Watermill Blog -  Frustration
7th August 2008

It isn't often that this watermill blog admits to frustration but that was the feeling today.

Martyn, Headley and Bob spent all day trying to free the remaining pulley from the lineshaft, but it would not budge.

As a last resort the shaft was cut through on both sides of the pulley so that we can get the pulley bored out. The two sections of shaft can be re-joined with a sleeve..

This was the first time that we have been unable to dismantle something and we all felt the frustration.

Further work on the new tun was also frustrated by a lack of suitable material, but Richard took the opportunity to have another lazy day, lending a hand here and there and taking photos. A fair amount of time was occupied considering the possible workings of the sack hoist with Dick.

John and Max dug out the very last step in the stepped path while Jonathan spread the spoil across the ground towards the church.  Dick also did a bit of gardening in the afternoon, mowing the grass on the bank to the north of the mill.
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Dave brought some scraps of lead sheet with him today with the intention of replacing the broken straps supporting the old lead covered cables on the wall of the mill.

He and Max made several straps and nailed them into the brickwork, taking up the slack and making these historic cables much tidier.

Why historic? Well this cable network extends up and down the hillclimb course and was used as long ago as 1932 by the BBC to make the first motorsport outside broadcast.

This enabled listeners as far away as Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Australia to hear about events in rural Worcestershire all via the junction boxes that still exist on the inside wall of the mill.

It seems that we didn't achieve a great deal today, but we are able to move forward on all the jobs and the mill and workshop are much tidier than usual. The weather was kind, the showers staying away until the last car was leaving the yard.

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