New Mills Festival - 10 to 26 September

New Mills Festival takes place from Friday 10th to Sunday 26th of September with events and activities to suit everyone, including the amazing lantern procession and a Torrs Hydro Open Day - please take a look a look at the program and make sure you get some of the events in your diary

Worse than 1976

Even though we have had some good rain fall this week in New Mills the drought continues and in areas is said to be worse than 1976 - one stretch of the Leeds - Liverpool canal is set to shut for the first time since 1929 with reservoir water levels at only 10% of their seasonal levels.

Long overdue

With the first 'real' rain for weeks and weeks this week looks like it could see Archie back in action by Friday.

If the forecast is anything to go by then we are in for 3-4 days of heavy rain, which isn't enough to fill the reservoirs or end the hose pipe ban, but should possibly see renewable energy being produced in New Mills again.

Drought warning

Drought Permit Application have been submitted for Longdendale today. The application will be published in local papers (Tameside and Glossop Advertiser and Manchester Evening News) and will be available for viewing at Glossop Library.


Main impact will be the amount of water released from the Longdendales reservoirs into the river Etherow - there is no direct impact on Archie, however as you cal see from the weir the rivers Goyt and Sett are very very low


You can access the Environmental Impact Assessment Report from here

One World Festival - today !

New Mills 'One World Fetsival' starts today at midday in High Lee Park New Mills.

With lots to see and do, eat and drink as well as some fantastic live music its a great place to spend a few hours and as an added bonus its going to be warm and sunny !!

Anyone interested in Torrs Hydro can take part in one of the tours that will be taking place throughout the afternoon.

Weir still waiting for rain !

Its now two months since we had sufficient rain to set Archie spinning - although with ths New Mills One World Festival fast approaching we can probably forecast a downpour (hope not !)

Renewable energy generation as a whole was down 7% for the first 3 months of this year with nearly half of that loss attributable to low river levels across the country in particualr Scotland.

There is a downpour forecast for Friday morning but it needs something more than an hours rain to raise river levels.

The picture below shows Archie's weir now showing through the River Goyt.

Viva Englandia

Well 'Archie' might not be spinning at the moment due to the drought (it was a similar story last year) but one thing that is full of energy is White Van Man from new Mills singing "Viva Englandia"a catchy number to support Englands efforts in South Africa - take a listen :