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BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill)
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BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) |
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Subject: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 22 Apr 12 - 04:21 AM Once again I'll be leaving the house around 1pm this afternoon and leaving for my monthly rendezvous with Jill. As I drive up Clayton Hill in Sussex, there she is - waiting for me on the skyline - and I'll feel a little thrill of joy as our meeting gets closer. What care I for friends and family when Jill beckons? And - if you want to know what she looks like - here she is in all her glory: Jill She was made in 1821 and lived in Brighton until 1851, when she was dismantled, brought in sections across the country roads and tracks in carts drawn by horses and oxen, and then re-erected on the present site. The mill behind her - known as Jack - was built in 1866, and the two mills worked together milling flour and cattle fodder until 1906, when more modern steel rolled methods came into being. Both mills were derelict for years until, in 1975, the then owner of the mills gave Jill to the local council - who promptly decided to demolish it. Equally promptly a gathering of local people opposed the demolition, formed a society (the Jack & Jill Windmills Society) and took over the responsibility for the mill. Ten years later, the Society members had restored the mill to working order and she ground her first flour in 1987. There was a hiatus for a year or so when the Great Storm of 1987 caused her to catch fire - the brake wheel couldn't hold the sweeps and the friction started a fire - but the damage wasn't too bad and the mill was back in commission in 1988. I became a member of the Society some years ago and I'm part of the "Sunday Gang" - showing tourists and casual visitors round the mill, relating its history and explaining how it works. I'm on duty around 1 Sunday afternoon a month in the season and love every minute of it. The views from the mill are spectacular, when the sweeps are moving (given the wind is right) it's a wonderful sight, it's great to meet people and - more than anything else - I never stop marvelling at the simplicity and beauty of the (mainly) wooden engineering. If any 'Catters are local or intend to be in the area between April and September, why not drive up Clayton Hill and sample Jill's delights... |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Rapparee Date: 22 Apr 12 - 08:57 AM I notice that she has her bare arms open to receive you, too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Bill D Date: 22 Apr 12 - 11:04 AM This is a lovely song... it could be part of the 'show'. WINDMILL (Alan Bell) In days gone by when the world was much younger We harnessed the wind for to work for mankind Seamen built tall ships to sail on the ocean. Landsmen built wheels the corn for to grind cho:Around and around and around went the big sails Turning the shaft in the great wooden wheels. Creaking and groaning, the millstone kept turning Grinding to flour the corn from the fields In Flanders and Spain and the low coast of Holland In the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and Wales Windmills grew up all along the wild coastline Ships of the land with their high canvas sails In Lancashire lands we work hard as the good earth Plowing and sowing as the seasons declare Waiting to reap of the rich golden harvest While the miller was idle his mill he'd repair Windmills of old wood all darkened by weather Windmills of stone, glaring white in the sun Windmills like giants all ready for tilting Windmills that died in the gale of the storm Copyright Alan Bell @mill filename[ WNDMILL |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: ChanteyLass Date: 22 Apr 12 - 01:59 PM Jill is beautiful! I don't know her, but I love her, too. Rhode Island has a few windmills. One is in Middletown across the street from the Community Supported Agriculture Farm to which my son's family belongs. Another is in Jamestown. From the top of the Newport Bridge which I cross after babysitting for my grandchildren, I can see this windmill. It gives me a thrill every time. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: gnu Date: 22 Apr 12 - 02:20 PM "...and love every minute of it." I expect so! Thanks for sharing. Delightful! |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: frogprince Date: 22 Apr 12 - 04:29 PM Nice, Will. I would suppose the blades are covered with substantial fabric, but the color of the sky shows as if they were just bare frames in part of the picture. ? |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Bobert Date: 22 Apr 12 - 04:37 PM And I thought my Couzin Rufus was kinky??? Sheeesh, son... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 22 Apr 12 - 05:38 PM frogprince, you can't tell from the pic, but the sweeps are vaned - and the vanes are opened and closed (like Venetian blinds) with a spider mechanism. A chain turns a metal rod which runs right through the windshaft to the front of the sweeps. Pull the chain to the left and a spring closed the vanes to catch more wind - pull to the right and the vanes open to spill the wind. In the pic the mill is at a standstill, so the vanes will be open - making the sweeps appear bare framework. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Paul Burke Date: 22 Apr 12 - 05:56 PM JILLMILL- Venetian shutters.. the origin of the word is not clear. The Hind. word jhilmila seems to mean 'sparkling' and to have been applied to some kind of gauze. Possibly this may have been used for blinds, and thence transferred to shutters... Hobson-Jobson, The Anglo- Indian Dictionary, Yule and Burnell, 1886. Stands over the Clayton Tunnel, scene of one of England's earliest rail accidents, and just off the Ditchling Beacon road that I toiled up several times on the London-Brighton bike ride, in my youth. