Dick Bourne
In 1969, Richard Bourne’s father, architect Cecil Bourne, found out that a housing estate was going to be built on the field beside Stevens’ Mill. ‘My father offered the builders £5 to buy the mill, but part of the deal was that he did it up. So in the early 1970s he formed Burwell Windmill Trust.’ Richard talks about the voluntary work he and others put in to restore the mill to working order over the next 20 years.
| Time | Topics described |
| 00:00:00 | Cecil Bourne’s involvement with Stevens’ mill. |
| 01:23:00 | Richard Bourne’s early involvement. |
| 02:40:00 | Condition of the mill when the Windmill Trust took it over. |
| 03:08:00 | Volunteers. |
| 03:38:00 | Fundraising. |
| 04:20:00 | Chris Wilson brought in from Over to help with restoration. |
| 04:58:00 | Rebuilding the top of the mill with brick – Gilbert Levitt. |
| 05:56:00 | Organisation of volunteers – meetings and work. |
| 06:40:00 | Sail frame hoisted 1976. |
| 07:30:00 | Cap rebuilt by Chris Wilson. Tower rendered. |
| 07:50:00 | Enjoyment and satisfaction working on the mill. |
| 08:38:00 | Completion of mill after 12 years. |
| 09:07:00 | Large beams bought. |
| 10:00:00 | Commissioning of the mill. Running it. |
| 10:16:00 | Threshing tackle. |
| 11:04:00 | 1986 black render falls off mill. |
| 13:10:00 | Threshing machine at Quy Fenland Fair. |
| 13:50:00 | From corn to bread – the complete cycle. |
| 14:40:00 | Thrill of seeing mills working from the top of Burwell Mill. |
| 15:20:00 | All mill mechanisms are the same, buildings are different. |
| 17:40:00 | Working at height. |
| 18:10:00 | Safety harness disaster. |
| 18:20:00 | On the fantail in a gale. |
| 18:40:00 | Turning mill into the wind. |
| 20:40:00 | Safe and healthy. |
| 20:50:00 | A funny experience! |