Good Turn Thanked by Heage Windmill

 A chance remark by a visitor to Heage Windmill, which led to the loan of a mobile crane, has resulted in a special 'thank you' from the mill.
 
Last Autumn a visitor to the windmill at Heage remarked to one of the guides that there must be some difficult engineering problems to be faced  in keeping the mill operational. He said he had a small company and would be willing to help out if he could.  Amongst the facilities he said he could offer was the use of a mobile crane, so the guide,Bob Ollerenshaw took a note of his contact information.
 
For twelve months the windmill had been running with only four sails, two having been removed due to wood rot, and a new pair had been purchased at a cost of around £30K. Time to follow up on the offer of help!
 
Contact was established with Phil Taylor, of Phillip Taylor Engineering ,at Bakewell ,and soon it emerged that he had a mobile crane we could use which would be suitable  for refitting the sails. On the 27th March he brought his crane to the mill ,but high winds prevented the operation, undeterred ,Phil said 'I'll come back tomorrow'. This he did and the new sails were fitted just in time for the mill to opened to the public on April 1st.
 
The Trustees and Friends of Heage Windmill were delighted with Phil's contribution and the support he so freely offered was marked by a special presentation at the Mill last weekend. Gordon Hardy, chairman of the Windmill Trust, supported by Bob Ollerenshaw, the guide who made the original contact, presented Phil with a framed water colour, one of only 250 printed, painted by local artist and mill enthusiast Margaret Bonsall.  In thanking Phil, Gordon said how grateful they were that he had been able to come back again when the gales prevented the planned lift of the sails.  Phil responded saying he had enjoyed the task and that the painting would have a place of honour in his home.  After the presentation Phil Taylor and his wife were given a special tour of the mill.
 
One of the new sails being lifted in place at Heage Windmill by the mobile crane , loaned by Phil Taylor. Phil Taylor (left) is thanked for his generous support by Gordon Hardy (centre) and Bob Ollerenshaw by the presentation of a framed version of one a limited edition of prints of the Windmill, by Margaret Bonsall.