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Paging the Dibnah wannabes
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Yes, Eaton, I mean you. And quite a few others as well.
Passing through Wicken (near Ely) yesterday afternoon, I spotted
that the windmill was turning. A few yards later there was a big
sign up saying it was open to the public.
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Ooh. It's only twenty minutes or so from me.
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I'd be interested in going along too, I've never been to a windmill
before. The last engine I went to see was the water pump in London, that
big beam engine.
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That's the one, bit non local to me though.
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Ah, the usual suspects are rounding themselves up.
Ok, maybe we can combine Wicken with Snetterton/Duxford one
weekend.
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Sounds like a plan forming.
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Did you get that Goodwood ticket I sent you last week?
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So, in I went, and spent a happy hour or so being shown round.
It was built in 1813, disused around 1930, derelict in the
1950s, and is now being progressively restored to full working
order.
As soon as you go in there's a huge noise of drive belts and
pulleys and huge gears and all sorts of things turning round.
There's a lot of clever engineering going on- automatic feed of
grain, warning of grain running out, semi-automatic furling and
unfurling of sails to react to windspeed.
One of my first thoughts was that my Dad would like it, and then
that Nigel, Dodger, Tog and others would like it too. Probably
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You're not wrong, lad. Duly noted, ta,
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not worth riding across the country for, but worth popping in if
you're in the area.
It's open this year first weekend of every month in the summer.
Details here:
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For those of you near the south coast, did you know there is an
"Engineerium" dahn here?
"A beautifully restored working Victorian pumping station and museum
of mechanical antiquities."
Further on...
"The museum will be closed until further notice. But be assured it
will reopen and the date will be advertised in the press and here on
the website.
WATCH THIS SPACE"
Arse. Haven't been there for ages and didn't know there were
problems.
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