THE MILL

Newsletter for Members and Friends of High Salvington Windmill       September 2022

The image on the right shows the mill sweeps set to mourning position. This was done to mark the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The tradition dates from earlier times when mill sweeps were used to announce more local births and deaths.

 

This season, with the aim of addressing our need for new millers, Bob Potts and Hazel Marsden have been running a series of training sessions. We hope to have several new millers fully trained by the end of the 2023 season. Our former wheat supplier has stopped selling grain in the small quantities we and many other mills require. While Sussex Mills Group is addressing this issue on behalf of many of its members, we were fortunate that Barry Flannaghan at Burton Watermill, who had obtained grain from a farmer in Petworth and developed his own grain-cleaning equipment, donated 55Kg to us for miller training.

After the enforced closures of 2020 and limited opening in 2021, 2022 started well, with a very successful public meeting during which many our existing volunteers were on hand to talk about our requirements. Dave Porter’s film, “Restoration of High Salvington Windmill”, featuring Peter Casebow, was shown. From the meeting itself and calls before and afterwards, over 50 new volunteers came forward, all of whom have made a valuable contribution to helping maintain the mill, run open days and events.

In June, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the High Salvington Residents’ Association and the Mill Trust joined forces to host a picnic on the mill field. This was widely enjoyed, so it is likely that this will become an annual event and plans for 2023 are already in progress! Keep an eye on your Residents’ Association newsletter for details.

Our open days and events have gone very well this year, some with record numbers in attendance. Our thanks to the new team of Phil Dawson, Paul Kuhn, Julie Gaskell and Sam Bisset, who joined us in January and pulled out all the stops to deliver a very successful fete.

Cereal products: the early medieval period to now

The importance of bread in the early medieval period is highlighted by the Old English words for lord (hlaford) and lady (hloefdige), meaning loaf keeper and loaf kneader respectively.  Payments and rents were often made in loaves.  As in Roman times bread from fine white flour was considered the best and on feast days spiced bread or cakes were made.  Bread was considered a strengthening food and medical books contained recipes using fine flour for those patients with delicate stomachs.  There seem to have been two basic sizes of loaf, large and small.  Bread was usually eaten with butter or dripping or something more substantial such as cheese, beans or meat.

The story of King Alfred burning the cakes is well known and although it is only a tale written to illustrate his desperate plight after his defeat by the Danes at Chippenham in AD878, it nevertheless illustrates that in many households bread would have continued to be baked on the hearth.  However, ovens are also known, mostly associated with monastic and wealthier establishments such as at North Elmham in Norfolk, Goltho in Lincolnshire and Portchester, Hampshire.

Bread continued to be a staple food throughout the Middle Ages.  In rural areas, most households baked their own bread.  This was probably usually under a pot on a hearthstone but some small rural cottages, such those excavated at Hangleton on the Sussex Downs and Tresmorn in north Cornwall, had their own ovens.  The floor of the oven in the cottage at Tresmorn was a granite rotary quernstone – a not uncommon reuse. Monasteries, castles and manor houses also had their own bakehouses and ovens. . You can read the rest of this article at The Mills Archive ( Chapter 14 From Quern to Computer).

Craft Fair

Over twenty-five stallholders had a splendid afternoon displaying their home-crafted product. The public arrived to browse the stalls. A coach party from Maidstone also arrived, with the coach parking outside the shop for a couple of hours. Thanks to Andy Campbell for organising the event.

 

Card Payments We started taking credit/debit card payments at the gate and in the tea-room in 2021. The pandemic seems to have accelerated a cashless society, and we were surprised by how many people now turn up without a single penny in their pockets. The app proved to be easy to use, and several of us have now trained in its use. Cashless payment does not extend to individual stalls at the fete. However, you will be able to purchase bags of cash with a card.  Craft stall holders often have their own system. If you prefer to pay your membership dues by card, please go to our website. You can also pay your membership at the gate. Or fill in the form on page 5 and post to our membership secretary.

From the Treasurer This has been a very successful season with most open days being well supported. The fete was particularly spectacular with over 1000 paying visitors and takings on the day of £5800 before expenses. The Classic Car Day in August and the Craft Fair in September also generated lots of interest and takings for each were over £1300. I changed our electricity supplier in April and fixed the tariff for 3 years so, although now at a slightly higher rate, we are at least protected from further rises for a while. The Village Shop has been holding a Sunday charity collection in exchange for nibbles and have twice given these proceeds to the Mill. We thank them and wish them success in their new venture.

 The mystery of windmill remains found in some barrows in Sussex: Bronze Age burial mounds later reused as windmill-steads.                                                  By Alex Vincent

Bronze Age barrows come in several types and shapes, including platform, saucer, bell, disc and bowl – the most common type.  They were as much as two to three metres in height.  They were used as burial chambers and were either a single burial or for several people. Some held cremated remains which were placed in an urn and covered in earth.  Barrows exist today as grassy earthen mounds, but were once bare chalk, which showed up clearly as monuments to people below the hills.  A great number have been ploughed out over the years.   Several Bronze Age barrows were reused as mill mounds or windmill-steads – mainly in the medieval period.

2An ancient barrow at Rookery Hill

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, during excavations of some barrows, stone foundations and timber structure remains of post mills were found.  These were not identified as mill remains until the early 20^th century.  Charles Monkman was one of the first to discuss some of these cruciform structures found in East Yorkshire. Studies were made of some 10,000 barrows during the 20^th century and some were identified as having been reused as a windmill-stead.

A medieval windmill was smaller than the later ones and for this reason the posts were sunken for extra stability.  A mound, called a mill ball, would have been built around it and as most barrows were round in shape, they were ideal to use as a mill base.  These windmills would have been open trestle post mills.

Several barrows in Sussex later became bases for windmills.  Examples are at The Mill Ball Houghton, The Trundle at Singleton, Summer Hill, Newtimber, Piddinghoe, Glynde, Firle Beacon, Willingdon Hill and Rookery Hill Bishopstone.  In the case of the latter, it is said to be one of the earliest windmills recorded in Sussex.

There could be other old windmill sites, which used Bronze Age barrows as their bases.  One example could be the 16^th century windmill at Highdown.  The mound it stood on looks as if it was once a barrow.  The medieval windmills recorded on Highdown may be on the site of the later 16^th century mill.

ooOoo

Books

This year the book stall has made around £280 at the various open days. Thank you to everyone who has donated books in the past. However, we no longer take DVDs/ CDs or hardback books as donations for the Windmill Book stall. These items do not sell very well and are cumbersome to move around. Paperback novels and children’s books are always welcome and sell well. You can contact me by calling 01903 695219. I’m happy to collect.                                                                                                                                                           Angela McMillan

The hay rake in the granary

Have you ever looked at the replica hay rake? It was made by millwright Bob Potts to a design which he had seen in use in France.

In the 1980s the grass was cut once a year on the mill site. It was then turned to dry, using this hay rake, before storing. Thus, it became hay which was then used by local ponies and goats etc. Of course, the grass needed cutting more than once a year. So, sheep were used to graze the site and keep the grass down.

The sheep were a Welsh mountain cross. They were forever getting out and the volunteers would often get a call late at night from an annoyed neighbour and had to go out looking for the sheep.

Bob Potts and Pete Casebow tried their hand at shearing the sheep. It took them two hours to shear one! They found shears were useless and used scissors. Not surprisingly it was decided that it was better to mow the grass regularly, as is done today.

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Refreshments

As a result of a very successful volunteers recruitment evening in January there were many new helpers for serving teas and baking cakes (a special mention to Gill Johnson who kindly donated the many cakes she made). All the helpers said how much they enjoyed themselves when it was their turn to man the tea bar.

We have had some exceptionally busy open Days where we have literally run out of cakes and ice creams!

An interesting fact…. for the last three Open Days…the Car Day, the Scalextric and the Autumn Craft Fair, a slice of cake was sold for every minute the Mill was open! Now that’s an awful lot of cake!!

