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Memories of Suffolk

Elmers Mill - Family History

The Old Mill c1960
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Hi there. Harry Elmer (who I understand was my GGrandad's brother) owned and ran this Mill into the 1940s. The Muggeridge Collection has some wonderful images of him replendent in the very gentlemanly working clothes of a miller of his ilk, and still working in his 80's.  Anecdotally Elmers Mill in Woolpit and Drinkstone Mill close by were dead ringers for each other, except they ran (i.e. their sails rotated) in the opposite direction to each other. This has recently been questioned on the Suffolk Mills site which has some memories posted about the structure of Elmers Woolpit Mill after it was tail-winded in 1963 and collapsed, saying it was built of "inferior materials" and therefore of much more recent (perhaps 19th century) construction than the recognised ancient (and still-standing) Drinkstone Mill. It's recognisably old design however would seem to counter this argument, and it's more likely I believe that the "inferior materials" found after it collpased may have been due to the need for successive and ongoing repairs, required... Read more

Harry Elmer

The Old Mill c1960
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I'm sure I remember a Harry Elmer......did he have a shop in Elmswell or did he rent out motor cars or even caravans from Woolpit?

I was born in Elmswell in 1947 and the name certainly rings a very loud bell and was constantly mentioned in our household at the time.

Cycling to The Mill

The Old Mill c1960
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We used to cycle to this old mill in the late 1960s and early 1970s when I lived in Woolpit. My brother found a large ammonite fossil in the clay near this site. There were the gravel pits nearby and we always used to joke about falling into the quicksand if you went too far in the puddles of water. We used to catch tadpoles too - fond memories. I live in Australia now but the site of this old windmill still sticks in my mind as an icon of my childhood. Does anyone have a similar memory?

The Cottage Next to The Post Office

The Post Office c1960
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My late father-in-law's father used to live in the cottage next to the Post Office, until he died. My father-in-law inherited the cottage, and my husband and I spent glorious holidays there, and lots of long weekends with our children, from around 1965 until my father-in-law passed away in the 1980s. We remember the pub so well as my husband used to play his guitar and we had a lovely sing song in there. I remember that there used to be a well in the garden of the Post Office. We got very friendly with most people living there at the time, especially Steve Sadler, and also Myrtle who lived a few minutes away and used to look after the cottage for my father-in-law.

Melanie Gibson

I went to Elmswell primary and I would like to find a few friends from there, one in particular, Jessica.

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