At last I am able to post more to my blog. It has been extremely difficult to find Internet connections wherever I am, and by a great stroke of luck I found a great spot in Keighly, just outside of Leeds. Believe it or not, I'm sitting at the edge of the city in the one and 
only McDonalds here, and they have free WiFi, and I can plug into the electricity if I sit at the little kids tables and chairs (suits me just fine), so I'm off and running now for a while.
only McDonalds here, and they have free WiFi, and I can plug into the electricity if I sit at the little kids tables and chairs (suits me just fine), so I'm off and running now for a while.Back to my journey....The Cotswolds were a highlight for sure. There were special mill touring 'days' while I was in the vicinity and I went to a couple with my friends Brenda and Mick. After a full English breakfast, we headed off to learn more about the industry. S
pinning and weaving was done as cottage industries with wheels in the homes until the late 18th century when industry/factories took over.
Our first visit was the Dunkirk Mill Centre at Nailsworth. (http://dunkirk-mills.com/1.html) Parking was some distance away and then a lovely fifteen minute walk along a tree-lined lane, which sometimes wound by the river, which is the 
energy source for the water-wheel power. We also came across a strange statue, a piece of current art, we suspected.
energy source for the water-wheel power. We also came across a strange statue, a piece of current art, we suspected.
We watched a demonstration on how the green cloth for pool tables and the red serge uniforms for military/police forces are made.
One of the features was the use of teazles, a plant that is bur-like used for 'combing' the fabric to make it soft and smooth. In the early years the
plants were imported from France and Spain (or maybe Portugal), as the UK kind aren't as sturdy, though in later years people have tried to grow the best kind. (http://www.stroud-textile.org.uk/) 
One the way back from the Dunkirk Mill, we stopped at the Ragged Cot Pub for a drink. Although it's now an enlarged modernized establishment, the old part still exists on one end (seen in the photo). There is a ghost story here about a previous pub owner who decided to rob the stagecoach that stopped there. His wife wanted to stop him and grabbed him, but he threw her and the baby down the stairs. He robbed the stagecoach, but was eventually caught and imprisoned. She still haunts the old place, even though subsequent owners have moved the direction of the stairs several times. 
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