A huge thank you from me to all the volunteers who helped with the refreshments.                  Mel Wickett

 Private Mill Bookings and tours 2022

This was my first year arranging the private bookings at the windmill. The mill tours have been very popular this year, especially with young groups such as Beavers, Scouts and Childminders.  Two groups of adults – Worthing Renaissance WI and Arun Art Group – also visited.  Vale School had an enjoyable morning at the mill earlier this month. The shop is very popular with the younger groups – especially the toy windmills.  The childminders loved the cakes and refreshments.  Everyone who visited seemed to enjoy themselves. Apart from the excitement of seeing the mill the children just love rolling down the mound and cartwheeling across the grass.  Flour being ground before their eyes and having a go at doing it themselves was very exciting and the water pump intrigued them.

Everyone has been so kind and encouraging for this my first year of taking bookings.                                                                                              Angela Stephens

ooOoo

 

Talks to groups. In the past few weeks, Lucy has given a talk on our mill and how it was restored to local groups. If you would like a talk for your group, please get in touch at the address below.

‘The Mill’ is edited by Lucy Brooks. 01903 691945. lucindafbrooks@outlook.com

THE MILL

Newsletter for Members and Friends of High Salvington Windmill        October 2021

We did it!

Despite all the problems that Coronovirus threw at us, with all the lockdowns, restrictions, and delays, the mill has had a successful season this year. Read our Chairman’s report below.

Letter from the (acting) Chairman – Jeff Best

Despite the continuing pandemic, the volunteers were able to operate some open days and events this year. Once regulations permitted, we opened the mill field on scheduled open days to pre-booked family groups in June. With the delay in removing full restrictions, this carried on through July. Full open days commenced in August, with the Classic Cars Day. The Fete was held a month later than usual – on August 15^th. We had downgraded it slightly to a “Fun Day” to cater for a reduction in available volunteers, and we were dealing with three major events on three consecutive open days. But despite the smaller event, it was a great success. Thank you to all the volunteers, without whom none of this would have been possible. Special mention to Lucy Brooks for managing the party booking system, Ann English (Classic Cars), Graham Carthew (“Fun Day”), Andy Campbell (Crafts Fair) and Ian Fairclough and his team of maintenance volunteers.

  We have also been undertaking a major health and safety review that will result in new training being introduced for all volunteers to ensure that we meet all our legal obligations. Some tasks previously carried out by any volunteer will be restricted to trained volunteers only, and some new systems of work will be required, for example, new safety apparatus for use in sail climbing. In support, to provide access to any information a volunteer may need for the tasks we ask them to carry out, a new Wiki website has been developed and will continue being updated, with all volunteers eventually having full access.

Three hardy volunteers 1

  Ian Fairclough has now stepped down as Maintenance Coordinator and our thanks go to him and to Roz Naylor-Smith who is stepping down as Group Visits Organiser. Both have carried out essential tasks for several years. Welcome to Angela Stephens who will be taking over from Roz.

  We urgently need to boost both membership and volunteer numbers. On 21st January 2022 we are hoping to hold a recruitment event at St. Michael’s Church Hall in Hayling Rise, subject to the hall being available when bookings reopen later this month. We are also planning a “Founders Day” event on Saturday 14th May 2022, before the National Mills Weekend open day on 15th May. More details will be posted on our website, in due course.

  Finally, I look forward to seeing all of you at the annual Bonfire Carols on 17th December.”                                                               ooOoo

Tell your friends about us Would your family and friends like to join us and support the mill as a member? As you can imagine, we had no income from visitors last year, and despite the busy open days, revenues are down this year. Members can come into open days free of charge by showing their card at the gate.

A new toy?

The more eagle-eyed among you may have spotted the village pump installed near the little mills. It is sited outside the fence surrounding the little mills so that visitors young and old can have a go at pumping the water. Below is an article by Alex Vincent, who has made a study of village pumps throughout the land.

THE VILLAGE PUMP by Alex Vincent.

The Egyptians invented the shadoof (irrigation tool) to raise water, which dates from 2000 BC. They used a long, suspended rod with a bucket at one end and a weight at the other. The main village pump today dates from 200 BC and was invented by the Greeks. There is evidence that a pump using a plunger or piston in a barrel or cylinder existed in Greece at this period. These village pumps are hand-operated water pumps, which come in all shapes and sizes. They were built over wells and other water sources to transfer water through a pipe or spout from its source to another location or container such as a trough or bucket. Romans had wooden pumps, but most of these are now gone. Every place would have had a pump in the town square or on the village green. Towns had one in almost every street usually at the end and several shops had one in their yard. Some were in back gardens or in homes. As well as obtaining water from streams, ponds, and wells, this was the only way, which people used to get their water before mains came. Pumps were used in farms and for cattle and horses along old trackways. They had a trough below them. The main reasons for the decline in use of village pumps were the cholera epidemics of the 1850s. The most famous case was the Broad Street pump in Soho, London. A cholera epidemic occurred in Soho in 1854 and the pump in Broad Street (now Broadwick Street) was taken out of action. Dr John Snow took the handle off the pump – an action that halted the cholera. A replica pump stands on the site outside the John Snow pub. There is an information board in the pub.

  The vast majority of the village pumps in Britain today are cast iron pumps dating to the 19th century. Some of the village pumps are in their original position, but a number are not. A lot of them were bought as a collector’s item and some are modern, purchased from garden centres. Many are still to be seen today on village greens, under shelters, over wells, in streets, gardens and outside pubs. The village pump here at High Salvington Windmill came from a house in West Hill. This house was once part of a farm owned by A C Jackson. The pump is a ‘lift and pull’ pump, mounted over an old tank and on the farm. Water came off roofs and buildings and fed into the tank. There is also a well in the garden. A story goes that when horses were used to bring grain to the mill, they were taken to the pump for a drink. The village pump is now restored and working.

Behind the scenes – the Board members The Board of the High Salvington Mill Trust meets every quarter. Acting chairman: Jeff Best Treasurer: Hazel Marsden Membership Secretary: Paul Minter Company Secretary: vacant and currently handled by Jeff Best Assistant Secretary: Hazel Collier Catering: Melanie Wickett Guides, Newsletter, and Publicity: Lucy Brooks Steps, New Volunteers Coordinator: Ian Fairclough Councillor: Richard Nowak – Worthing Borough Non-board members Maintenance Coordinator: currently vacant County Councillor: Elizabeth Sparkes.

Card Payments This season saw us able to take credit/debit card payments at the gate and in the tea room. The pandemic seems to have accelerated a cashless society, and we were surprised by how many people turned up without a single penny in their pockets. Unfortunately, we couldn’t extend the facility to the games and stalls for the fete, but fortunately, people brought cash with them. The app proved to be easy to use, and several of us have now trained in its use.   If you prefer to pay your membership dues by card, please contact our Treasurer, Hazel Marsden on 01903 264409 or 07708 601116. Or fill in the form on page 5 and post to our membership secretary.

Follow us on Facebook. Just look for High Salvington Windmill and “like” our page to see news about the mill and the planned events throughout the year.

 Organised group visits

The season started slowly, and we were not quite as busy with young visitors as we would have liked – the schools and youth clubs finding it too difficult to organise trips under regulations. But we welcomed several groups for a tour of the windmill.

  These included a local pack of Brownies, the Fleet Air Arm, a group from Horsham U3A, and a Mindfulness practitioner for new parents, who simply wanted to use our lovely setting.

Members of the Fleet Air Arm

  Each time, guides volunteered to attend and show our visitors around the mill and serve them with delicious cakes made by Mel Wickett. Every single visitor was enormously appreciative of the beautiful condition of the windmill, and the detailed explanations given by the guides. A big thank you to everyone involved in organising these tours. Roz Naylor-Smith will be handing over her role to Angela Stephens in 2022, and we look forward to many more visits next year. These visits add a fair bit to our coffers and are very well worthwhile, both financially, and because they spread the word about High Salvington Windmill.

