The Lee Mills Story
Words and pictures by Mary Hawkins
Photo 1 (above): The original space, unit 9C, is the middle floor of this building, some 2,800 square feet. It was offered to us rent free for a few months in April 2001. There were four strip lights and one electric socket. There were no toilet or other water facilities. We started paying rent in January 2002. The landlord repaired some holes in the roof and provided more lighting and extra power sockets.
Photo 2 (above): Over the next year, shelving was erected, positioned and re-positioned as the Collection grew. This section contained knitting machines, of which we now have some 200. All the shelves were marked and tallied with our written records so an item could be found quickly.
Photo 3 (above): Kim Wright donated his entire life's work to the Knitting & Crochet Guild. Here, two of his looms have been re-assembled.
Photo 4 (above): An office area was created to enable cataloguing to take place. Only fully catalogued boxes were placed on the shelves. Many more remained to be sorted. There was still no heating, and conditions in winter proved to be a little trying.
The old building. We had the middle floor
Photo 5 (above): 3rd June 2002 – Devastation! When we should have been celebrating Jubilee Day, we were standing outside the mill looking at fire damage. The fire was apparently started by vandals outside the mill. The intense heat broke through the window, behind which the wooden stairs were located. The stair well acted as a chimney and took the fire straight up to the top floor. The Collection was saved by the fire door, but suffered from damp, soot, smoke and the fireman's hoses. At this stage we had no means of entry to check.
The back of the old building
Photo 5.1 (above): Machines and shelving exposed to the elements as the rear loading bay doors could not be secured from the outside
Photo 6 (above): After a week of heartache, we were offered Unit 4 at Lee Mill. It is entirely on the ground floor, but is smaller. Having recently been used as a car mechanics workshop, it has good lighting, some heating, an office, a fridge and a toilet!
Photo 7 (above): Preparing the space for the move. The ground floor area is approx 1,300 square feet. There were more brushes and mops available! Patrick is reading the blackboard on which is written
"Neil, remember to bring home your overalls and teatowels every Friday afternoon. Love Mum. xx"
Photo 8 (above): The move took place on 10 June 2002. It took eight men, two forklift trucks, two drivers, two lorries. Everything had to be packed onto pallets and lowered out of the loading bay onto forklift trucks, so the damp and soot was sealed into some items. Shelves had to be dis-assembled but were not re-assembled, and now Unit 4 is full right to the door. This is the hallway outside the office, where yarns have been spread out to dry with the aid of a fan.
Photo 9 (above): This was the general state of things then
Photo 10 (above): Please come and help the team (left to right): Patrick Gillett, Howard and Jan Andrews, Keith Hardy, Mary Hawkins, Alan and Judy Jones, Liz Gillett, Maureen and Peter Buck, Betty Devaney
Photo by Alexis Gillett