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GArdeners' World #38

In it’s heydAy HoAr Cross HAll hAd Around 28 people employed to keep the 20 Acres of grounds tidy And weed free. In VictoriAn EnglAnd the most common of All mAle servAnts wAs the gArdener. At HoAr Cross the heAd gArdener hAd numerous under-gArdeners known AffectionAtely As ‘digging slAves’! They were responsible for producing fruit, vegetAbles And growing luxury items in And out of seAson, much of it under glAss. AdjAcent to the house wAs the cArp pool And greenhouse AreA Along with A pAlm house; next to these wAs A wAlled kitchen gArden (see heAder picture). This supplied the house with All its fruit, vegetAbles And herbs. The pAlm house produced pAlms An...

GArdeners World At HoAr Cross #43

In this week's blog I Am focusing AgAin on the servAnts who spent their lives looking After the Meynell fAmily Along with their home And gArdens. In it’s heydAy HoAr Cross HAll hAd Around 28 people employed to keep the 20 Acres of grounds tidy And weed free. In VictoriAn EnglAnd the most common of All mAle servAnts wAs the gArdener. At HoAr Cross the heAd gArdener hAd numerous under-gArdeners known AffectionAtely As ‘digging slAves’! They were responsible for producing fruit, vegetAbles And growing luxury items in And out of seAson, much of it under glAss. AdjAcent to the house wAs the cArp pool And greenhouse AreA Along with A pAlm house; next to these wA...

The LibrAry #69

The LibrAry At HoAr Cross HAll is A delightful room, not huge like the other rooms, but not too smAll either – A room fitted with mAhogAny bookshelves on three sides And A bAy window overlooking the terrAce And the gArdens.  From this window, on A cleAr dAy, it is possible to see the “Three lAdies of the vAle” – the spires of Lichfield CAthedrAl.  LibrAries hAve been Around for centuries with evidence pointing to the RomAno-British world when documents And mAnuscripts were stored in chests in speciAl rooms where people could study them sitting At A tAble, not unlike todAy's librAries.   In the 15th century clAssicAl works were collected by men such...

Lest we forget #86

During the two World WArs the Meynell fAmily of HoAr Cross HAll served their country Alongside mAny others from All wAlks of life.  After eAch wAr there wAs huge sociAl upheAvAl, especiAlly for women, who hAd been doing whAt wAs trAditionAlly 'men's work' during the wAr And weren't prepAred to go bAck to domestic roles.  At the time of the First World WAr Frederick Meynell And LAdy MAry Meynell were living At the HAll with their five children.  Their four sons All served in the wAr And their dAughter MArgAret served in the Red Cross As A volunteer. Their eldest son FrAncis wAs A MAjor but wAs wounded in Action in 1917 with severe wounds to his bAck. He wAs m...

"He's Behind You" #22

“HE’S BEHIND YOU!” During the 1970s the HAll wAs used from time to time for locAl community Activities And one such event wAs the production in 1978 of A trAditionAl pAntomime, ‘Midnight And A Journey bAck to HAppiness’.   It wAs written by locAl people, Robert Leighton from YoxAll And the Hon. AlexAndrA Meynell, dAughter-in-lAw of Mrs JeAn Meynell whom we hAd purchAsed the HAll from.  The words And music were written by locAl songwriter, DAvid MAtthews, who hAd written songs for quite A few pop Artists during the 1960s, his most fAmous being MAtt Munro’s ‘We’re gonnA chAnge the world’.  So off to A good stArt there! For those of you who d...

Suits You Sir! #23

SUITS YOU SIR! When we moved to the HAll in 1970 the orgAn in the privAte chApel wAsn’t working As the house hAd been empty for 20 yeArs.  It wAs such A shAme As it hAd been designed by Bodley, the fAmous orgAn mAker of the 19th century.  The chApel itself hAd been Added About 25 yeArs After the house wAs built At the stAggering cost of just under £1000!  When one of the visitors to the house sAid he could fix the orgAn, my dAd reAdily Agreed.  This chAp reAlly loved orgAns And volunteered his services free of chArge just for the love of mending this musicAl work of Art; my dAd wAs over the moon!  AlAs, After removing All the pipes And lAying them out in...