AUGUST
Thursday 5th
Delivered notes for a letter
to Bursledon parish Council with
reference to the possible loss
of Dodwell Pond; this being a
large and old established
village pond. Carol will type up
my scribbling and send them to
Bursledon P.C.
Monday 9th Spoke to One
Community Central Group on the
History of Milling’’
Tuesday 10th
Spoke to One Community
Chandlers Ford Group on the
“History of the Postcard”.
Wednesday 11th
Spoke to One Community Botley
Group. This time “a look at the
British Canal System”.
Friday 13th
Spoke to One Community
Hillside Group. Back to a
“History of Wind and
Watermills”.
Monday 16th
Attended HMG Committee and
HIAS Committee meetings on the
same day. A record?
Friday 20th
Attended, by invitation, a
meeting of Bursledon Parish
Council, ref. Dodwell Pond where
I emphasized it’s historical
importance. They now have to
find out who owns it!!!
Sunday 22nd
Attended Crux Easton Trustees
meeting.
Tuesday 24th
Meeting ref. what work is
required to forward the work on
the replacement Water and Wind
Mills of Hants. & I.O.W. book.
SEPTEMBER
Saturday 4th
Basil and I assisted our
member, John Lovell, with his
stand at Alresford Show. We had
a very busy day talking to lots
of people about mills.
Photographs are very important
and many visitors spent time
looking at these. Of course,
John had the scale model of Dock
Mills’ sales turning (with a
little help from an electric
motor) and that is tall enough
to be sseen right across the
show ground. A very busy day!
Tuesday 7th
I spoke to Aldershot
Townswomens’ Guild about “The
British Canal System” at
Aldershot Library. Margaret
came with me and thank goodness
she did as we became lost trying
to get towards Alton in a maze
of small country lane,s and a
navigator became essential. We
finally arrived home nearer 11
than 10- o’clock.
Saturday 11th
I attended Crux Easton Wind
Engine Open Day when The Moth
Club held a “fly in” on Geoffrey
de Haviland’s private landing
field. An excellent day with
quite a few coming to see the
wind engine and the deHaviland
models. The Hog Roast was very
good as well.
OCTOBER
Friday 1st
On a personal note, Margaret and
I celebrated our Golden Wedding
anniversary with lunch at the
King Court Restaurant with
friends and relations; a very
good day.
Monday 11th
Mick and I
attended a meeting at Chilcomb
(Museum Headquarters) with
Doctor Janet Owen with regard to
the future of Bursledon
Windmill.
Thursday 14th
This afternoon I
spoke to the Fleet Townswomen’s
Guild on the “History of
Milling”. Margaret came with me
again but this time an easy trip
up the M3 and back saved a
complicated navigational
problem.
Saturday, 23rd
The monthly
milling day at Longbridge Mill
up at Sherfield on Loddon.. A
very good day’s work again
despite my attack of sciatica.
I was delighted to go to
Longbridge, even if my
participation was confined to
filling flour bags and taking
visitors around the site.
NOVEMBER
Wednesday, 3rd
It was a delight
to address Southampton
University Retired Staff
Association on Milling History.
Some 45/50 people turned up
despite the wet weather. I was
also pleased to accept a
generous cheque in favour of
Hampshire Mills Group, as a
donation.
Monday, 8th
Hampshire Mills
Group Committee Meeting at
Winchester, courtesy of Keith
and Ruth Andrews.
Tuesday, 16th
Mick, Alison and
I recommenced looking at mills
in the south of the county, to
update mills and power sites in
the Meon Valley, starting at the
ex-William Wheatley Yard, south
of Wickham, and subsequently
mills further south including
Hubbards Mill, Titchfield Mill
and the water power site at
Brownwich Farm*. Although this
had been the first site ever
worked on by the “Heavy Gang”,
it is so much changed we became
disoriented and will have to
return for further enquiries. A
good day, nevertheless.
*Ref: “Excavation
at Brownwich Farm” by P. Moore;
Industrial Archaeology
ReviewVII-24
Thursday, 18th
A marvellous
telephone call from Simon Hudson
of S.P.A.B., advising that,
following our application for
help with repairs to the top
section of the Crux Easton
well’s support timbers, the
Repair Fund had allocated £1,000
towards the repairs necessary to
ensure the stability of the
supports
Thank you S.P.A.B.!
This is super news, but many
more pennies are to be found to
complete the project – see Ruth
Andrews’
John Silman
