I still couldn't go home while my cleaners were in my bungalow, so I moved on from my walk on the canal side to find another place I have history with. This is called The Lower Mill, in Stonehouse and it was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as a site of a cloth mill, with the usual river flowing by.
Today this is the home of the Stonehouse Paper Bag Mill, a place I worked in the offices in the early 1970's. Beside this mill is a row of 7 terrace cottages, one of which was my first home purchase at a huge price of £1000 (appox. $1400), my mortgage was just £3 a week. Great start on buying homes through my life.
My office door was about 60 steps from my back door, and believe it or not I was often late for work and more likely had a piece of toast in my hand. The machinery making the paper bags were fantastic, and ran from a single spindle running the full length of the first floor. A leather band came down to each machine and the operator could turn the machine on and off. In another department they used to make millions of paper bands that went around banknotes.
So there you have a cloth mill going back to 1086 now making paper bags for shops etc. Much better than plastic bags isn't it.
