Category: events

Amber Valley Drinkers Dig Deep for Windmill Appeal

Amber Valley CAMRA Presentation
Tony Cooper (holding cheque to the right) pictured with Amber Valley CAMRA members Mike Wallis, Jane Wallis, Chris Rogers (Chair), Simon Riddington and David Harper

Heage Windmill’s Trouble at Mill Appeal (TAMA) is £348 better off thanks to the Amber Valley CAMRA Beer Festival held recently.

Heage Windmill Society Trustee Tony Cooper – himself a CAMRA member – contacted Amber Valley CAMRA to ask if he could shake a tin at their annual beer fest.  The next thing he knew, the Trouble at Mill Appeal had been adopted as the Festival’s nominated ‘good cause.’

The result was a collection of £348 which was presented to Tony, on behalf of the windmill, at AV CAMRA’s branch meeting at the Spanker in Nether Heage.

‘AV CAMRA really took the mill’s appeal on board,’ says Tony.  ‘As well as having a display desk at the festival, we had a whole page in the free festival programme where our appeal was explained, and the CAMRA cash desk volunteers were collecting cash from departing drinkers throughout the four-day festival.’

As Tony continues: ‘Thanks to the generosity of local people and the goodwill and support from groups like AV CAMRA, we now have sufficient funds to get started with the majority of the work involved in repairing the sails.’

Heage Windmill Sails Away

Heage Windmill - Sails Off Nov 26 001It was a suitably dreary, damp day at 8-00 am on Thursday,26th November when the crane arrived at the windmill to play its part in the removal of the sails – the first stage in repair of the mill following the discovery of wet rot in some key structural components.

Fortunately the wind was negligible, a critical requirement when handling large components designed to catch the wind!

Heage Windmill - Sails Off Nov 26 004A local contractor, Dave Nicholls and his mate worked hard to release the eleven huge bolts on the first sail which fasten the sails to the iron cross – the largest was about 14” long and 1 ¼” diameter.

The crane supported the sail whilst this was done and by 9-30 the first one was being guided to its initial resting place, laying flat on wooden pallets.

Heage Windmill - Sails Off Nov 26 007The volunteer team then removed the wooden leader boards from the sails and made the control rod for the shutters secure.

Meanwhile the millwrights started to remove the next sail and the whole process was repeated six times.

All the sails were then repositioned to stand vertically ready for the next stage – transport to a dry workshop where they will be carefully checked and any repairs carried before painting – again by the mill volunteers.

By 1-00 pm all the sails were off and stacked and the workers gathered round to celebrate the successful completion of this phase of the work.

The mill however looked strangely bare without her sails… But the sails WILL turn again.

Here is a gallery of the day the sails were transported from the windmill to the workshop.

 

Classic Motor Bikes – Best One Yet

DSC_0108Heage Windmill had a hugely successful Classic Motor Bike Day on the first Sunday in July.

Exceeding all expectations, we had a massive turnout of British, Italian and Japanese Road and Racing motor bikes.

The apron area in front of the mill was full of bikes, and included a great assortment of bikes carefully restored to their original gleaming condition by their owners.

It was estimated that at one time there were between 300 and 400  bikes on show  included a BSA Rocket, a Kawasaki 750 Dragster,  Suzuki T20 , dating from 1967, along with more well known models such as  Matchless, Royal Enfield and Triumph.

The bikes were supported by various stalls and food outlets and the decent weather was enjoyed by all.

bikes at mill 2015Lynn Allen, who organised the event, assisted  by Simon Bartlett representing the various bike  clubs,  said: ‘ Today was easily the most successful bike event we have run at the mill.  There were so many people on site that we actually ran out of visitor badges.’

It goes without saying that we look forward to welcoming the bikes back again next season!

Mills ‘On The Air’

Nunsfield 2015Coinciding with National Mills Weekend, we hosted the Nunsfield House Amateur Radio Group who were taking part in ‘Mills On The Air’, when amateur radio groups set up radio stations at mill sites all over Britain and the world. This year the Nunsfield House group brought a mighty mobile aerial mast, which must have been 60 feet tall.

Over the two days they broadcasted to and received messages from other mill sites.

A very successful weekend and thank you to them for letting the country and Europe know about the wonderful mill at Heage.

