More Grist to the Mill
Viewing comments for Chapter 12 "A Country Mill - 1925"Book 2 of the Cleeborough Mill Trilogy
29 total reviews
Comment from roof35
Now I have to wait for the interview. I will look forward to it in your next installment. This is perfectly written and up to your usual standards. You get my usual six stars.
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Now I have to wait for the interview. I will look forward to it in your next installment. This is perfectly written and up to your usual standards. You get my usual six stars.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Many thanks for this appreciative, six star review. Next episode should be available on Wednesday.
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Lovely authentic sounding dialogue as usual with a sense of eves dropping in on these characters exercising their thoughts with each other. This information gathering and being processed through the mind of this lawyer who seems to have a good grasp of human nature and is able to read between the lines having met some of them and make his own mind up about the truth, this story is slowly opening and I hope we are enlightened soon as to what really happened here so long after the event, we wait patiently, much enjoyed, love Dolly x
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Lovely authentic sounding dialogue as usual with a sense of eves dropping in on these characters exercising their thoughts with each other. This information gathering and being processed through the mind of this lawyer who seems to have a good grasp of human nature and is able to read between the lines having met some of them and make his own mind up about the truth, this story is slowly opening and I hope we are enlightened soon as to what really happened here so long after the event, we wait patiently, much enjoyed, love Dolly x
Comment Written 01-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Your patience will soon be rewarded and you will be set up for the next stage of the story, quite soon now. Many thankls for this appreciative six star review.
Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell
We are reaching the part of the story that I'm waiting for. Heather loved My Tom, and won't have a bad word said about him, I'm sure. I hope the truth comes out about Hettie's death, and why it happened. She didn't seem the suicidal type to me, she was too strong for that. I think that note was more about the reason her dad lost the order from Josh, not so much about her pregnancy. We will hopefully find out later. This was another excellent part, Jim. Well done. Sandra. xxx
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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We are reaching the part of the story that I'm waiting for. Heather loved My Tom, and won't have a bad word said about him, I'm sure. I hope the truth comes out about Hettie's death, and why it happened. She didn't seem the suicidal type to me, she was too strong for that. I think that note was more about the reason her dad lost the order from Josh, not so much about her pregnancy. We will hopefully find out later. This was another excellent part, Jim. Well done. Sandra. xxx
Comment Written 01-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Thank you for reading and reviewing this. Yes we are getting nearer the denouement and setting up for the rest.
Comment from Elizabeth Emerald
Gripping--I am in suspense! The dialog is superb; the descriptions are meticulous. Fascinating note regarding suicide law--ironic if the penalty was death.
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Gripping--I am in suspense! The dialog is superb; the descriptions are meticulous. Fascinating note regarding suicide law--ironic if the penalty was death.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Many thanks for reading and reviewing. Amazing that it took to 1984 to decriminalise suicide and attempted suicide.
Comment from RetroStarfish
Wonderful chapter - and awesome photo! As soon as I saw it I wondered if the lad carrying the sac might be the author. Nice touch!
The chapter was such a pleasure to read. It is so nice to see the mill through Allen's eyes. Well described too:
"...this sparkling curtain of iridescent water as the murky, undulating cascade of a river in flood..."
There's also a need detail that reinforces the irreverence of the reverend: 'An enthusiastic amateur, would you say?'
And, you've ended on a slightly mysterious note. All of which leave me excitedly awaiting the next chapter.
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Wonderful chapter - and awesome photo! As soon as I saw it I wondered if the lad carrying the sac might be the author. Nice touch!
The chapter was such a pleasure to read. It is so nice to see the mill through Allen's eyes. Well described too:
"...this sparkling curtain of iridescent water as the murky, undulating cascade of a river in flood..."
There's also a need detail that reinforces the irreverence of the reverend: 'An enthusiastic amateur, would you say?'
And, you've ended on a slightly mysterious note. All of which leave me excitedly awaiting the next chapter.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Oh yes, we authors work with malice aforethought to create cliff-hangers out of nothing; just to get you to 'tune in next time'. Lol. Many thanks for this appreciative review.
