The
leaves are falling and Autumn is here. What a month October has been at The Mill.
We have received three awards, one from SITA for the Best Community Improvement
Project, two from Gateshead Council, one for third place for a Best Group Project
and the J M Cole Trophy, which we had entered for, and also a special award of
first prize, and a cup for the Most Contribution to the Environment and the Peter
Driver Memorial Trophy.
The
SITA award was presented at the Gateshead Sports Hall in Gateshead. The BBQ is
built and has been christened; we had a very successful evening with service users,
Occupational Therapists, Trustees and staff, this was on the evening of Tuesday
21st September.
The
wind generator is now ready to "put up the pole" and suitable loading
has been devised to assess its output.
Yet
another painting class takes place this Tuesday, these are becoming popular, details
from The Mill if you are interested. The display of Images of England supported
by English Heritage is now half way through its display period. It ends on the
31st November.
There
are some unusual and interesting items. On November the 3rd and 4th The Arts Council
with Jim Benningfield will be working on our Willow House. He has great experience
of Willow Weaving and we hope that an igloo shape can be formed from our circle
of willow trees. The completed item will be still growing so a denser wall will
mature as the willows grow older.
The
Hydram will finally arrive on Friday the 19th of November, along with Colin Taylor
a specialist in this field who will help Trevor and Ben with the installation
of this water powered water pump. This has been held up all the way through its
manufacturing progress due to holidays and now Colin has just returned from his.
What are holidays?
So
now we can complete the works of our Council Grant, the Hydram had to be paid
for before the foundry started to cast it, this is because it is a bespoke ram
for our fall and flow in the water course.
Tyne
Tees Television did pay us a visit. This was to use the mill machinery as a backdrop
for a series they are doing on Tyne Tees Ch3 relating to some old stories of deaths
and murders based on fact. The series starts on Thuesday 11th at 7:30pm there
are 6 programmes, I think we are third or forth. Be nice to watch the credits
and see if we get a mention.
Hard
and soft landscaping is in progress around the base of the Wind Pump, work on
the rack sawbench has progressed in the last month, and Ben has taken this on
to make sure that it is complete and running for next June and our Tractor Weekend,
volunteers are still welcome on this project, as they are on anything going on
at The Mill.
I
think that's all for this Newsletter, we will close for some of December so Trevor
and Ben can have a few days off. Nice one.
Trevor
& Ben, November ’04
