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Mill news and topical information - Archive page 5

windmills Restoration of Ash Tree windpump, Halvergate

Restoration work has started on Ash Tree windpump, on the Halvergate marshes off the Acle Straight, near Yarmouth. The windpump was built in 1903 by Smithdales of Acle, and hence had the latest and best machinery. It was put out of action in the floods of 1953, when the fantail jammed, allowing the mill to be tailwinded.

The mill is owned by Tom Banham of Ash Tree Farm, and the work is being done via the Norfolk Windmill Trust, thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant. Work will take 18 months, and once back in working order a closed water system will allow the mechanism to be demonstrated, since with modern electric pumping, the natural water level is now too low to be reached.
Item: #124, Posted: 4/8/03.

energy Climbing the Windmills of Schleswig-Holstein

The latest sport in the flatlands of Germany is climbing wind turbine towers. In Klanxbüll, Schleswig Holstein, near the German-Danish border, the 48 metre tall turbines are open for climbing from May to September on a Wednesday afternoon. Anyone over 14 years old can climb for €18 - which does include a safety line!
Item: #123, Posted: 2/8/03.

windmills Live webcam of windmill on Paros, Greece

The website for the Greek island of Paros hosts a webcam of the port which shows the windmill in the foreground. The image updates every 15 seconds, and the site recommends avoiding early sunset time, when the image is over exposed, but says that later on when the sun gets lower the sunset images can be quite amazing.
Item: #122, Posted: 1/8/03.

windmills Aythorpe Roding windmill sails can turn again

After many years of being unable to turn, recently completed work by Essex county millwright Michael Hoyle, on the striking gear of Aythorpe Roding mill means the shutters are now operative, and the sails can be used again.
Mills: [Aythorpe Roding]
Item: #121, Posted: 31/7/03.

windmills Moulin Rouge casino fire, Las Vegas

For a brief few months in 1955, there was a casino in Las Vegas called The Moulin Rouge. This was mostly before the days of themed casinos, so despite the name, the building was not windmill shaped. Although the casino closed after 6 months, the building survived, latterly as apartments, until a fire destroyed it on 29th May 2003. Suspects have been arrested and charged with arson.

The news got me thinking, and I've put together two pages about casinos with attached windmills - in Miami Beach and El Rancho in Las Vegas.
Item: #120, Posted: 31/7/03.

windmills Images of England showcasing windmills

The Images Of England site which provides the Listed Building details of all the listed buildings in England (and aims to add a photograph of each thanks to volunteer photographers) has put together a page that showcases windmills. Their text contains a rather glaring typo - they claim over 6000 windmills are listed, whereas the number is really 600. The article has 4 photos with it, but there are a number more to be found in the rest of the site (though unfortunately they are far from their target of having all buildings illustrated).
Item: #119, Posted: 29/7/03.

watermills Cumbria County Council selling the 16th Century Eskdale Mill

Cumbria County Council who own Eskdale Mill in Boot are selling it since they cannot afford its maintenance costs.

Local people are appalled at the lack of public consultation. The newly formed Eskdale Mill and Heritage Trust, hopes to bid for the mill and keep it open, since there are fears that a private buyer will not do so, but use the property as a residence. The mill is unusual in that it has 2 waterwheels, and is in working order.
Item: #118, Posted: 23/7/03.

windmills French Mills day - 15th June 2003

The French mills day was held on 15th June 2003, and one of the open mills was the windmill at Vensac, Gironde (report in French).

This working tower mill was originally built 2km from its present site, around the end of the 18th century, then moved to its current site in 1858. It has been owned by the same family since 1913, when the story goes, the present family purchased it from a distant cousin who got his belt caught up in the turning sails, and was rescued from this predicament by the grandfather of the current owner Roland Piquemal. The mill was restored to working order in 1982-3, and is open to the public.
Item: #117, Posted: 22/7/03.

mills Transmission details for BBC Restoration series

The BBC series Restoration starts on Friday 8th August at 9pm on BBC2. The exact buildings to be included have been shuffled a bit since the series was first revealed, and the 30 chosen now include Moulton windmill; Arkwright's water powered cotton-mill at Cromford; and Herdmans Mill in Co. Tyrone.