 

Maintenance report – Ian Fairclough There have been no major projects undertaken since the last Newsletter. So, with the mill and the site buildings and structures in fine fettle, attention turned to sprucing up the picket fences and benches which have all been painted. We also acquired another bench that was donated by a local resident which one of our new volunteers refurbished. The whole site was now ready for visitors who returned in June.   The installation of the vintage pump has been completed and is now operational to the delight of our young (and not so young!) visitors who have enjoyed trying it out on our open days.   Other small works that have taken place or are in hand include: ·        Additional lighting installed in the roundhouse ·        Fete trestles and tables have been repaired where necessary ·        Granary window which was rotten has been replaced and just requires painting Scheduled maintenance has continued to ensure all the mills and the grounds are in tip-top condition.

Home-made cakes are top class and delicious This season our cakes have been crafted by Mel Wickett (shown below), Albert Pardo, and Frankie Bridges. The proof of their deliciousness is that they were all sold out! What further proof is needed? Thanks to all our cake-makers, and to Mel who organises the kitchen supplies so well.

 

Craft day

 

The craft fair was the last event of the season and was a huge success. The sunny weather brought out the visitors and the stallholders enjoyed a very productive afternoon. The stalls ranged from cards to crafted gifts, from woollen toys to wooden boxes. Visitors arrived throughout the afternoon. A huge thank you to Andy Campbell who organised the event, and to all the volunteers to helped make it a success.   One stallholder commented how much she looked forward to the craft fair at the windmill. “It’s such a lovely setting, and the weather is usually good. I love it.” ooOoo

Running the booking system for our controlled numbers day (June/July)

With strict restrictions imposed by the Government still in place at the beginning of the season, we were unable to open at our usual season start of April. Behind the scenes, however, we were making plans. Guided by the terms of the PM’s infamous “road map” we decided to hold the volunteers’ coffee morning in late May. Many volunteers enjoyed seeing one another for the first time for over a year and the team explained the changes that had occurred in the meantime. The Board had decided to open the gates in June to a limited number of parties.

  At first, this was restricted to members of the Trust only, but take-up was slow, so I decided to cast the net a little wider via Facebook groups. I had devised an online booking system via Eventbrite which allowed me to keep control of who would be coming and which part of the afternoon. I limited slots to an hour each, so we had the potential, on our first open day, to welcome nine groups in total. It went so well that we decided to increase the number of groups to fifteen over the afternoon.

  The Government then delayed the easing of restrictions by a month, so we extended the scheme into July, for two further Sundays and with even more groups allowed – all distanced throughout the field, and all wearing masks when inside the mill. The results were good, and by this time we were showing people round the mill in very small family parties. However, one Sunday was affected by rain, and another by “pinging”. The no-shows were made up by passers-by asking to come in even though they hadn’t booked. It all worked out in the end, and all the volunteers on duty were thrilled to see the field busy again. We dropped the booking system for our first major event – the classic car day where we welcomed visitors in their hundreds. The picture shows one very happy exhibitor. Lucy Brooks, Board member

Feeding the World: Medieval Mills and Milling (from the Mills Archive)

It is clear that by the time of the Norman Conquest mills were regarded as important manorial assets.  No manor was properly equipped unless it had a mill.  This is demonstrated by the 6,000 plus recorded in Domesday Book, the result of the survey undertaken in 1086 (High Salvington/Durrington is not mentioned in that early survey). Considering the number of mills recorded it is perhaps surprising that the remains of few medieval watermills have been found through excavation.

The earliest written references which specifically mention windmills date from the 1180s.  In a well-documented case of 1191 Abbot Samson of Bury St Edmunds ordered the destruction of a windmill which had been built on glebe land without his permission by Herbert the dean. By the early 14th century windmills had also appeared in the north-west, at Upton-in-Widnes, Lancashire and Haulton, Cheshire, for example.  While it has been suggested that windmills were built by manorial lords to supplement rather than supplant watermills, in some areas where the water supply was intermittent or the topography less favourable to providing a good fall of water, windmills became a common sight in the late medieval landscape.

  The earliest windmills were timber-built post mills, the whole body (sometimes called the buck) of the mill, which contained the millstones and gearing, being turned to face the sails into the wind on the top of a massive central post.  For increased stability, the timbers that supported the post were often buried in the raised mound; the remains of such substructures have been found at a number of sites including Sandon Mount, Hertfordshire and near Bridgwater, Somerset.

  The illustration on the left is from a church in Bishop’s Lydeard, Somerset, showing part of the trestle buried in the mound. Next to the mill is the miller with a measure for taking is toll and his packhorse.

Abridged version. You can read the full article at the Mills Archive.

A medieval mill similar to that illustrated preceded ours, which dates from 1756. There are mentions in old maps and church records to provide evidence of this.

Volunteer Drive

The Board is planning a volunteer drive in January 2022. There will be a presentation at St, Michael’s Parish Hall. Please watch out for details of this.

The shop

Visitors, especially children, love to purchase a souvenir from the shop. Pocket money priced gifts to take home are very popular, as are the windmills – a favourite with the children. The shop is stocked and organised by Roger and Kate Osborn.

 

 Membership
High Salvington Windmill currently has 201 members (ten honorary) and would love there to be more.

Membership is excellent value at £4 per year for single member, £7 per year for dual membership, and just £40 for life membership.  

   A Membership form can be found below, with subscriptions payable by cash, cheque or Standing Order. As well as entitling members to attend all open days and events free of charge on presentation of your membership card, you also receive two newsletters a year, as well as being able to attend the Trust Annual General Meeting.

   With Christmas approaching, a membership for family or friends would make a unique present, whilst also providing us with valuable support.

  Although this last year has seen fewer events and open days than we would have liked, we very much look forward to being able to have a full programme next year.

  Anyone interested in becoming a member and supporting us will be granted membership through until March 2023.  If you have any questions or need more information, please email Paul Minter on membership@highsalvingtonmilltrust.co.uk.  

Captain Paul B Minter RFA (Rtd), Membership Secretary

 

 

SUBSCRIPTION TO THE HIGH SALVINGTON MILL TRUST LTD

Annual membership                  per person        £  4.00              o

per dual couple £  7.00              o

Life membership                                   per person        £40.00              o

I/we enclose CASH/CHEQUE payable to HIGH SALVINGTON MILL TRUST LTD

NAME: ______________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________________

Post Code_________________

Signed _____________________       Date ___________________ email: _____________________________

Send to: Membership secretary, 69 Hayling Rise, High Salvington, Worthing, BN13 3AG

email: membership@highsalvingtonmilltrust.co.uk

Data Protection: If you object to your name and address being kept on computer, please raise the matter with the membership secretary.

Registered in England Company no. 4199780                       Registered office: 12 Furzeholme, Worthing BN13 3BS

 

‘The Mill’ is edited by Lucy Brooks. 01903 691945. lucindafbrooks@outlook.com

THE MILL

Newsletter for Members and Friends of High Salvington Windmill           March 2021

We are planning to reopen in July

Of course, this will depend on the Government’s road map going according to plan, but we are making plans to open our gates to the public again on the first Sunday in July – the 4^th. Put it in your diary.

The Board has also decided that on two Sundays in June, the mill grounds only will be open to members and their families by appointment. If you would like to bring your family to the mill grounds, enjoy a cup of tea, bring a picnic, and admire the mill, please contact Lucy Brooks on 01903 691945 or lucindafbrooks@outlook.com to book a slot on June 6^th or June 20^th. Up to nine family groups may enter the field on each of these days in three separate time slots starting at 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. Volunteers will be on hand to ensure social distancing and cleaning between groups. We will also arrange to have guides stationed in the field to explain the history of the mill and to answer any questions.

Fete moved to August

The Board also decided to postpone the Fete until August 15^th. This will give us time to get used to the new situation, and to see if the country really can start to operate normally again.

Do you have administrative skills? We are looking for a new company secretary We need someone with some corporate experience to act as our Company Secretary. The role involves making sure that our affairs are conducted correctly, and directors are eligible for service. It is a voluntary position and involves becoming a director. If you are interested, please contact Jeff on 01903 264409 or Jeffrey.best@highsalvingtonmilltrust.co.uk.