A Major Minor Event

Morris Minors 2015 001Members of ‘Mad Mog’ (Mansfield and District Minor Owners Group) and the East Midlands Morris Minor Owners Club dropped in at Heage Windmill on the last Sunday in April.

Around 15 cars arrived, dating from the 1950s onwards.  Many types were represented, including the old  split windscreen, four door, two door travellers with wooden framing,  etc.

There was also a good selection of traditional Morris Minor colours including the well-known Clarendon Grey and others such as Almond Green, Bedouin, Almond and Empire Green.

 

 

 

Opening Ceremony – April 4

Heage Windmill 2015 Opening 012Our windmill is now open for 2015, with the opening ceremony ribbon being cut by John Boucher, a former Heage Windmill volunteer who played a vital role in bringing the windmill to life.

Prior to the opening, John drove down to the mill  on a 1948 Fordson Tractor, loaned for the occasion by John Allsop of Heage. Mr Boucher, who was the Project manager  for the restoration of the windmill in 2002, was welcomed by the Town Crier of Belper; Piers Bostock, Chair of Heage Windmill Society; and Angela Ward, Chair of the Friends of the Mill. Angela spoke at length of the debt the mill owed to John for his expertise in the bringing the mill back to life, and becoming a major Tourist attraction in Amber Valley. She also thanked the diminishing band of volunteers who keep the mill open, appealing for any potential new recruits to come and join  in the good work.

John was presented with a specially made book by John Hunter of the Friends to mark the occasion, illustrating his work over a 50 year span in working on various mills, including Heage.  In 2003, John was responsible for producing the first flour at the windmill for almost a 100 years and, in front of a sizeable gathering of supporters, said he was immensely proud and delighted to be invited to declare the mill open for its 14th season.

See Gallery below for more photos.  See photos here from the Derby Telegraph.

 

 

American Dream Truck at the Windmill

DSCN2717When most folks decide to tie the knot, they get a car to take them to and from the various venues.  Kerry Fradley and Darren Ashley had the same thoughts. But they thought ‘big’ and hired an American Dream Truck as their wedding transport. This was a huge, gleaming and polished, road haulage unit which dwarfs most other things on the road; we had to trim a tree on the road down to the windmill to ensure there was a free passage!

DSCN2731The truck is 13 years old, has a 14 litre engine, a potential top speed of 110 mph, and has done almost a million miles (at 11 miles per gallon!). Behind the cab is a special unit where the happy couple could settle back and feel mighty!

The pair were married at Heage church last Saturday and then made their way down to the windmill for an unusual photo shoot, before heading off to Horsley Lodge for the reception. The whole unit, and the couple, posed in front of the mill, and many official, and unofficial photos, were taken. They were presented with an engraved wooden spoon made by Freda Stallybrass, of the Friends of the mill, and also, of course, a bag of Heage flour!

Would you like your wedding to include a photo shoot at the windmill?  Click here for more details.

Like to be a Volunteer?

Keeping a 200 year old windmill in full working order, particularly when it has  become a major tourist attraction in  the Amber Valley area – and even more so when it is the only complete working windmill in Derbyshire – demands a lot of effort.

Heage Windmill is run by a charitable trust but the trust depends on a small army of volunteers to keep her operating. Over the 14 years since the mill was restored, time has taken its toll on the original team and we are in urgent need of some new recruits.

Heage Windmill Portraits 004We need some new guides and shop workers and, maybe with time, some might even become millers. But even when the mill is closed, there is always work to done to the mill and the surrounds, and here a team of maintenance workers give their time  during the week.

Full training is given so you do not need to be an expert on windmills when you join us – but you will soon learn a lot about them!  Being a volunteer is something open to both sexes and  all ages; providing you are reasonably active a place for you can be found.

Heage Windmill Portraits 016It’s fascinating to be directly involved in keeping ‘the old lady’, as we call her, in trim working order and, at the same time, making her open to our many visitors.

If you think you can spare the odd day to help out why not contact Lynn Allen on 01773 715 177 and find out more?

Flower Festival

The final weekend in June saw flower displays both inside the windmill and at neighbouring St Luke’s Church to celebrate the Flower Festival in Heage.

Below is a gallery of  photos.