The BBC site has a full list,with building photos and the names of the celebrity champions, plus facilities for donating towards the restoration fund. No doubt there will be lots of press coverage as people pick their favourite buildings - first off the press is a report from Edinburgh

There is also a hardback book to accompany the series, written by Philip Wilkinson.
Mills: [Moulton]
See also:Item #56
Item: #116, Posted: 21/7/03.

mills SPAB Mill News - July 2003

The July edition of Mill News - the Newsletter of the SPAB Mills Section has arrived at members this week.

As well as regular columns such as Mills in the News, Newsletters Review, and Mills For Sale, there are other columns including a guest editorial, My Favourite Mill, reports from National Mills Weekend, The Essex Mills tour, and one from the IV International Molinology Conference held in May 2003, in Mallorca.

There are also a number of thought provoking letters and book reviews, and an updated list of books available via the section bookshop.
Item: #115, Posted: 18/7/03.

mills Buildings at Risk 2003

The latest version of the Buildings at Risk list from English Heritage unfortunately contains a number of mills.
Item: #114, Posted: 18/7/03.

windmills Comprehensive survey for Dereham mill

The windmill committee for Dereham mill are expecting to be awarded a £500 grant from the National Lottery's Awards For All scheme, to fund millwright Tom Davies to fully survey the mill.

Initial plans for the Dereham Town Council owned mill are to get the cap and sails turning, then later perhaps to replace machinery in the mill tower. Currently the mill is open every Sunday afternoon through September, and houses a collection of bygones.
Mills: [East Dereham]
Item: #113, Posted: 17/7/03.

mills Picture Norfolk - photo archive

Picture Norfolk from the Norfolk County Council Library and Information service has a good selection of historic photos of Norfolk windmills and watermills (and I even spotted the odd one from over the border in other counties!).

I found about 150 windmill images, and 100 watermills, from a claimed database of 16000 images.
Item: #112, Posted: 17/7/03.

windmills Bicentenary of Upminster windmill

The bicentenary of Upminster windmill was celebrated on 13th July with a very well attended community celebration in glorious sunshine. As well as the prime attraction of the mill, whose sails were turning having very recently been freed, there were actors presenting a pageant relating to the mill 200 years ago; a horse drawn waggon giving rides; a blacksmith; weavers; art exhibit; and all manner of other stalls and displays.

There were huge queues to visit the windmill itself, which has recently achieved charitable status. Freeing the sails is just a first step to full restoration to working order - currently the cap is unable to turn so the sails cannot be brought to wind.
Mills: [Upminster]
Item: #111, Posted: 14/7/03.

energy Licences for 1000s more offshore wind turbines

The UK Government has announced leases for 3 areas of the seabed off Britain to establish offshore wind farms. The areas concerned are off the North West, the Wash, and the Thames estuary. The projects are estimated to create up to 20,000 jobs, and deliver 5% of the UK energy needs.

The story has been very widely covered, and at least for the moment can be perused via a Google news search.
Item: #110, Posted: 14/7/03.

windmills Holland Village, Shenyang, China tycoon gets 18 years

The Chinese-Dutch tycoon Yang Bin, who featured in Forbes magazine in 2001 as China's second-richest man, has been sentenced to 18 years for fraud.

Born in China, Yang Bin went to college in the Netherlands, and took Dutch citizenship, before returning to China in 1995. He established the Holland Village complex in Shenyang, with agricultural production (tulips and orchids) and tourist attractions, including replica Dutch public buildings and windmills. It's not clear if the complex was ever finished, and questions of tax and building permits were variously raised, leading to his arrest in October 2002.

More articles on Yang Bin and the village can be found at :- [arrest] [arrest] [arrest] [construction - in Dutch]
Item: #109, Posted: 14/7/03.

misc Mickey Miller's maize maze

Mickey Miller's maize maze opens this weekend at Craven Arms, Shropshire.