Comment from nomi338
The anticipation of the upcoming conversation with Tommy Bache is almost overwhelming. I have no idea of what he is going to say, but I can well imagine that it will differ vastly from what Bertram the butcher had to say. Needles to say, I can hardly wait.
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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The anticipation of the upcoming conversation with Tommy Bache is almost overwhelming. I have no idea of what he is going to say, but I can well imagine that it will differ vastly from what Bertram the butcher had to say. Needles to say, I can hardly wait.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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My problem will be to have different characters emerge mainly through the dialogue. Bertram Collet was easy, the villainous oaf. Tommy Bache will be more difficult but more fun to do. Thank you so much for your continued interest and appreciative review.
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This is so well written that reviewing it is not only easy, it is a total joy.
Comment from BethShelby
I'm really enjoying the story. I'm glad to know this Tommy is friendly. I remember him being a nice boy from the last book. Since this is the third book in this series, I wondering if it will be the last or will there be another?
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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I'm really enjoying the story. I'm glad to know this Tommy is friendly. I remember him being a nice boy from the last book. Since this is the third book in this series, I wondering if it will be the last or will there be another?
Comment Written 31-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Thank you for this appreciative review. The trick is how to make the 'nice boys' interesting characters. Usually it is the villains who are most interesting. This is the second book of the mill trilogy, but the third novel I have written here on FS. 'A Reluctant Star', my first novel was a complete stand-alone. That is currently being put into the Amazon/Kindle machine for release quite soon. There is a third book, entitled Miller's Bequest, which at the moment is the final story of the Mill Trilogy. But there is another churning away in my mind as yet unwritten.
Comment from JudyE
Restoring your mill must have been a huge task. What has happened to it now?
Regarding the story: Allen is being very thorough with his investigations. I'm looking forward to his discussion with Tommy Bache.
A few points to consider:
'I thought you said, the men liked him.' - I would delete the comma
'Oh they did. He was popular but always careful not to let anyone get too close. - comma after 'popular'
this cart had been towed into position by one of the new tractors that had started to appear on farms all across the country, since the war. - I might have rearranged this somewhat 'this cart had been towed into position by one of the new tractors that, since the war, had started to appear on farms all across the country.'
As he got closer Allen could see that this particular machine was not of the latest type. - comma after 'closer'
'Afternoon! Mr. Allen bain't it?' - comma after 'Allen'
he had just hauled out of mill at the stone floor level. - 'out of the mill'
'be foddering for our own beasts at the farm. t'will be some time - upper case for 't'will'
'Thanks. I'd like that. Would it be all right for me to take a look round the back at the waterwheel and the weir, please? - speech marks needed after 'please'
Allen let his imagination run wild as he tried to envisage this sparkling curtain of irridescent water - spelling - iridescent
His mind's eye saw her body, swept away, over the top of the weir - delete comma after 'body'
Once again, he stretched his imagination to create, in his mind's eye, an image of this swollen river as it must have appeared on that fateful day under lowering skies. - I might have moved 'lowering skies' to: 'it must have appeared under lowering skies on that fateful day.'
The mill door was, like a stable's, in two halves. - I might have rearranged this to 'The mill door was in two halves, like a stable's.'
Cheers
Judy
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Restoring your mill must have been a huge task. What has happened to it now?
Regarding the story: Allen is being very thorough with his investigations. I'm looking forward to his discussion with Tommy Bache.
A few points to consider:
'I thought you said, the men liked him.' - I would delete the comma
'Oh they did. He was popular but always careful not to let anyone get too close. - comma after 'popular'
this cart had been towed into position by one of the new tractors that had started to appear on farms all across the country, since the war. - I might have rearranged this somewhat 'this cart had been towed into position by one of the new tractors that, since the war, had started to appear on farms all across the country.'
