Latest News
The Grand Pier in Weston Super Mare
The bar on the Grand Pier in Weston Super Mare will re-open this weekend, and Robert Mills Ltd were lucky enough to be able supply a pair of carved oak backfittings to the project (pictured below).
The main pier re-opened earlier this year, but this weekend sees the re-opening of the bar.
The original Pier The Pier today
Robert Mills Ltd wishes The Grand Pier every success. With an exciting range of rides, ten pin bowling, children's adventure playground, all the latest slot machines and video games, a train that runs the length of the pier and a cafe serving quality ice creams and hearty sea side fare, it is well worth a visit this summer, and be sure to check out the new bar!
Robert Mills Ltd on Grand Designs
Did you see Robert Mills Limited on Channel 4’s spin off show “Grand Designs Trade Secrets” on More 4 on Wednesday 6th?
Grand Designs visited Robert Mills late last year to film the trade secrets show that ran alongside last nights “Medieval Gothic style” Grand Designs. Our Chairman Colin Scull was interviewed as the
One of the stars of the show (a pitch pine Gothic ventilator) is now part of a Period Living competition, please click on the link below to have a chance of winning the piece.
If you missed either Grand Designs or Trade Secrets there is another chance to catch both shows at 21:00 on More 4 on Monday 11th February
Due to popular demand, Robert Mills Ltd is now supplying a range of high quality wooden flooring.
Kiln dried, 20mm thick, in lengths 500mm - 2800mm.
Our flooring comes in a range of different styles, including:
Rustic grade European oak - Has distinctive large knots and grain patterns, more suitable for the period farmhouse look, (max knot diameter 70mm)
Character grade European oak - Retained some small knots and grain patterns for that distinctive oak look, (max knot diameter 30mm)
Steamed character grade European oak- As per character grade but dark and authentically aged
Engineered European oak - A layer of solid oak laid on plywood, suitable for homes with under floor heating,
(also available in prime grade and American Black Walnut)
We can also supply Prime grade flooring, which is selected for minimum amount of small knots, in both European oak and North American Ash (max knot diameter 5mm)
All flooring can be supplied pre-finished (filled, sanded, lacquered/oiled).
Skirting and Architrave can also be supplied.
Can be tailored to your specific needs, please ask for details, or see section ZZ of our website
Robert Mills items to be used in Lark Rise to Candleford
Last year Robert Mills Ltd was involved in supplying props to a variety of films and television dramas.
The next to be released is the BBC adaptation of Flora Thompson’s novel Lark Rise to Candleford, starring Julia Sawalha and Dawn French, which will air on Sunday 13th January.
We hired pub dividers to the new Working Title film Hippie Hippie Shake, starring Sienna Miller, released this January. Watch out for them in the Kings Head pub scene.
Other productions include BBC Three’s one-off drama, Being Human, due for release in November this year, Made of Honor, a film for which we supplied a carved oak chancel screen, and Broken, which used one of our stained glass entryways and will be part of the 2008 Sundance film festival.
As ever, we continue to work with
Grand Designs: Trade Secrets.
Film company, Talkback Thames, came to the warehouse on Tuesday 9th October to film for Channel 4 and More 4’s Grand Designs: Trade Secrets, the spin off from the popular architecture series, Grand Designs. Trade Secrets explores the main topics featured within Grand Designs and analyses them in greater detail.
This particular Grand Designs episode was following one Robert Mills customer’s progress with a gothic project in Herefordshire. For the follow-up show the producer wanted to investigate what and where people might be able to source original items to create their own gothic style project. Seeing Robert Mills Ltd as the market leader in gothic architectural salvage and antiques they were very keen to visit us. The series will be aired early in the new year. We’ll keep you updated when we have the schedule.
Robert Mills Ltd at the CREATE Centre anniversary event
The CREATE Centre in
The CREATE Centre and Ecohome
The event showcased several local businesses that work within the eco-friendly environment. Robert Mills Ltd was asked to join the exhibition to show examples of its re-use of original items and to demonstrate restoration techniques.
At the CREATE centre Robert Mills Ltd was also making people aware of the Re-use vs. Recycle argument.
Re-Use vs Recycle
The concept of recycling has always been a good one. However, now the word ‘recycling’ is being used to describe actions that are not necessarily good. Consider the following.
The action of crushing bricks and using them as hardcore is being described as recycling. When these bricks are crushed their ‘embodied’ energy is irretrievably lost. The embodied energy of an item is, in simple terms, the total energy that can be attributed to bringing that item to its existing state. It therefore includes the energy consumed in winning raw materials, processing them and manufacturing composite items as well as transporting materials between and within these processes. In addition it includes appropriate proportions of the energy consumed in manufacturing the machinery and vehicles involved in these processes together with the construction and maintenance of the associated buildings and roads.* A more beneficial concept of recycling the bricks would be to save the bricks and re-use them as bricks.
Similarly, sending old doors to be pulped or turned into chipboard for cheap disposable furniture is described as ‘recycling’. A better concept of recycling the doors would be to re-use them as doors. Currently 2,000,000 doors are put into landfill every year in the
While recycling these doors can be a good way to save some energy and resources, we would always prefer to re-use the doors. Re-using old doors, pews, chairs & other furniture has almost a zero environmental impact, and supports the people and skills used to restore these wooden items. An added advantage is that old methods of construction & quality, seasoned wood will inevitably be better than anything bought new. As stated in a recent article in US publication Architecture Week, "Not only does unbuilding (and the reuse of building materials) save resources but it can also yield higher-quality materials than are available today. Much of the salvaged lumber available through deconstruction is from the decades of old-growth harvesting — so the wood is higher in density and has fewer defects — which represents a resource largely unavailable today."*2
Examples of information we were displaying at the CREATE centre
Before After
We recently reclaimed this Victorian door and two side windows. The glass was badly broken and the wood was in need of restoration.
Our glass restorer, David Maggs (BA Hons Glasgow School of Art), restored all the glass with original reclaimed/recycled glass and we also restored and refinished all the woodwork. The door and windows are now on their way to a customer.
We all need to reduce our impact on the environment. Rather than buying cheap furniture, made from recycled materials (which may last 3 years or just a house move), why not spend that little bit more on a good quality reclaimed piece that will last a lifetime and look even better in years to come.
For further information on the CREATE centre, visit their website at www.bristol.gov.uk/create
* Source:
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/environment/research/sustainability/elbru/embodied_energy.htm
*2 Source: Architecture Week
http://www.architectureweek.com/2007/0711/environment_2-2.html
Robert Mills Ltd Pew Rescue Team Charity Fire Walk Event
Continuing its tradition of pew-centric support of local charities (after last abseiling down a cliff with a church pew for Imperial Cancer ), in April Robert Mills Ltd was helping the world renowned Penny Brohn (formerly Bristol) Cancer Care raise funds and awareness by carrying a pine pew over hot cinders. Penny Brohn is one of the leading centres in complimentary therapy and support work for cancer care. The fire walking event took place at the Full Moon Pub, Stokes Croft (coincidentally a Robert Mills customer). Chairman, Colin Scull, and Operations Manager, Paul Nash, bared their feet for the event. No one minded as it was for such a good cause.
Overall the evening was a great success and lots of money was raised. We would like to thank everybody who helped and donated money.
Anyone wanting to donate money, please make cheques payable to:
Penny Brohn Cancer Care and send care of Robert Mills Ltd.