Calendar: Here’s the revised calendar of events this summer – all very much subject to the Government’s Road Map

Pre-season meeting.   23 May (volunteers only)

Members’ visits           6 and 20 June

Normal opening          4 and 18 July

AGM                            25 June 2021

Classic cars                  1 August

Open Fun Day             15 August

Craft Fair                      5 September

Normal opening          19 September

ooOoo

Behind the scenes – the Board members The Board of the High Salvington Mill Trust meets every quarter. Acting chairman: Jeff Best Treasurer: Hazel Marsden Membership Secretary: Paul Minton Company Secretary: vacant and currently handled by Jeff Best Assistant Secretary: Andy Campbell Catering: Melanie Wickett Guides, Newsletter and Publicity: Lucy Brooks Steps, New Volunteers Coordinator: Ian Fairclough Councillor: Richard Nowak – Worthing Borough Non-board members Maintenance Coordinator, Social Media: Samantha Goddard County Councillor: Elizabeth Sparkes.

The first special event of the year will be the Classic Car Day on August 1st. Ann English has already started to plan a wonderful display of beautiful motors for us to see and discuss with their owners. If you have a classic car you’d like to show off, please contact Ann on car4mill@btinternet.com

 Meet the team

Over the next couple of newsletters, we will be introducing our stalwart volunteers on and off the Board. The first two are Ian Fairclough and pending board member Samantha Goddard.

Ian Fairclough:  Ian began volunteering at the mill in 2012 after he retired from a career in the public sector in the accounting and computing field. He has always had an interest in historical industrial/agricultural buildings and structures and to have a wonderful example close by inspired him to volunteer at High Salvington windmill.

He is predominantly involved in maintenance and describes himself as a very average DIY-er. Additionally, he assists with other duties on open days and special events. There is a great community spirit amongst the volunteers and local residents at the mill and Ian gains great satisfaction from seeing the sails turning on the ‘old girl’ on open days to the delight of our visitors.

Samantha Goddard: Samantha lives in Broadwater and joined us as Maintenance Coordinator in November last year. Her background lies in campaigns and communications and she has joined the Mill due to her love of working with people who come together to get work done – in this case, the upkeep of our local heritage. Samantha also enjoys photography and looks forward to sharing some content with you through our social media.

Peter Casebow, one of the engineers who restored our mill, has written a book called High Salvington: Saving Worthing’s Last Windmill. It’s a history of our mill and how it was restored. It will be available later this summer.

 Milling through the ages

The Mills Archive is a treasure trove of information about mills of any kind. Of course, mills are most well-known for grinding corn into flour. However, over the centuries, mills powered by wind, water and other power sources have been used for many other types of industry. Here are some of these.

Woad mills Woad was the primary source for blue dye until the introduction of synthetic indigo. A small bushy plant, it was harvested by hand from August to November and crushed in a mill. It was also used to fix other dyes so they would not run. Woad was still used for police clothing and other uniforms at the beginning of the 20th century. The last English woad mills ceased work in the 1930s. The introduction of synthetic indigo caused the industry to decline, and by the beginning of the 20th century, there were only three woad mills left in England, producing woad for the government to fix the dyes in police clothing and other uniforms. At Parson Drove in Cambridgeshire was the last of the old ‘peripatetic’ mills which at one time were moved every few years to new pastures when the old had been exhausted by the intensive nature of woad farming. Newer steam-powered mills remained at Algarkirk and Skirbeck, Lincolnshire. Gunpowder mills Although medieval Europeans gave the devil the credit for the invention of gunpowder, it was in fact Chinese alchemists who first began to manufacture it in the 9th century. It travelled through the Islamic World along the Silk Roads, and it is first mentioned in the West in the 13th century by Roger Bacon. Gunpowder, or black powder, is a mixture of saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur. At first made in small amounts in a pestle and mortar, from the 16th century there were water-driven mills in England, and from 1589 these had to have a royal licence to operate, although some operated illegally. The first stage in the manufacture of black powder was the preparation of the ingredients. Saltpetre (potassium nitrate) could be manufactured from decomposed animal dung, mixed with lime. Sulphur was imported from Italy and Sicily, while charcoal was made by charring wood. Powder mills were often surrounded by coppices of willow and alder trees for this reason. Before being mixed together the ingredients had to be powdered and sieved and weighed to ensure the right quantities were used, the proportions being 75 parts saltpetre to 15 parts charcoal and ten parts sulphur. They were then mixed together in a revolving drum to form ‘green charge’. The next stage was incorporating. The earlier form of incorporating mill was the pestle or stamping mill, in which the turning camshaft caused stamps to rise and fall, beating the powder in troughs below. These could be powered by hand, by treadmill or by waterwheel. Later, edge runner stones became common, and the earlier stamping mills were made illegal in 1772 on safety grounds.

Paper Mills By the time of the first paper mills in England, the principles of making paper by hand, using the vat method in water-driven mills, had long been established. These principles remained fundamentally the same until the eighteenth century when papermaking machines were invented. One of the first English paper mills was Sele Mill, just outside Hertford on the Beane, a stream flowing into the River Lea. The principal early method for making paper is as follows: After having been sorted, cut, washed and allowed to ferment, rotted rags were placed in water-laden troughs called mortars. They were macerated into pulp by a battery of iron-tipped wooden stamping hammers. These were lifted and dropped by the cams fitted to the main shaft, worked by waterpower.   Feeding an army in the depths of a Russian winter requires some handy ideas Hand mills like this one were carried by thousands of Swedish soldiers during the Great Northern Wars of the 18th Century. They were used by the Caroleans, the highly professional soldiers of the Swedish Empire.  Grain lasts longer than flour and is far easier to store and transport. As a result, many armies throughout history have granted its soldiers rations in grain rather than finished food, a practice that dates back to the armies of Imperial Rome. Napoleon’s Grande Armée brought hand-cranked mills with them on the Russian Campaign, but these were heavy and cumbersome. In comparison, this simple Swedish mill could be carried by each individual soldier. Made out of wood, it was light and could be easily dismantled into three parts, and was easy to repair. As the mill was made of wood, the grains would have to be very soft: when we tried to grind modern grains in it, they were too hard. The Mills Archive Our thanks go to the Mills Archive Trust for these and other stories published in our newsletters over the past year. The Mills Archive is a permanent repository for the documentary and photographic records of traditional and contemporary mills and milling, as well as similar structures dependent on traditional power sources. It makes that material freely available for public inspection and use in research and learning. The Mills Archive is one of the world’s great mill collections. It has rescued over 3 million documents and images that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill site. It is an Aladdin’s cave filled with memories and free to users. The collections show the rich and diverse crafts, buildings, machinery, equipment and people involved with mills in the UK and around the world. The archive believes in the cultural and educational values of mills and historic power sources and wishes to turn that into practical support.

Tell your friends about us Would your family and friends like to join us and support the mill as a member? As you can imagine, we had no income from visitors last year, and we are looking forward to changing that this summer. Members can come into open days free of charge by showing their card at the gate.

High Salvington Windmill currently has 204 members (ten honorary), and would love there to be more.

Any questions: Paul Minter on membership@highsalvingtonwindmilltrust.co.uk

Capt. Paul Minter, Membership

 

Membership
  The cost of an Annual membership is just £4 (£7 for dual membership). The cost of Life membership is £40.

“————————————————————————————————————————-

SUBSCRIPTION TO THE HIGH SALVINGTON MILL TRUST LTD

Annual membership                  per person        £  4.00              o

per dual couple £  7.00              o

Life membership                                   per person        £40.00              o

I/we enclose CASH/CHEQUE payable to HIGH SALVINGTON MILL TRUST LTD

NAME: ______________________________________________________________________________

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Send to: Membership secretary, 69 Hayling Rise, High Salvington, Worthing, BN13 3AG

email: membership@highsalvingtonmilltrust.co.uk

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Registered in England Company no. 4199780                       Registered office: 12 Furzeholme, Worthing BN13 3BS

 

Follow us on Facebook. Just look for High Salvington Windmill and “like” our page to see news about the mill and the planned events throughout the year.

