A final reminder that the Mills Archive’s successful research competition is running for the second time, and proposed titles must be submitted by the 1st December 2013. Completed entries must be submitted by 31st May 2014 and the winning submissions will be announced by 31st July 2014. Two prizes are offered. The Research Prize of £500…
Author: Ron Cookson
A Stunning New Windmill Book
The Mills Archive Library was delighted to receive a copy of this new book from the author, Helmut Dollhopf. Although written in German, it is worth having just for the beautiful and unusual photographs of windmills from 20 European countries. The author wrote: As the publishing company has gone bankrupt, people can order the book for…
Arthur C. Smith, 1924-2013, RIP
Arthur died on Tuesday 18th June at a residential home in Newton Abbot. A polymath with strong interests in windmills, music, natural history and aeroplanes, he was the fittest of mill researchers and will be mourned by many. As author and publisher of the definitive “county” series of windmill books, covering many of the windmills…
Mike Thurlow RIP
Mike Thurlow, miller at Letheringsett watermill, Norfolk, died in his sleep on the morning of 22nd June. He rescued Letheringsett mill near Holt mill in 1987. Not only did he bring it back into working order, he and his widow, Marion, built a thriving trade in their traditional stone-ground flour. As pointed out by Country file…
SPAB Mill News A4 editions
Members of the Mills Section have been enjoying a greatly enhanced Mill News for the last two years. The Archive bookshop is helping to spread the word by selling issues worldwide. All proceeds for these new publications are remitted to the Mills Section, and the first two issues can be found here. A snip at £5,…
The Mills of Ickleford
An exhibition at St Katherine’s Church, Ickleford, Hertfordshire, will be held on June 22nd and 23rd. The exhibition will include photographs and painting of the mills and a timeline showing significant events in their history back to Domesday. Progress on the archaeology and historical research on Hyde mill will also be displayed. More information can…
The Funeral of Helen Major 1927 – 2013
Helen’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 16 April 2013. Her cremation at Reading Crematorium (South Chapel) at 10.45 will be followed by a thanksgiving service at St John and St Stephen’s Parish Church in Reading at 12 noon, followed by lunch at 1pm. You are very welcome to come to both or either service…
Helen Major RIP 1927 – 2013
Helen Major passed away peacefully on the evening of Sunday March 24th. RIP Helen was well known in the mill world and much loved. She will be remembered as an active volunteer at the Mills Archive and earlier at the Mills Section in London. She and her late husband, Ken, attended most TIMS and SPAB…
Hot off the press!
An important and unusual book, “Mapping the windmill” represents a new approach to the literature of mills and the sheer quirkiness of the treatment meted out to windmills by the Ordnance Survey. Published in March 2013, this heavy book is available online and you can save postage by buying it at the SPAB Mills Section meeting on Saturday…
Windsor Castle hydro power passes test and ready to start
BBC Berkshire has just announced that cable tests, which caused delays, have now been successfully completed, Two giant water turbines were installed at Romney Weir on the Thames in Berkshire in December 2011 to supply electricity to the Royal residence. Now they are ready to go – here is the full report.