As he got closer Allen could see that this particular machine was not of the latest type. - comma after 'closer'
'Afternoon! Mr. Allen bain't it?' - comma after 'Allen'
he had just hauled out of mill at the stone floor level. - 'out of the mill'
'be foddering for our own beasts at the farm. t'will be some time - upper case for 't'will'
'Thanks. I'd like that. Would it be all right for me to take a look round the back at the waterwheel and the weir, please? - speech marks needed after 'please'
Allen let his imagination run wild as he tried to envisage this sparkling curtain of irridescent water - spelling - iridescent
His mind's eye saw her body, swept away, over the top of the weir - delete comma after 'body'
Once again, he stretched his imagination to create, in his mind's eye, an image of this swollen river as it must have appeared on that fateful day under lowering skies. - I might have moved 'lowering skies' to: 'it must have appeared under lowering skies on that fateful day.'
The mill door was, like a stable's, in two halves. - I might have rearranged this to 'The mill door was in two halves, like a stable's.'
Cheers
Judy
Comment Written 31-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Thank you for this comprehensive review. All the points you raised were most apposite and have been addressed.
Regrettably I am no longer living there. My problem is that I am a lousy businessman and, caught in the recession of the late '80s and early '90s, the milling was no longer viable and it had to go. So I went a long with it. Although conjoined, the cottage and the mill were sold separately. The mill went first and has since been house converted. The cottage was eventually sold as a separate dwelling in 1983. I moved briefly into my daughter's recently vacated house in West Bromwich before being sent to Wales by the training provider company I was then working for. Six months after moving to Wales I was made redundant and decided to remain in Wales where being out of work is well understood!
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We stayed in an old mill in Availles-Limousine in France. Our friend lives in Bunbury, West Australia, and he and his sister (who lives in England) are joint owners. Like your lovely mill, it's been converted into accommodation.
I have photos of the beams in the ceiling which are fastened with wooden pegs rather than nails.
We didn't spend much time in Wales but the countryside there is very lovely too.
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Those wooden pegs are known as 'trenails', featured in a dialogue between Ifan and Maredudd in 'A Reluctant Star. There is something about the chemical make up of oak that rots ironwork, which is why you should never use nails with oak.
It is a shame that so many of the old mills have gone down the house conversion route, but the only way they can be made to pay now is as tourist attractions - mill museums. And even then they have to be situated in the right location.
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That's interesting about not using nails with oak. It is a great shame that there is now not much use for these old mills. I find the whole 'technology' behind them quite mind-blowing.
Our son was WOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) on a croft a short distance from Achmelvik on the west coast of Scotland. On one of his walks, he'd come across the remains of a small mill and the grinding stones were still there. He took us to see it. It was all in ruins and I don't remember now how it was powered.
If you reply and I don't, it's because I've gone to bed. :))
I'll catch you next time.
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Sleep well!
Comment from Rdfrdmom2
Pantygynt:
More and more I am believing that Hettie's death was not a suicide.
It makes me wonder how many deaths that are considered suicides
really are not - but I suppose that is fodder for another day. Detective
Allen is a very shrewd fellow. Looking forward to your next
installment.
Rdfrdmom2
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Pantygynt:
More and more I am believing that Hettie's death was not a suicide.
It makes me wonder how many deaths that are considered suicides
really are not - but I suppose that is fodder for another day. Detective
Allen is a very shrewd fellow. Looking forward to your next
installment.
Rdfrdmom2
Comment Written 31-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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The next instalment should be posted Wednesday so you won't have too long to wait. Many thanks for this appreciative review.
Comment from Suzanna Ray
Dear Jim, Your authors notes are as revealing as the dialogue itself. If you have chosen to own and restore the mill, we now know why your descriptions of the place are so vivid. Are you still living there, even as you post this story?
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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Dear Jim, Your authors notes are as revealing as the dialogue itself. If you have chosen to own and restore the mill, we now know why your descriptions of the place are so vivid. Are you still living there, even as you post this story?
Comment Written 31-Jan-2021
reply by the author on 01-Feb-2021
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I had to sell up and leave the mill I had restored in 1003 as I had become a victim of the recession under way at that time. There is little romantic about being a mill but the restoration work was great fun. Unfortunately it did not make money. That it seems is something I don't manage easily Lol