 

‘The Mill’ is edited by Lucy Brooks. 01903 691945. lucindafbrooks@outlook.com

THE MILL                                                                              Summer 2020

Newsletter of the Friends of High Salvington Windmill     

Mill closed for 2020 season

Welcome to a special newsletter published by the High Salvington Windmill. Most of you will already know of the very sad decision taken by the Board not to open at all this season. As the Covid-19 crisis unfolded, at first, we thought we might be able to salvage our late summer events, and possibly the fete. But by April it was clear to all that, even with the easing of restrictions, public gatherings would not be allowed this summer. We could not ensure correct social distancing even for small groups, given the confined space inside our mill. We also needed to consider the health of our volunteers, many of whom are over 70, some with underlying health issues. We hope you will enjoy reading some stories and anecdotes about our mill, and others in the local area.

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A look back at the story of our mill and those that went before

We hope you will enjoy this collection of items from the past. They include anecdotes and stories from the archives.

Fire at the mill

An entry in The Sussex Weather Book by Ogley, Currie and Davison tells us that on November 23^rd 1755 “…A windmill in the parish of Durrington … was set on fire by lightning … which, in a short while, consumed the same ….”

  The Archive Group decided to investigate further and found a mention in the Kentish Post and the Brighton Herald, which further informed that with the mill, several loads of corn were also destroyed. We do not believe that there was a round house then, so the corn must have been stored inside the mill. It seems fairly certain that the mill then stood on an open hardwood (oak) trestle. Eighteen months after the fire, the mill was insured for £250 with the ‘Sun Fire Office’ for a premium of £5. Over the years, the mill was substantially and expensively updated, with a roundhouse being built to safeguard a trestle made of softwood, the buck enlarged, and a pair of spring shutter sails replacing a pair of common sails. Business must have been good!

Milling through the ages

Indentured labour

The Mills archive holds a wonderful document. It is an indenture between the millwright and engineer Thomas Pilbeam, and his new apprentice, Charles William Dew. Dated 14th October 1865, it agrees that Charles Dew will work for five years, and promises his good and lawful behaviour. In return he will be taught ‘The Art of the Millwright and Engineer’. It also agrees to an increasing rate of pay as his skills and abilities develop throughout the apprenticeship. He begins on six shillings a week and ends on fourteen shillings a week in his fifth year of employment.

  It seems Charles had a successful apprenticeship. In a reference, Thomas Pilbeam rues the fact that he does not have enough work for him. It seems that Charles was able to gain employment. A later reference from the foreman at Medina Mills explains that he worked to ‘full satisfaction’ as a millwright and engineer, leaving to work on another mill under construction. 

Sussex Weekly Advertiser December 5th 1774  WANTED A MILLER, one that is a sober man and can write.  It is not material that he is quite master of the Business or not.  Apply to William EDE at Shermanbury, near Steyning.

 Muscle Power

Very early mills used man and animal power to raise water for irrigation and to turn stones to grind all kinds of products such as sugar cane, beans, corn, etc. The image on the right shows how water was raised in North Africa. Driven by two bullocks the machinery moved earthenware pots in a loop, scooping the water up from a well.  Another example from the archive shows a human watermill in China employing two workers to operate a treadwheel/scoop wheel contraption to irrigate paddy fields.

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Good guy, bad guy?

Throughout the ages, the role of the miller has been subject to all sorts of stories and stereotypes: millers have been slandered, satirised, respected and romanticised all in equal measures.

  A volume called The Mills of Man by George Long (available in the archive) contains an account attesting that at one time, the jobs of milling and smuggling often went hand in hand.

Mr Long describes how, at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries “when that nefarious traffic reached its zenith”, the miller had an important role to play in the highly-organised smuggling trade. The miller was “frequently the individual responsible for the actual delivery to the consumer of the articles ordered. The reason for this was that the mill was situated in every village – either wind or water – and could easily deliver contraband articles concealed beneath the sacks of grain or flour which formed its legitimate trade. Further, those small mills which had no delivery vehicles of their own could hand the articles to the callers as they brought their grist and took away their flour.”

  So it seems that millers took a leading part in the work of delivering orders to the customers in towns and villages – an ingenious method indeed! This business would not have taken place completely secretly: often the whole village would have been in on it as many of them would have benefitted, as we hear in Rudyard Kipling’s poem A Smuggler’s Song: “Brandy for the Parson, ‘Baccy for the Clerk”. Those that didn’t benefit chose to subtly turn their heads:

“Them that asks no questions isn’t told a lie –

Watch the wall my darling as the gentlemen go by!”

  Stories of the smuggling days are particularly rife around the Hampshire and Sussex coastline, In its heyday smuggling was common across the whole of the southern coast of England, from Falmouth to Folkestone and anywhere in between.

We are indebted to the Mills Archive newsletter for these stories. If you want to know more, look them up at this link: https://millsarchive.org/

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Miller’s tomb at Highdown

The isolated tomb of John Olliver on Highdown Hill has been a focal point for gossip, jokes and rumour for over two hundred years. Olliver was a prosperous miller who built his own tomb in 1766 – 27 years before his death.  The tombstone reads: “For the reception of the body of John Olliver, when deceased to the Will of God: granted by William Westbrooke Richardson esq., 1766”. But there’s more.

  Olliver reportedly kept his casket under his bed all the years between securing the burial plot and actually entering the great beyond. Locals suspected that he was a smuggler, using sails arranged in code on his windmill to tell of his shipments and storing the illicit goods in his casket and at his future gravesite. We have to wonder what exactly he might have been smuggling!

  Over 2000 people turned up at his funeral to witness his passing, and rumour has it, he was buried face down. Apparently, the world would be turned upside down when the last judgment came, and his position underground would ensure he was the right way up! John Olliver was not associated in any way with our windmill in High Salvington, despite the fact that they could clearly see each other across the fields between their hills.

Sources: various including BBC Southern Counties and Dusty Old Things.

Rustington Smock Mill

One of our Facebook followers posted a newspaper article about the mill at Rustington which existed up to 1912. Rustington Mill stood at the end of Sea Lane. Apart from Cudlow Farm, Hobbs Farm and Knight’s Croft House, there were no other buildings in Sea Lane apart from Rustington Mill – a Post Mill or Smock Mill.

According to the article, some of which we reproduce here, it had stood for two centuries. A passage leading to the village was discovered, thought to have been used for smuggling. The nearby houses had similar passages. Smuggling truly was rife in Sussex back in the 18^th century!

Thanks to Rustington Past and Present for permission to reproduce this cutting.

Sussex Weekly Advertiser 1774 October 24th WANTED A Miller who understand the Business and can be well recommended and can write. Apply to Mr. JOHN STOVELD at Steyning

Our Hampshire neighbour Bursledon Windmill is Hamp-shire’s only working windmill, and a fascinating example of the county’s milling history. Built in 1813, after a period of dereliction it was restored and reopened in the 1990s as a working windmill and heritage attraction. ooOoo

Southern Weekly Advertiser, Monday, January 17th 1774 On Wednesday last one Combe a miller at Newhaven, was going from that place to Worth on horseback with a woman behind him. His horse took fright at something on the road when the woman too jumped off without hurt but unfortunately pulling Combe with her his foot hung in the stirrup and the horse dragging him a considerable distance he was horribly bruised that he died on Saturday. October 17th To be sold by AUCTION On Wednesday the 26th of October Instant, at the Sign of the Wheel at Westfield Sussex except disposed of by previous Contract before A WATERWHEEL and HUST and a Cogwheel and Boulter and the Building of a Water Mill thereto belonging. For further particulars enquire of Mr. HAYWARD Miller at Wartlington. August 13th Whereas the Ponds at BREAD POWDER MILLS near BATTLE in the county of Sussex have lately been several Times robbed and great Quantities of Fish stolen by Poachers and unjustified Persons in the Night Time. A Reward of TEN GUINEAS is offered to any Person who shall discover or give information against the offending Person or Persons so that they may be brought to Justice … ooOoo

 

 

From the Southern Weekly Advertiser, February 7th 1774 On Friday se’ennight Battle Powder Mill blew up, but happily no lives were lost. February 14th A few days since died at his house in Chichester Mr. Wm Woods, one of the joint proprietors of the large tide mill at Seaford; this gentleman has for many years laboured under heavy excruciating tortures from that disease of the Stone which he bore with great Christian fortitude; and within a few days of his death he declared that when dead he might be opened which was accordingly done and a Stone of above eleven ounces was taken out of his bladder. Lewes July 4th On Wednesday last as a lad, son to Mr Hoather, miller of the above place [Brighthelmstone] was chopping a bat with a handbill it unfortunately fell on his wrist which thereby received such a desperate wound, that it is fear’d his hand must undergo a Amputation. Thanks to Wendy Funnel, our archivist, for these gems.

