Labour of love nears completion
IT'S been 20 years in the making – now the countdown is on for the grand unveiling of a spinning wheel which turns water into electricity.
Preparations are under way for the big switch-on of Baldock's Mill within the next couple of weeks which will see the churning wheel in operation for the first time in 85 years.
Bourne Civic Society volunteers overseeing the green project are now awaiting the final piece of the jigsaw – a qualified electrician to undertake complex electrical work.
Once the electrics are sorted out the society will be able to unveil its historical masterpiece to the public, completing years of studying, fundraising and manuel work to realise the group's dream.
Society member Brenda Jones, who along with husband Jim has been a key figure pushing the project forward, is excited about the pending completion of the 7,000 project.
She said: "We have been involved with the mill for more than 30 years and this project has been 20 years in the making.
"We saw a working wheel when we were holiday and we always wanted that for Baldock's Mill and we have thought about nothing else the whole time we have been working on it."
This week society members have fitted into place the gearbox and generator for the waterwheel and after testing out the mechanisms of the mill the group says it is "easily" achieving the speeds needed to generate power.
Mrs Jones says it is important to sure electrical work is undertaken meticulously.
"We're just about there, we're just trying to sort out a date for electrician," she said.
"This needs to be done properly, it's not something anyone could do."
The group hopes to be able to announce the big switch-on of Baldock's Mill for midday on Saturday, May 24.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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