Monday 15/4/24  We had an extra day at the mill as we have a lot to do before the open days. We saw a Cormorant flying over the river near the mill on the way down and our Cherry trees look really good now they are fully in blossom.

Strong winds and heavy rain were forecast, so as it was dry and sunny to start with, we went down the track with saws to cut back more of the fallen tree, we brought back several large pieces of tree trunk which Eddie cut up for the woodburner.

The shed door was catching on the floor, making it hard to open, so Eddie planed the floor, which has made the door fit better. Eddie also strimmed around the posts on the edge of the wildflower meadow, then removed nails and screws from the wood I brought today. 

I cut two cotton bud stems down to use as machine guns in the model pillbox for the diorama landscape, painted them black and stuck them in the pillbox. I painted the side panels of the diorama and refitted them, then spread tile grout on the sloping part of the landscape to simulate sand dunes.

In the afternoon I cut the boards I brought last time to make a frame for one of the glass panels we salvaged, so we can make a display case to show D Day newspapers which we have been loaned from the museum archive, and to show other memorabilia including a de-activated grenade, medals and Army helmets. I used the wood I brought today to fit around the frame to support the glass. We will assemble the frame and glass next time, when we hope it will be less windy. Despite the forecast, it was sunny and dry most of the day.

Eddie stripped paint from the bench he donated which we will repaint a different colour, it originally came from his mum’s garden. A pair of Swans were in the river near our tree again and the Jackdaw in the nest box was sitting on at least four eggs.

Thursday 18/4/24  On the way down I got a pallet from the fire site to make another wildlife habitat one day when we are less busy. I brought my hedge cutters and cut brambles which were growing over the track, ready for taking visitors to the open days in our trailer. We saw a Duck with Ducklings in the river.

All the bird feeders were empty, so Eddie filled them. I noticed the drinking bowl was gone from the feeding station, I found it on the ground nearby but it was broken, so I got the spare from the shed and drilled holes in it so I could fix it to the frame with garden wire to stop it blowing away again, then filled it with water.

We saw a Grey Wagtail on the handrail in front of the water wheel. The Great Tit in the nest box was sitting on nine eggs, her partner came in regularly and fed her, the Jackdaw is still sitting on her eggs too.

Anne Marie walked down and gave us a chutney box which we may convert into a bird nesting box. Anne Marie also brought Lavender and Lambs Ears which she planted on the river bank. The Love-in-the-mist seeds which were sown on the river bank are coming up now. Anne Marie also cleared nettles from the area between the compost bay and greenhouse.

Eddie and I carried on working on the glass display case we started last week, we fixed the frame to the table and put the glass in place, then fitted strips of wood all round to hold the glass in. The tile grout I spread on the diorama last week had dried, so we glued the pillbox in place and left it to set.

I had printed and laminated signs and posters ready for the open days at home, including waymarker signs to show visitors their progress when walking to the mill. Today we re-used the old wildflower meadow sign posts and stapled the waymarker signs to them. The posters and pictures will be put on display boards in a gazebo with the diorama, display cabinets, and slideshow. I stapled some of the signs to boards ready for the open days.

Debra and Hector the Labrador walked down and we showed Debra our work and threw sticks for Hector to fetch. Debra has offered to print out photos for the D Day album and lend us a gas mask and ration book for display at the open days. Our last job was crossing our bridge to put up a sign about our open days and replace the broken card box on the information board.

Graham Bartlett  

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