 Stories from our guides

Backhanded compliment!

At the conclusion of the tour a lady turned to me and said, “Well, that was a lot more interesting than I thought it was going to be….” (Greg).

Out of the mouths…

One young and apparently very well-read visitor asked me why the mill hadn’t blown up, because

– they were doing long hours milling after the harvest and would need light.

– but they only had candles or oil lamps,

– and a working flour mill is full of flour dust – which is notoriously flammable. (Paul)

Perhaps they simply made the best use of summer daylight that they could. Or maybe they could see in the dark. Or was it just luck?  (Ed.)

Another guide reported that a young visitor to the mill at Singleton asked about how everything worked. She listened carefully as our guide showed her the grain, the stones, the bran and the flour. Asked if she had any questions she enquired “why do you have hairs growing out of your nose?”

  The same guide has often been asked about the ‘electric motor that drives the sails.’ Of course, there is no motor – the wind is the driving force. And to some of today’s visitors, it seems an alien concept. You never know what questions may be asked or what explanations you might be called upon to resolve. (Bob)

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Follow us on Facebook. Just look for High Salvington Windmill and “like” our page to see news about the mill and the planned events throughout the year.

A word from our Acting Chairman, Jeff Best

At this troubling time, when we are physically distanced from friends and family and the future is uncertain, I am very grateful to our maintenance and management teams who have adapted, with aplomb, to the new “normal”. The grass is still being cut and hedges kept in excellent trim. The mill is still being turned into the wind and the sails rotated regularly to balance wear. The buildings are being checked and a weather eye kept on known maintenance issues. I regret that this season, we cannot welcome visitors and many of our volunteers, but your health is more important. I look forward to the time when this infection is under control and we can resume operations. In the meantime, stay safe, and know that we are doing all we can to keep the mill and engines well maintained and the site well-groomed ready to welcome everyone back once this is all behind us. Finally, I would like to make special mention of Ian Fairclough, who has been managing maintenance diligently for the last few years, and Lucy Brooks, who is putting extra effort into producing an additional newsletter to remind us all of the heritage treasures we are all committed to preserving for those who follow us.

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A miller’s poem The windmill is a couris thing Compleatly built by art of man To grind the corn for man and beast That they alike may have a feast   The mill she is built of wood, iron, and stone,

Therefore she cannot go aloan; Therefore, to make the mill to go, The wind from some part she must blow.   The motison of the mill is swift, The miller must be very thrift, To jump about and get things ready, Or else the mill will soon run empty.

‘The Mill’ is edited by Lucy Brooks. 01903 691945

Since publishing the newsletter, the Board of the Windmill decided to close the mill to the public until further notice, due to the Coronavirus emergency.

Sails get a clean sweep

Since the last newsletter the sails have undergone a thorough clean. A cherry picker was hired and the team had much fun learning to drive their new toy before starting the serious work of jetting the accumulated dirt off the sails. The purpose of this was to inspect the sails’ condition and identify any remedial works required to be carried out later in the year.

  During the winter the stones have been prepared ready for cleaning in February, and the Glynde wind pump has been repaired and reinstalled. The wind engine has been without a pump since it was installed a few years ago but the good news is that a suitable pump has been found, and we hope to have it in place before the season starts.

  A disability table is likely to be available for this season, so that wheelchair users can comfortably sit at a table.

  The roundhouse roof was repaired in September, and we are monitoring water-tightness. A small leak was quickly repaired by the contractor and the new roof is holding up well.

The maintenance team meets most Thursdays. If you want to join us, please contact Ian by emailing him at iandxf@hotmail.com

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Behind the scenes in the kitchen

 

Toffee fudge cake

  “I have put you forward to bake the cakes for the tea bar at the Mill” That was how I got involved in baking the cakes. My husband knew that I enjoyed baking but didn’t want to be the one eating all the cakes! To be fair, I had always donated homemade cakes for the cake stall at the Summer Fete. Over the years I have baked many cakes and tried many recipes but the old teatime favourites win every time: Victoria Sandwich, Lemon Drizzle, fruit cakes and brownies. Coffee cake is always well received as well! Last year I had a couple of ladies who volunteered to bake cakes as well…pretty much for the same reason, a love of baking but few takers to share the joy of a freshly home-made cake (Paola, Pam and Frankie I am talking about you!) Their contributions were very welcome and each of them have their favourites to bake – be it muffins, savouries or a traditional Lemon Drizzle. Ladies, I thank you!High Salvington Windmill is renowned for the delicious home-made cakes served on open afternoons. Melanie Wickett, who is our chief cake-maker and catering coordinator tells us a little about how she started making cakes for the mill.

  If you would like to share the results of your pleasure in baking, feel free to contact me about making some cakes for the Tea Bar or any donations of homemade cakes for the Cake Stall at the Summer Fete would be extremely welcome. Melanie Wickett Contact 07710 469196 email melanie.wickett@me.com.”

Green tea

This year, teas and coffees will be served in recyclable cups. The older, but cheaper, polystyrene cups cannot be recycled, so we did some research and came up with a cup that can be recycled. They are a little more expensive, but so much more environmentally friendly. Did you know that polystyrene can take up to 500 years to break down? The new cups will be introduced this summer.

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Mill represented at local events

Seed swap

The mill had a stand at the Seed Swap organised by Transition Town Worthing on 8^th February. The event was well attended, and the team on our stand handed out leaflets to visitors, including Mayor Hazel Thorpe, while also making some very useful connections for the future. The Seed Swap takes place each year in early February and is a wonderful opportunity to get started in the garden, learn more about recycling, composting, sustainability, health and local food produce.

 

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Hobbies fair

 

Our brilliant archivist, Wendy Funnell, once again organised a wonderful stand on display at the Rotary Club’s hobbies fair, held this year on 22 February at the Bohunt school. Several of our volunteers manned the stall throughout the day and talked to visitors about the mill, inviting them to come along during the summer months. We also made contact with several groups who would like to organise private tours of the mill outside of our normal opening times. The Town Cryer was in attendance and paid a visit to our stall. The Sompting Morris Dancers were also at the fair – they entertain us all at our annual summer fete. The hobbies fair is organised every two years by the Rotary club. Societies and clubs of all kinds come to show people a huge variety of activities throughout Worthing – anything from ballet to astronomy, stamp collecting to – well – windmills.

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In memoriam      John Simmonds

The mill sails were placed in the mourning position recently when we heard of the death of John Simmonds. Peter Casebow remembers him.

  “I first met John in the early 1980’s when he attended my evening woodwork class.  It was there that he told me he worked as an architect and where I showed him an item from the mill which I was restoring.  On his showing an interest I suggested he might prefer working at the mill to the woodworking class.

  He became a long-standing member of the volunteer group and obtained apple wood from Kentish orchards to make new cogs for the tailwheel in the mill.  During that period orchards in Kent were being grubbed up.

  Years later he drew up the plans for the Visitors Centre, built by the volunteers with Lottery money.  He also designed the gate hut, initially for use as a shop.  As the shop was unsuccessful in that position, we relocated it in the barn (or Visitors Centre).  The gate hut then became our archive store.

  I can remember one evening when tiling the barn roof, he was to be seen with his legs sticking above the apex of the roof like flagpoles while tiling near the top of the roof on the opposite side.  He was keen to get involved with the practical work: he and his two sons helped when the sail stocks were fitted using a block and tackle.

  In later years John always maintained an interest in the goings on at the mill.” 

