Hardley Mill: stocks but no sails

THEY'RE nearly there at Hardley Mill. Their open weekend had been billed as the chance to see it with sails on for the first time. The stocks (on which the sails hang) were in place, but illness means we will have to wait at least another 5-6 weeks for the full monty. That's a tad frustrating when you need a photo for your book which has to be with the publishers in 3 weeks time! But Hardley Mill has always worked in a different time dimension and this latest delay is small beer for a project which has already taken more than 17 years. Yesterday scores of people turned up as the mill was blessed by local associate vicar Richard Seel while today sees the Friends of Hardley Windmill out on their sponsored walk. And of course even when the sails are in place, there's yet more work to be done before its appold turbine pump lifts water again. One suspects there will always be something to do at Hardley Mill.