneath and around the edges. Howard also cut a small Beech tree off the river wall as it was growing out of the mortar.
September is time for the hay cut, where we completely cut the wildflower meadow down, so Howard started cutting the meadow, this is a big job so I took over and finished cutting it. We had to avoid three small Oak trees that were planted as well as all the insect hotels. Debra strimmed around some of the obstacles but there are a lot of thick stems which need to be cut with loppers. The cuttings are left so flower seeds fall ready for next season.
Debra pulled Ivy off the river wall and I got the ladder and went into the river in my Wellies to pull up weeds behind the water wheel and pull Ivy off the bottom of the wall.
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15/9/24 Our Heritage Open Days were well attended, see the article for details and pictures. Ryan took his 1955 tractor to show at the open days. We had displays for the HOD theme of Routes, Networks, Connections. Towards the end of the day on Sunday, Ryan and I cut down thick stems from the wildflower meadow and tightened screws in the insect hotel bases, as some were leaning over. We had excellent feedback about our open days from the HOD visitor survey.
Thursday 19/9/24 The Swans and their seven Cygnets were in their favourite place by the upper lock on the river bank, they didn’t move out of our way, but we managed to squeeze past. I looked to see if the remains of the lock was visible, it can just about be seen amongst the weeds. We collected up the riverside signs we put out for the open days, one had fallen down the bank into the river, but we managed to get it back.
The main jobs today were clearing up after the open days, we took the gazebo out and partly put it up as there was a pool of rainwater in it which we tipped out, it soon dried in the sun. We also put the parasol out to dry and I cut the wire from the opening handle as it had frayed and jammed, it can now be opened and closed manually.
The aerial pictures were put on the outside wagon doors for visitors to see at the open days. Today Eddie put them back on the inside walls of the wagon.
Emma took the bunting and HOD banners off the bridge and packed them away. We noticed the bridge had one rotten floor panel which was getting unsafe, so Eddie and I found some wood to fit underneath to support the floor, we drilled the metal frame and screwed the wood in place, then screwed the floor panel to the new wood.
We went across the bridge to test it and to take down the notice about the open days on the gate frame arch. Eddie noticed the card box on the notice board was broken, so I got one of the new boxes to replace it and topped up the cards.
Anne Marie planted the Montbretia which Eddie brought a few weeks ago and weeded the gardens around the trees and along the wall near the tunnel outlet.
At lunch time we sat at the outside table, Anne Marie brought us chocolate & honeycomb fridge cake which we all enjoyed. A Lancaster bomber flew over the mill while we were eating and there was a large Dragon Fly which kept flying over us too.
In the afternoon I locked the water wheel with the padlock and chain to make it safe. Eddie repaired the broken riverside sign which fell down the river bank and refitted the notice, then we took the display panel off the table and stored everything in the visitor centre. We took down the bunting and put the parasol and gazebo away, we’ll tidy up the visitor centre next time.
Graham Bartlett
Interactive Plan Activity Green Grant Wildflower Gallery Volunteer Previous Next Last Year Open Days