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Final link

An announcement in the local paper informed us that Richard Davenport had passed away on the 17th January 2020, aged 96. Richard was Treasurer to The Friends of the Mill from 1987 to 1996, and was a very loyal supporter of the mill, especially in the early days of its restoration He was the borough housing officer who helped to rehouse Mrs  Douglas Jones, the widow of the last owner of the mill, when she became unable to look after herself.

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 Carol evening raises funds

Despite some awful weather and a distinct threat of cancellation, many residents turned out on 20 December to sing carols by the bonfire. £366 was raised, which was sent to St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House hospices. The carols were led by Reverend Beverley Miles, and the bonfire built by our volunteer maintenance team. Thanks to everyone involved, especially those who supplied the hot drinks and mince pies.

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Group visits

If you are a member of a group or club, why not suggest they organise an outing to the windmill in 2020? We can arrange a private visit, including a tour and refreshments. Simply contact Roz at

tours@highsalvingtonmilltrust.co.uk to discuss suitable dates and times.

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Follow us on Facebook. Just look for High Salvington Windmill and “like” our page to see news about the mill and the planned events throughout the year.

 

Getting Involved

Calling anyone with a few hours to spare. We are always on the look-out for people to help us maintain the beautiful windmill. Our current principal need is for people with carpentry and/or engineering skills to maintain the building and keep it operational.

  Or perhaps you fancy actually grinding the grain? It takes some training, but we need some more millers to work on windy days.

  We are also looking for people to help at the fete – perhaps to man a stall, run the raffle, bake some cakes, grow some plants – all to help this fabulous community afternoon succeed. It is our main fund-raiser – and the mill needs funds. We have no paid staff, but often need to hire contractors and equipment to keep the mill shining as the jewel of High Salvington.

  If you are interested please contact us by visiting the website contacts page (see below).

 

New website

The windmill website has been extensively redesigned and relaunched. You can find us at www.highsalvingtonwindmill.co.uk. The site is now maintained by Jeff Best and Lucy Brooks.

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Cleaning the stones

A word from our Acting Chairman, Jeff Best

Welcome to 2020 and a new Windmill season. I look forward to seeing all of our volunteers on 22^nd March. As this is Mothering Sunday, feel free to bring as many mothers as you like, the more volunteers the merrier! Seriously, volunteers are the life-blood of a charity like the Mill Trust. A few years ago, in response to a request from our insurers, I had cause to calculate the time donated to us by our volunteers and the total came to 433 person days per year. Numerically, that is equivalent to having two full time staff, which, if paid at the national living wage for our area, would cost over £39,000. In reality, our volunteers give us a range of skills and knowledge that this amount could never buy, and the Trust’s reserves would not last long if we had to attempt to do so. Two staff could not man as many stalls as 120 fete day volunteers, neither could they serve teas, staff the shop, take money at the gate, guide visitors or ensure safety on the steps on open days. Although we have a constant trickle of new volunteers throughout the year to replenish our team, we do need more. Over the next 12 months, we will be actively seeking to encourage a larger influx of volunteers. Look out for announcements relating to this. In the meantime, please talk to family, friends, neighbours, that nice new couple who have moved in a few doors away, or anyone else you know, to ask if they would be willing to volunteer a few hours each year. Whether your metier is with the toolbox, the teapot, a tally sheet at the gate, trestle table wrangling or tackling administration, we look forward to welcoming you up at High Salvington Windmill.

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Helpers needed for the fete (12 July)

 If you’d like to run a stall at our wonderful traditional fete this year, please contact Andy Campbell on andyrcampbell@btinternet.com and he will fix you up with a fun game or stall to look after. All the stalls at the fete are pocket-money priced, so children can enjoy the thrill of catching a fish, or hooking a prize.

And if you are a crafter, we welcome you as a stall holder at the craft fair in September. Again, Andy can help you with the information you need.

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It’s membership renewal time again. Below is a form to renew. We encourage you to set up a standing order to save having to remember every year. Contact the membership secretary if you wish to do that. The cost is just £4 per annum per individual and £7 for a couple. But why not become a life member?

 

do need more. Over the next 12 months, we will be actively seeking to encourage a larger influx of volunteers. Look out for announcements relating to this. In the meantime, please talk to family, friends, neighbours, that nice new couple who have moved in a few doors away, or anyone else you know, to ask if they would be willing to volunteer a few hours each year. Whether your metier is with the toolbox, the teapot, a tally sheet at the gate, trestle table wrangling or tackling administration, we look forward to welcoming you up at High Salvington Windmill.

‘The Mill’ is edited by Lucy Brooks. 01903 69195

 

THE MILL

Newsletter of the Friends of High Salvington Windmill                                                        Autumn 2019

Our windmill blows the mayor’s mind!

The traditional annual fete was held on 14^th July this year on a cool but dry summer’s afternoon. Hundreds of visitors arrived to enjoy an afternoon of fun and games. Attractions included many pocket-money sideshows such as splat the rat, smashing china, play your cards right, roll a penny and many more.

Honoured guests included Mayor Hazel Thorpe, with her husband Robin. Despite residing in Worthing since the 1980s, Mayor Thorpe had never visited the mill before, although her husband, Robin, and daughter Ange – visiting this weekend from Scotland where she lives – had both stopped by many years ago. Asked for her reaction to her guided tour of the mill, Mayor Thorpe said just one word: “mind-blowing.” She was very struck by the history behind the mill itself, and the work that volunteers had put into it over the years. Acting Chairman Jeff Best showed Hazel, Robin and Ange round the windmill, and later the Mayor introduced the Sompting Village Morris Dancers, aided by town crier Bob Smitherman.

Mayor Hazel Thorpe concluded by saying: “this weekend I have attended two events – Gay Pride in Worthing yesterday, and the fete today, and I am enjoying the contrast between the relatively new, and this wonderful look back at history. May your volunteers continue your good work, and we at the Council will do what we can to support you.”

The fete raised over £3000 – every penny of which goes towards the upkeep of the windmill.

Congratulations to Graham Carthew (left) and the rest of the committee (Ian and Andy) who organised this year’s event, and thanks go to every single helper who so willingly gave time and effort for the windmill.

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Diamond Open Day

This year, 2019, marked the 60^th anniversary of the moment that the windmill passed into public ownership. The Borough Council, worried that the mill would be destroyed by neglect and the weather, purchased it for £2250 and repair work began. But damage sustained during a gale in 1976 meant that the mill was once again in danger. The High Salvington Mill Trust was formed and the decision taken to restore the mill completely. The hurricane of 1987 gave the mill its first taste of renewed life. The great wind turned the single pair of sails for the first time, although the brake was on!

Sixty years on, the Trust decided to hold an open day to the public, to promote the mill and spark the interest of local residents to help us to keep up the good work. May 12^th was the chosen day and hundreds of visitors turned up to look at the special exhibitions organised by the team of archivists (thank you in particular to Wendy Funnell for her leadership), take part in a photography competition, and browse the exhibitions. And of course, the guides were kept busy.

There was no admission charge that day, but funnily enough, donations added up to almost as much as would have been charged at the gate.

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Our volunteers

Every single person you see doing a job at the mill is a volunteer. We are quite proud of the fact that we have no paid staff at all. Without our brilliant band of willing helpers, nothing would ever get done. And get done it does! In winter the mill is subject to its routine maintenance, in summer the lawns get cut, the teas get served, the cakes get made, the shop gets stocked, the gate is manned, the mill is prepared, the grain gets ground, and the visitors are guided round our beautiful mill. So, thank you to everyone who gives their time so willingly. And a quick mention for some new volunteers who joined us in 2019: Kathryn Penny, (steps and guiding) John Ranger, Jeff Gillat, Frank Patten, (maintenance) Pat Morey (guiding), Angela and Derek McMillan (books), Paul Minter (Membership, see his biography below), Paola Fleming, Pam Nicholson, Frances Biggs (cake-making), Janet Peete, Sue Morey, Nina Sigston (teas, shop) Lynne Rogers (gate).

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Captain Paul Minter – new Membership Secretary

Paul was brought up in Worthing and in 1975 joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, serving his country in the Falklands and the Gulf War. This service was followed by a period working in the Royal Navy, serving on a number of the Royal Navy warships and in several other senior posts in the MOD as well as onshore in Portsmouth.

