{"id":46432,"date":"2024-04-23T13:57:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T11:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/fully-working-once-again-20240415\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T22:22:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T20:22:47","slug":"fully-working-once-again-20240415","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/fully-working-once-again-20240415\/","title":{"rendered":"Mostert’s Mill fully restored and milling once again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Africa\u2019s only working windmill set sail during its reopening on Saturday 13 April. She was dubbed the \u201cPeople\u2019s Mill\u201d by its Friends and turned fully restored, in some ways better than ever, to be basked in her former glory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friends of the Mostert\u2019s Mill (FoMM) shared this moment with locals and those from abroad who have all contributed to the mill\u2019s restoration, at an intimate celebration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In good\u2019ol fashion fun \u2013 canons were fired, bread was broken and \u201ccheers!\u201d were shared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, the bread was made with wheat milled by the Mostert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FoMM member Andy Selfe, introduced as \u201cthe most responsible for its restoration\u201d, shared memories of sheer fun while coordinating the project in response to the wildfires that claimed the Mill on Sunday 18 April 2021 (\u201cMostert\u2019s Mill to get new life\u201d, People\u2019s Post<\/span>, 9 November 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were obviously very sad in the wake of her ruins, and had no idea what we would do. Then, by luck, we were given the funding by the Rupert family and by Sven\u2019s funding overseas.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

R200 000 was donated by ordinary Capetonians, \u20ac5 500 was raised by a European crowd-fund, and the Rupert family offered to cover the remaining balance. The total restoration cost amounted to<\/span> R3 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project was completed under budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This enabled Selfe to look for the very best people who were knowledgeable enough in this particular field machinery and do the various types of work involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the heart of the mill John Wilson-Harris, John Hammer and Andy Selfe beamed wide in unveiling the engraved 2024 restoration date.<\/div>\n
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All the woodworkers to thank for the Mostert\u2019s Mill\u2019s moving parts and furniture are Mike Sutten, Charel Rossouw, Juan Blom, Kimon Mamacos, Andy Selfe, Dusty Miller and Jon Stevens. <\/div>\n
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Also in attendance was Sven Verbeek, Leo Elbers and Gerard van Wijngaarden \u2013 affectionately known by the Friends as the three \u2018Must-get-heres\u2019. Their investment spoke to the support beyond borders, as they secured new sail cloths and a rare pair of suitable millstones shipped from Rotterdam, not to mention their European crowd-fund contribution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing his love for windmills, Verbeek said he has known his way around a mill since childhood. \u201cEven before I could talk, I loved to spend time in a mill. My first two words were \u2018mom\u2019 and \u2018mill\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selfe detailed efforts poured into the mill and its moving parts thanks to every John, woodworker, blacksmith and stonemason. With this lot, passionate concerted efforts saw the first make-over unveiled before other lost local gems, such as the University of Cape Town Library and the Rhodes Tea Garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe exciting thing is, this and previous restorations of the mill, will be captured in a book. The International Molinological Society agreed to publish this history in a book distributed to all members subscribed across the world,\u201d Selfe announced as the society\u2019s sole South African member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, \u201cPilot\u201d John Hammer continued reminiscing about how he joined the formation of the Friends in 1993, including his involvement in the previous \u201895 restoration: \u201cThere were four millwrights that came from the Netherlands, incidently from the firm Dunning Bremer from whence the man Chris Bremer came in 1935.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the 1995 restoration we decided that it must be a working mill and not just a pretty thing, which was the mistake they did in 1935. It was only to be used on ceremonial occasions, but any mill not worked regularly will within 10 years start falling apart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This then led to a man called Andr\u00e9 Bakker also coming from the Netherlands to teach three men, including Hammer, to work the mill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am the only one left of those three who can work the mill, so you\u2019d better look after me,\u201d he joked and added, \u201cbut I\u2019ve passed on this knowledge to at least six new millers, and hopefully now with this restoration, we can create even more interest in the mill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n