Time marches and Aprils on
January and February were relatively devoid of my favourite type of steamy industrial archaeology but the last two months have seen a worthy improvement.
March started with an evening visit to Worcester University to see parts of the old infirmary and then to partake of a black tie dinner in Worcester Guildhall .
The first weekend saw me arranging a complex two day visit with Ashley Dace in order to get him to some marvellous sites in Greater Manchester. We met on Saturday in Stoke on Trent and started with potteries in Longton followed by Apedale Heritage Centre, the footrail mine and the Moseley Railway Trust - . The afternoon was largely spent at Cheddleton Flint Mill followed by a quick visit to the former watermill site in Stafford .
The Sunday started with an abortive trip to Vine mill Oswaldtwistle to see the remains of a rope race but the vital gate was locked . We called in at Darwen en route to Bolton and recorded al fresco engines and some of the local mills . The Bolton Steam Museum was one of our major targets and while Ashley recorded steam engines , I recorded the remnants of the local millscape and cobbled streets . We finished the day with the spectacular large mill engine at Ellenroad Engine House and while Ashley photographed the main event , I photographed some extra bits for my collection .
On the 10th of March I did some local canal photography and on Sunday visited Croome Park and Pershore with a family friend .
Saturday 17th was another delightful day with Ashley Dace in Derbyshire and we did a geologically interesting old quarry , Millers Dale station, viaducts and lime kilns , Litton Mill and a nearby rock formation , a former corn mill and Cressbrook Mill with its water turbines . We then followed up with the truly iconic Magpie Mine at Sheldon and Caudwell's Mill at Rowsley, which is always an absolute delight .
The 24th of March was spent in Leeds en route to elderly relatives and a few sites were captured . The Sunday 25th March was spent with said relatives but I did get a Sunday morning constitutional with some interesting industry and power technology to be seen - .
On the following Monday I had business at a local hospital and recorded one of Worcestershire's windmill stumps - .
So, a fairly eventful March gave way to a pretty good April. This started on the 1st with the excellent Charlecote watermill near Stratford on Avon - . Friday the 6th was also a watermill at Hestercombe Gardens near Taunton and Sunday 8th was a cup of coffee in the former Strand mill at Dawlish .
Tuesday 10th april was the centenary of Titanic's departure from Southampton and I had a commemorative cruise on the preserved steamship Shieldhall - . Wednesday and Thursday were spent in Exeter, Chagford and Axminster - .
Friday 13th and Sunday 15th were spent at the Exeter Festival of South-West Food and Drink and the Saturday between included a wet trip to Sidmouth .
The 17th and 18th saw me examining trainee pathologists in Leicester and the camera saw some use too - .
My final outing in April was to Gloucester Waterway Museums for the reinauguration of the steam dredger followed by a few mills in the Stroud valleys .
So, what's next? The early May bank holiday is Claymills in steam but the weekend of 12-13th May is National Mills Weekend and I'm hoping for ten sites in two days. Next is the Devon County Show and towards the end of the month I'm planning a day in the Ironbridge gorge with Ashley Dace.
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