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The Grand Opening #5

...Meynell), balls – and even a man on horseback!  There was also a group of small square gardens, each named after one of the Meynell family along with a Japanese garden complete with a Japanese Maple tree and a water garden with stepping stones across it.  But even though we cleared a lot of weeds, the outskirts of the gardens were still very overgrown as well as the woods which had once had lovely pathways through them where Victorian ladies and gentlemen took their afternoon strolls. We soon got used to having people wandering around our house, although they weren’t allowed upstairs.  Gavin and I were quite the little monkeys and usually involved our li...

The Grand Opening #5

...Meynell), balls – and even a man on horseback! There was also a group of small square gardens, each named after one of the Meynell family along with a Japanese garden complete with a Japanese Maple tree and a water garden with stepping stones across it. But even though we cleared a lot of weeds, the outskirts of the gardens were still very overgrown as well as the woods which had once had lovely pathways through them where Victorian ladies and gentlemen took their afternoon strolls. This is how the yew hedges once looked   We soon got used to having people wandering around our house, although they weren’t allowed upstairs. Gavin and I were quite the...

The Grand Opening #5

...Meynell), balls – and even a man on horseback!  There was also a group of small square gardens, each named after one of the Meynell family along with a Japanese garden complete with a Japanese Maple tree and a water garden with stepping stones across it.  But even though we cleared a lot of weeds, the outskirts of the gardens were still very overgrown as well as the woods which had once had lovely pathways through them where Victorian ladies and gentlemen took their afternoon strolls.   Victorian hedges showing letter 'M' for Meynell   We soon got used to having people wandering around our house, although they weren’t allowed upstairs.  Gavin an...

Bacon's 'Essay on Gardens' # 56

...nted with balls. The gardens at Hoar Cross have some of these features, in particular the wrought-iron gates at the bottom of the garden set in the middle of the Ha-Ha wall; these once led out onto the Deer Park. The gates during renovation    The terrace was contrived to get a more extended view over the park beyond and the garden within. Terraces were generally wide with stone steps at the ends or in the centre – or both as at Hoar Cross – and were raised above the garden with a brick or stone wall. Everything in the Elizabethan garden was well-proportioned and walks formed the main lines of the garden design. Bacon describes the width of the path...

Anyone for Tennis? #96

...With the summer season well and truly upon us and Wimbledon almost here, I thought a blog about tennis might be in order!  The game of tennis first started in the Mediaeval days and involved hitting a ball with a bare hand and later with a glove.  By the 16th century the glove had become a racquet and the game had moved to an enclosed playing area and the rules had stabilized.  This was known as ‘real tennis’.  The word tennis came into use in English in the mid-14th century from French, via the Anglo-Norman term Tenez, which can be translated as 'hold', 'receive' or 'take', a call from the server to his opponent indicating that he is about to serve....

A New Year Calamity!

...A NEW YEAR CALAMITY!      The New Year’s Eve balls at the Hall were usually the highlight of the year.  After twelve months of hard work, especially running the Mediaeval Banquets twice a week through the winter, we were always ready to see out the year in style with a big new year party.  In those days it was always black tie for the men and long dresses for the ladies – usually around 500 people bought tickets for an evening of entertainment with a dance band, disco and a meal.  At midnight a man dressed in traditional Scottish regalia, including a kilt and sporran, would pipe in the new year with his bagpipes.  Down the Long Gallery he would slowly...