The Wednesday Poem - Making a mountain out of a Mill Hill

Making a mountain out of a Mill Hill

Mill Hill, Mill Hill. 

I've seen the Hill, but where's the Mill?

I asked Dave, I've asked Bill, 

No one knows, a mystery still.

I walk up Millway every day,

but there's no Mill on Watford Way,

There is no Mill on Newcombe Park,

I've searched but I am still in the dark.

So why is my home called Mill Hill?

A new name is needed, Something ville?

We've got Rugby and we've got music,

Best in Europe, so why not use it?

But Saracens Ville or Rock and Roll Village,

Doesn't sound nice or give the right image,

So even though we've go no Mill,

I guess we're stuck with Old Mill Hill!

Copyright 2019 - Roger Tichborne

The Old Forge Mill Hill

There is a bit of a back story to this. When I was about seven years old in 1969, I asked my Dad where the Mill was. I assumed there was a big Mill somewhere. He suggested that we jump in his car and have a look for it. We spent a joyous half an hour zooming around the streets of Mill Hill, looking for it. Then we got to the junction of Highwood Hill and Lawrence Street. There was a group of people gathered outside the 'Old Forge tearooms' on the small green. Dad suggested we stopped an had a look. To my great delight, the Old Forge was having a strawberry fair. So we had tea, with strawberries and cream. It was delightful. I completely forgot about our mission to find the Mill. As a parent, I now realise that Dad had probably planned going for strawberries all along, as bunch of his mates were there. A couple of weeks after, I said to him that surely they should change the name of Mill Hill, as there was no Mill. He said if I could think of a better name, he'd have a word with Mayor and get it changed. Sadly, to this day, I've been unable to come up with a better one.

A reader has informed me that I was 215 years too late, in my hunt for the Mill!
More info here  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mill_Field