Story Search Results

Eat, drink and be merry! #10

...into our mediaeval dresses; Myra (the fire-eaters wife) and myself were doing the cloakroom first before helping serve drinks when the banquet started. We also shared the tips, which were usually quite good! Guests waiting in the Long Gallery c 1974   A lot of the guests arrived in coaches as they often came for a night out with their work colleagues. They would then wait in the Long Gallery and have a drink at the bar and once they had all arrived Tony, the Halberdier would open the double doors to the Banqueting Hall, bang his halberd on the floor three times and announce that the hall was ready for the guests to be seated. (A halberd is a long wooden...

Hysterical Productions #15

...sed up in mediaeval gear and once I walked down the Long Gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire! But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too! The last banquet before Christmas had a great crowd in but the drunken wenches managed to spill soup down one chap’s jacket, beer all over a woman’s dress and then drop a whole pile of plates on the floor. Luckily the guests were singing so loud they didn’t hear the crash! Not so lucky for the tipsy wench who came into the banqueting hall with a tray of soup, tripped up and spilt the whole lot over th...

Race Day Parties #25

...up in our mediaeval costumes and became ‘Grid Girls’ for the day (see header photo) which was also a lot of fun when you’re only 16 and the world’s media is focused on the racing cars that you're standing next to!    Don’t miss next week’s instalment: See you in Court If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends.   *mediaeval Banquets was the business that my parents ran at Hoar Cross Hall....

New Year jinks! #11

...NEW YEAR JINKS!       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 throughout 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...

Rags to Riches #16

...RAGS TO RICHES:        My family originated from Derby and my parents were married there in July 1952.  Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older.  They both lived in Derby and were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time and my mum attended art college.  I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days.  My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war.  After the war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among other things (see hea...

Suits you sir! #23

...SUITS YOU SIR!      When we moved to Hoar Cross 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 lay...