On retirement in 2016 he became chairman of Worthing Sea Cadets and does voluntary work including for St. Barnabas and the Aldingbourne Trust. We are delighted to welcome Paul as our new membership secretary. He took over from Rachel Trickey, to whom the Board offers its thanks for her stalwart work, during 2019. Paul’s address (published with his agreement) is: 69 Hayling Rise, High Salvington, Worthing, BN13 3AG.  If you have a subscription payment you wish to make via cheque please use the form below and post it to this address.

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Star of TV and Dance

Channel 4’s “A Place in the Sun – Home or Away” chose our windmill to help property hunters Emma and Gracie Lofthouse to find the home they’ve always wanted by looking in the UK and abroad. Producer/Director Ruth Wilson, the sound engineer, and presenter Laura Hamilton filmed several sequences outside our windmill and mentioned some of the history behind it. Roz, Mel and Lucy let them in and gave them the information they needed to do the piece. The show will be aired within the next six months on Channel 4 so look out for it.

Another prestigious photoshoot was arranged with the Nicola Miles Dance Studio prior to their departure to take part in Dance World Cup. This is the biggest dance competition in the world.  Over 20,000 competitors from 62 countries competing at their country qualifiers and at the World Finals each year. Seven girls (age 12-17) from Nicola Miles Theatre Studios (in Worthing) competed for Team England (one of two dance schools in England in this category) in the junior small groups section on Saturday 6th July.  They danced a Turkish National Dance and came eighth in the whole world. Well done.

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Maintenance report

This autumn will see some major repairs to the roundhouse roof, which is leaking. It needs to be fixed before winter to prevent it from worsening and causing damage. A contractor has been selected and work started in September.

The team is still looking for a suitable pump to fit to the wind engine. Meanwhile, the lightbox on the wind generator is creating great interest, especially when the wind is fairly strong during an open day.

A vintage pump has been recovered from a local garden and work is ongoing to restore it and install it on the site, to create “hands-on” interest for visitors.

In our quest to make the site more wheelchair friendly Findon ‘Men-in-Sheds’ are working on a dual-purpose disability table/bench.

This year the Trust purchased a new gazebo which provides shade from the sun and shelter from showers. It proved very useful at the fete too.

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Carols by the bonfire – 20 December

As a thank you to residents, the Mill holds a torchlit carol singing event round the bonfire in the mill grounds. Bring a lantern and your singing voices. 7:15 start.

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Group visits

On 16 July some 60 children laughed and played in the grounds of the mill. They were the charges of Magic Minders, the Worthing Childminding Association. Aged from one to five, the children were engaged in all kinds of games. The childminders brought picnics and enjoyed the beautiful summer morning.

1^st and 2^nd Findon Brownies paid a visit to the mill on 8^th July. An earlier visit had to be abandoned because of pouring rain, but this time the sun shone for this enthusiastic group. Three volunteer guides showed them round the mill, explaining how flour was ground in former times, and the girls had a chance to grind some flour themselves on our mini grindstones – the quern.

On Saturday 22^nd of June, local members from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (pictured) plus some guests enjoyed a fabulous tour of the Windmill. The sun was shining which made for some great photo opportunities before and after the tour. Organiser Charlie Allen said: “We were guided by two exceptionally experienced guides who had extensive knowledge of the mill and its restoration. Following the tour and many questions from our members, we enjoyed some beautiful homemade cake and a cup of tea in the sunshine. Thank you to all of the volunteers that made our visit so interesting and welcoming, and for the great conversations we all were part of.”

A group of millers from the Weald and Downland Living museum at Singleton visited High Salvington in July for a tour and information day. As experienced millers, they appreciated the differences between a water mill, as used at Singleton, and a wind-powered mill, which is designed rather like a sailing ship.

Earlier in the day, they had visited West Blatchington windmill in Hove, a more recent (1820s) smock mill. They enjoyed a delicious lunch in Worthing before proceeding to High Salvington. Founder trust members Bob Potts and Peter Casebow showed the millers the inner workings of the windmill. A spokesman said they had had a fascinating afternoon.

Other groups to visit our mill during the summer included Worthing Camera Club, a large group of year 1 pupils from The Vale school, and a group of “Grumpy Old Men” from Offington park Methodist Church.

If you belong to a group that might enjoy a visit to the windmill, get in touch with Roz Naylor-Smith on tours@highsalvingtonmilltrust.co.uk

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Craft Fair

The craft fair this year was a great success with 25 stalls selling all manner of stitched, painted, carved, and woven items. The weather was kind and the stallholders reported very high interest in their craftwork. Visitor numbers were high, and besides the stalls, entertainment was provided by the Sompting Morris Dancers.

But did you know that the craft fair was started by members of the Windmill Trust back in 1989? Betty Potts, Shirley Ashton, Pat Casebow, Dorothy Edney and Yvonne Welch (all Wives of the Millers!) met for coffee once a week and made small items such as lavender bags, purses and scarves. At first, they took a stall at the fete to sell their wares, along with donated costume jewellery.  Their first venture raised £75.70p for the mill. The separate craft fair held in September started later.

The picture shows the countryside turner, making chair legs and other turned items. He is known as a ‘bodger’. Shame that the meaning of the word has changed over time. He certainly doesn’t bodge his work!

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Follow us on Facebook. Just look for High Salvington Windmill and “like” our page to see news about the mill and the planned events throughout the year. 

And finally: a report from our Acting Chairman

The 2019 season has been a good one for High Salvington Windmill, with a number of successful events. National Mills Weekend open day was rebranded this year as “Diamond Day”, in May, to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of Worthing Borough Council’s purchase of the mill. Graham Carthew organised a very successful fete in July, Quentin and Ann English again organised a very well attended Classic Cars day in August. While Ian Fairclough and Andy Campbell masterminded a much-enjoyed Craft Fair in September. I would like to thank our volunteer organisers for their very hard work that makes these events possible, as well as all of those, too numerous to mention individually, without whom we would not be able to keep the “mills” and grounds so well maintained, and open the mill to the public, along with those few who work tirelessly, behind the scenes, administering the Mill Trust and managing its various functions. I’d like to single out Betty Potts for her initiative and indefatigable flour selling that successfully converted the output of our millers’ several grinding sessions into additional income for the mill. Thank you to all our members and volunteers.

A number of you have been maintaining vigilance over planning applications that could impact the mill. We regret that sometimes the needs of the mill and desires of newly-arrived neighbours may conflict. However, the windmill does need wind to operate and losing the ability to do this would be detrimental to what is, arguably, Worthing’s greatest treasure. My thanks to everyone who has commented on planning applications in defence of the mill’s needs.

For personal reasons, Major Tom Wye had to step down from the Board and, for the first time in its history, there are no Worthing Councillors on our board. I’d like to thank Tom for the contribution he made, as a most able Chairman, a popular mill Guide and his facilitation of interactions with the Council. Thanks also, to Rachel Trickey, who passed over the mantle of Membership Secretary to Captain Paul Minter RFA (Rtd) so she could focus more time on her studies. Paul has much experience with other organisations. We have welcomed Paul, Lucy Brooks and Greg Page to the board.

Looking forward, we will be introducing a new look website, courtesy of Stuart Marler, and I look forward to seeing you all at the Carols round the Bonfire on 20^th December.

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In memoriam

Newsletter editor Bob Brooks died earlier this year, shortly after completing the March newsletter. He had edited the newsletter for several years and was responsible for increasing its size and ferreting out interesting stories. The newsletter is now edited by his wife, Lucy, whom many of you know as a guide at the windmill.

We are also sad to report the death of Edna Godwin. In the early days of Sunday openings, Edna could usually be found on duty at the gate or selling souvenirs in the shed that served as a shop back then. In later years, when she was unable to help, she would offer parking space for helpers and visitors on busy days. She was always interested in what was going on and the progress of the restoration of the mill. 

The Mill is researched and edited by Lucy Brooks, (01903 691945), email: lucindafbrooks@outlook.com