Part of Gibson Mill is being used as a cafe, and a corner of the cafe is a National Trust Shop selling the usual stuff. Other parts of the mill you can be taken around by a guide. There's a small charge unless, like us, you are members.
Our guide, who used to work in the City of London, talked to us not only about the historical aspects of this cotton mill but also on how it currently generates the power it uses. We went into the chamber that houses the water turbines but weren't actually able to see them. Above, at the back, is an old dynamo that would have generated DC electricity. It was powered by a drive from one of the water wheels.
Today Gibson mill uses three power sources: two water turbines and solar panels. Each produces different voltages and so a rack of complex electronic switch-gear converts the electrical product of those three sources into a uniform low voltage that is stored in the above bank of battery cells. The total ampèrage must be pretty huge! The output of that lot is then fed through inverters to produce a uniform 240 AC voltage. The cost of this top equipment was about £190,000, but three phase power from the national grid would have been about £500,000 to install.
In the 1940-50s when this mill ran entertainment, there was a cafe on the first floor and this might be what it looked like.
There was a clothing rail full of old-style dressing up clothes. I chose a bowler to see how I would look. My grandfather wore one at all times, so I was told. He was a textile machine engineer.
This was the kitchen for the cafe.
And above is the dance hall which is now a space registered for marriages.
We had our coffee and cakes outside.
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