Text 1: Bellford hears its clock again, by Iwan Rees

An original contemporary newspaper article.

Bellford Town Hall’s clock struck eleven yesterday morning for the first time in fourteen months. Several hundred people filled the square to hear it, and the first chime was followed by applause loud enough to drown out the second.

The clock stopped when teeth broke from its main winding gear. Its hands remained fixed at 8.17, while the bell that had marked each hour since the town hall opened stayed silent. Repairing the mechanism proved too specialised for routine maintenance, so residents began raising money to bring in a clock restorer.

The final bill of £28,000 was met through donations, a market and a series of concerts. Once work began, the restorer and two apprentices dismantled the mechanism. They photographed and numbered every part before cleaning away rust. A replacement gear was made to match the damaged one. Outside, workers on scaffolding cleaned the four clock faces and replaced several cracked sections of glass.

The clock’s absence had affected more than the appearance of the square. Shopkeeper Lena Morris said people once used its chimes to decide when to reopen after lunch. “You could check a phone,” she said, “but that sound belonged to everybody.” At yesterday’s ceremony, residents counted down the final ten seconds together. When the hands moved, some cheered and others simply stood listening.

Text 2: The mill turns once more, by Thomas Dyer

An original letter written in a nineteenth-century voice; a period simulation, not an archival document.

In this letter, written in 1876, a schoolmaster describes the restoration of his village’s windmill.

Dear Edward,

Ashcombe Mill is working again after three idle years. You will remember how proudly it stood above the village. A gale tore away two of its sails and loosened the wooden cap, after which rain entered and spoiled much of the machinery. Farmers have since carried their grain six miles to Branford, an inconvenience they have complained of at every opportunity.

Mr Preece, the carpenter, directed the repairs, but almost every household assisted. Some subscribed money for timber; others provided carts, ropes or labour. The new sail frames were assembled on the ground and raised by a team of horses while twenty men steadied the ropes. The cap was covered with new boards, and the millstones were cleaned and set level again. Even my older pupils gathered the loose nails and scraps of wood from the hill.

On Saturday the miller released the brake and the four sails began to move. The whole village had climbed the hill to watch. Mrs Preece baked loaves from the first sack of flour, and these were shared while the mill worked above us. It was useful to have flour produced nearby once more, certainly, but the cheering was not only for that. For three years the bare tower had made the hill appear abandoned. With its sails turning, Ashcombe seemed itself again.

Your affectionate brother,

Thomas

Using information from both texts, explain briefly what was involved in restoring the landmarks.

You should make it clear which text you are referring to.