A passion for windmills led to the restoration of Bocking's postmill when Susannah Burden was just seven. Twenty-one years later CLARE BERRETT met up with her.

Many of us have hobbies, but not many of them have lasted 21 years and helped save one of Bocking's most historic buildings.

Back in 1979 Susannah Burden, who was seven at the time, wrote to the council asking them to restore Bocking Windmill, a postmill dating from 1721 which had been damaged in a gale.

"It had a gaping hole in the roof and the council stuck plastic over it, but it was flapped to bits," said Susannah.

She has had a keen interest in windmills for as long as she can remember and when the mill was damaged says she felt she had to do something.

For more information about the Essex windmills, click here "I sent a letter and some drawings to the council and somebody must have taken notice, because it was fixed.

"I think it is the technical and structural side of mills that makes them such amazing buildings. My mother is a member of the Friends of Bocking Windmill, so it is quite a family matter," she said.

Susannah decided to take a trip to the windmill on its recent open day, to mark the time since she wrote to the council.

"Twenty-one years is quite a significant time and it was nice to spend the day at the windmill, helping people with their questions about it and thinking that maybe I had a hand in making it what it was today," she said.

"I have spoken to people living in Bocking who didn't even know there was a windmill here. If you look at Holland, people are proud of their windmills. The interest here is fading fast and I think that should change.

''They are an important part of our history.''

Historic passion: Susannah Burden inside the mill she helped to save (right).

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