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Rags to Riches #14

RaGS TO RICHES:      My family origan class='highlight'>inan>ated from Derby and my parents were married there an class='highlight'>inan> July 1952. Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older. They both lived an class='highlight'>inan> Derby and were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketchan class='highlight'>inan>g Club an class='highlight'>inan> his free time and my mum attended art college. I’m not sure where they met but it was either at somethan class='highlight'>inan>g art related or at a dance, as was usual an class='highlight'>inan> those days. My dad was a sculptor by trade; I than class='highlight'>inan>k his an class='highlight'>inan>terest was sparked by seean class='highlight'>inan>g all the beautiful alabaster an class='highlight'>inan> Italian churches duran class='highlight'>inan>g the war. after the war he set an class='highlight'>upan> his own busan class='highlight'>inan>ess makan class='highlight'>inan>g alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among other than class='highlight'>inan>gs (see header picture)....

Rags to Riches #15

My family origan class='highlight'>inan>ated from Derby and my parents were married there an class='highlight'>inan> July 1952. Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older. They both lived an class='highlight'>inan> Derby and were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketchan class='highlight'>inan>g Club an class='highlight'>inan> his free time and my mum attended art college. I’m not sure where they met but it was either at somethan class='highlight'>inan>g art related or at a dance, as was usual an class='highlight'>inan> those days. My dad was a sculptor by trade; I than class='highlight'>inan>k his an class='highlight'>inan>terest was sparked by seean class='highlight'>inan>g all the beautiful alabaster an class='highlight'>inan> Italian churches duran class='highlight'>inan>g the war. after the war he set an class='highlight'>upan> his own busan class='highlight'>inan>ess makan class='highlight'>inan>g alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among other than class='highlight'>inan>gs (see header picture). He would go to the alab...

Hickleton Hall and the Meynells #38

This lovely Grade II listed Georgian house an class='highlight'>inan> South Yorkshire was once the childhood home of The Honourable Emily Charlotte Meynell who married Hugo Meynell of Hoar Cross and who, together with Hugo, built Hoar Cross Hall to be their family home an class='highlight'>inan> 1873, a hundred years before my family lived there.  The origan class='highlight'>inan>al house was called Hickleton Palace and had been built for Judge Francis Rodes an class='highlight'>inan> the 16th century but an class='highlight'>inan> 1745 Hickleton Hall was built just to the south of this house after the estate was bought by Godfrey Wentworth an class='highlight'>inan> about 1730. Thirty years later he extended the house and added two low wan class='highlight'>inan>gs, one either side, and a servants wan class='highlight'>inan>g (see header picture)...

RaGS TO RICHES! #15

RaGS TO RICHES:  My parents were married an class='highlight'>inan> Derby an class='highlight'>inan> July 1952.  Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older.  They both lived an class='highlight'>inan> Derby and were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketchan class='highlight'>inan>g Club an class='highlight'>inan> his free time and my mum attended art college.  I’m not sure where they met but it was either at somethan class='highlight'>inan>g art related or at a dance, as was usual an class='highlight'>inan> those days.  My dad was a sculptor by trade; I than class='highlight'>inan>k his an class='highlight'>inan>terest was sparked by seean class='highlight'>inan>g all the beautiful alabaster an class='highlight'>inan> Italian churches duran class='highlight'>inan>g the war.  after the war he set an class='highlight'>upan> his own busan class='highlight'>inan>ess makan class='highlight'>inan>g alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among other than class='highlight'>inan>gs (see header picture).  He would go to the alabast...

Skools out for summer! #12

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!    When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross Hall it stood withan class='highlight'>inan> 50 acres of land.  Their estate an class='highlight'>inan>cluded kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages. Old Hall (their origan class='highlight'>inan>al home) was also on the estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from the maan class='highlight'>inan> road. By the time the seventies came along the stable block and Old Hall were private houses and another part of Old Hall had been made an class='highlight'>inan>to a children’s home. Emily Meynell had started this home an class='highlight'>inan> the Victorian days, callan class='highlight'>inan>g it ‘The home of the Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time. When we were there it was a mixed home and run by a...

Change and the Country House #61

Hoar Cross Hall was clearly a very different house an class='highlight'>inan> the Victorian era compared to today.  Like other country houses it has not been immune from the social and economic changes affectan class='highlight'>inan>g all walks of life over the last hundred years. at the began class='highlight'>inan>nan class='highlight'>inan>g of Queen Victoria’s reign an class='highlight'>inan> 1837 the local landowner with his country house and estate was the focal poan class='highlight'>inan>t of the community, often dispensan class='highlight'>inan>g law, charity and education.  The estate would also provide employment for the local people and over fifty locals were employed on the Hoar Cross estate an class='highlight'>inan> the house and grounds plus many more on home Farm along with carpenters, electricians and plumbers to keep the esta...