This 8 1/2 acre growing maze is shaped like a windmill, and it's suggested that you allow 1 1/2 - 2 hours to complete it.
Item: #108, Posted: 11/7/03.

windmills Jack and Jill Windmills Society

The Jack and Jill Windmills Society who care for Jill windmill at Clayton, Sussex, have once again got a web site up and running, at a new address.

As well as opening Jill to the public (admission free) on Sunday afternoons from May to September, on 3rd August, Jill will be hosting her annual "alternative power" event. On show that day will be a number of stationary engines, driving a number of milling and related machines. The mill will be open for extended hours of 11am to 5pm that day.
Mills: [Clayton] [Clayton]
Item: #107, Posted: 7/7/03.

windmills Award winning organic flour at Mount Pleasant windmill

Mervin and Marie-Christine Austin were the winners of the grocery section in the Small Producers Awards organized by Waitrose and The Times newspaper. Their organic flour, produced at Mount Pleasant windmill and used in their True Loaf Bakery products was awarded the prize at the Royal Show at the Royal Agricultural Society, and as well as £5000, the prize brings with it expert marketing advice, and the possibility of distribution via Waitrose stores.
Mills: [Kirton in Lindsey]
Item: #106, Posted: 7/7/03.

windmills Progress report from Brixton windmill

The Friends of Windmill Gardens have made some good progress since they were formed recently. The council has demolished the derelict building that was making the site a real mess, and (as owners of the mill) have come up with the cash to employ a support worker.

Future events include a fundraising gig at the Windmill pub on 9th/10th August, and a Windmill Festival in Windmill Gardens on 7th September.
Mills: [Brixton]
See also:Item #74
Item: #105, Posted: 5/7/03.

windmills Heage windmill watercolour challenge

Heage windmill held a watercolour challenge competition where almost 30 artists competed to produce a watercolour painting of Heage Windmill in under 4 hours. The winner was Clive Allsop, whose painting will be reproduced and sold to raise cash for the mill. Prizes were also awarded for 2nd and 3rd place, and for young artists.
Mills: [Heage]
Item: #104, Posted: 3/7/03.

mills Structural Images of the North East - image archive

Structural Images of the North East is a lottery funded project which is nearing completion of its objective to digitize a large number of images of buildings in the North East counties of England, and make them web searchable. Included in the archive are a good number of images of both windmills and watermills.
Item: #103, Posted: 30/6/03.

windmills Events at Willesborough windmill

100 cuddly animals including an owl, elephant, a donkey named Eeyore and a monkey were absailed down Willesborough windmill as part of its Teddy Bears picnic held on June 15. Other activities included face painting, balloon sculptures, and Punch and Judy.

The annual vintage rally will take place on the weekend of July 5th-6th at the windmill daily from 11am to 5pm. Attractions will include vintage tractors, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and cars, stationary engines, old-fashioned hand tools, and refreshments. Admission is £2 for adults, £1 for OAPs and children.

Other events at the windmill this year included 15th March - Wedding fair, 26th March - signing of the lease over to the Trustees, 13th April - Shire horses.
Mills: [Willesborough]
See also:Item #85
Item: #102, Posted: 27/6/03.

windmills Brill Windmill Restoration Project

The Brill Windmill Restoration Project has been formed by Buckinghamshire County Council, Brill Parish Council and the Brill Society, in order to restore Brill windmill (its already in a conserved state, though not capable of working).

Brill windmill dates from the 1680s, and Albert Nixey was the last miller producing flour through to the 1920's. In 1947 the County council took on ownership of the mill.

Complete restoration and interpretation of the mill (Grade 2* listed) will be around £100,000, for which Heritage Lottery Funding is sought. Subject to funding, works are expected to begin in Spring 2004 through to Summer 2005. For further information on the project contact Carla Boswell on 01296 382949.
Mills: [Brill]
Item: #101, Posted: 25/6/03.

windmills TV camera rescued from Skidby windmill by firemen

As part of filming an ad for the National Lottery, a camera was attached to the sails of Skidby windmill. However, the wind, unpredictable as ever, stopped blowing, leaving the camera, worth £15,000, stuck up in the air. The fire brigade from West Hull used an aerial platform to retrieve the camera.
Mills: [Skidby]
Item: #100, Posted: 25/6/03.
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