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Tangledwood Date: 23 Apr 12 - 04:08 AM Thanks for the work you do there Will. Back in the 50s/early 60s I lived in Burgess Hill so Jack and Jill were very familiar landmarks. I was very pleased to be able to visit them again a few years ago; a piece of history maintained. I also visualise them when hearing George Papavgaris' song The Mill. Perhaps you can answer something I've been wondering about? Back in the '50s there was an entry to the railway tunnel at Clayton that had a castle-like design. I didn't spot that on two return visits so is it still there? |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 23 Apr 12 - 04:30 AM Yes - the 'castle' is still there! Since your days in Burgess Hill, the Oldland mill at Keymer has also been restored - it ground grain again last year. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 23 Apr 12 - 01:34 PM Thanks for the interesting and enjoyable post, Will. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 23 Apr 12 - 02:35 PM And thanks to all who've enjoyed reading about Jill - very appropriate, I think, that the post was about a "post" mill - i.e. one in which the 20 ton superstructure (painted white) revolves freely on the crown of a central post made of 4 pieces of oak. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Tangledwood Date: 23 Apr 12 - 07:09 PM Thanks Will, good to hear both items. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Rusty Dobro Date: 24 Apr 12 - 02:08 PM Splendid mill, but how on earth does Will manage to combine this activity with contributing to several dozen Mudcat threads every day, posting lots of lovely clips on Youtube for me to steal, sorry, collect, from, and even finding time for a little guitar playing? Incidentally the Tide Mill at Woodbridge, Suffolk, is currently reopening after a major refit, and will once again be able to grind corn by the power of water trapped in the mill-pond at high tide and then released past the wheel. Well worth seeing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 24 Apr 12 - 02:18 PM I look forward to seeing the Woodbridge tide mill. When it opens it will be only the 2nd tide mill in England to mill flour. The other is in Hampshire - the Eling Tide Mill - which I visited a couple of years ago, and very interesting it was. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Charley Noble Date: 25 Apr 12 - 08:41 AM Nice to read this story, another piece of history saved for future generations to marvel at. I thought you might enjoy the poem by Cicely Fox Smith, her tribute to an old windmill in Sussex: The Windmill High on its curving hillside The windmill stands and sees Below it copse and pasture And hamlet bowered in trees. It sees the white road winding From London to the sea, That saw the laurelled coaches Bear news of victory. It sees the Hundred Acre Where now the plough teams go, The striving steaming horses, The ploughman trudging slow. The gulls that scream and wrangle The shining share behind That cleaves the turf, unbroken Since time nigh out of mind. Where soon the green wheat springing Like spears in rest shall come, And soon again the reaping And day of harvest home. Turn, turn, you sails triumphant, Grind surely, stones, and well – So turned they, and so ground they, The year Napoleon fell. Notes: From Here and There in England with the Painter Brangwyn, by Cicely Fox Smith, published by F. Lewis, Leigh-on-Sea, UK, © 1945, p. 46. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 25 Apr 12 - 08:53 AM Nice one, Charley. I have an old book about windmills (one of many) with some good illustrations by Frank Brangwyn - must get a look at CFS's publication. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Charley Noble Date: 25 Apr 12 - 10:54 AM One of my other favorite literary people Hamish Maclaren (composer of "Yangtse River Shanty") resided in a windmill for years, writing a hilarious description of his experiences in his book Cockalorum. Among other things he was plagued by tourists who thought it was their right to prowl all around his home, climb up the ladder and ask inane questions if he were in residence or steal things if he were not there. One dark and stormy night the whole building almost blew apart and he was forced to flee to the neighboring village pub. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 25 Apr 12 - 11:08 AM Just found "Cockalorum" for £6 on Amazon - looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the heads-up, Charley! |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Rusty Dobro Date: 08 May 12 - 01:27 PM Ready for your next trip to Suffolk, Will: http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/gallery_windmill_finally_has_its_sails_restored_after_1987_storms_1_1370803 |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 08 May 12 - 01:33 PM Oh yes - I hope to be up again in September - so watch out! :-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Charley Noble Date: 09 May 12 - 12:50 PM Will Fly- "Cockalorum" for £6 That's an excellent price for that rare book. You'll love the chapters in China where he leaves the Royal Navy to hook up with the White Russian dancer. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Will Fly Date: 09 May 12 - 05:05 PM Just started reading it, Charley - great fun. |
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Subject: RE: BS: My rendezvous with Jill (windmill) From: Charley Noble Date: 09 May 12 - 10:51 PM Will Fly- There are parts of the book which are most likely autobiographical, and some pure fantasy. I've never been sure which were which. At one point a character representing Cicely Fox Smith is even mentioned. See if you can find the reference to the "nautical lady." Lord knows what else is embedded in these stories. I do love his descriptions of growing up with his brothers and sister in their old Scottish manor house. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
