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To the Manor Born #77
Posted by Viv Wilson on 22nd February 2024 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | shardlow motor racing,hoar cross hall,barons eden,Swarkestone Bridge,bonnie prince charlie,Alpheus Burgin,Rectory,River Trent,18th century,Dower House,Shardlow Hall,Shardlow House,Shardlow Manor,The Crown,Downton Abbey
Before we moved to Hoar Cross Hall my father had bought an old manor house in the village of Shardlow, near Derby, which had previously been a vicarage among other things. I think my parents must have had a love of historic buildings and indeed were members of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings and Monuments. My dad had a business in Derby at the time making alabaster items such as table lamps and candlestick holders and when he bought the manor house he moved his business there, as it had lots of outbuildings for all the alabaster equipment.
Some of my father's alabaster pieces
The house itself had about 17 rooms and was built i...
Race Day Parties! #25
Posted by Viv Wilson on 30th October 2021 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall,Meynell,motor racing,motor bike,Bob Gerrard,Tom Wheatcroft,champagne,parties,Lotus Elite,racing cars,VIPS
My dad used to be a racing driver so he was often invited to parties and open days at various racing circuits. He naturally knew lots of racing people and on this particular occasion he was invited to an Open Day at Donington Park. Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had bought Donington Park in the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars in the world at that time. In 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition. This sadly closed in 2018. Donington became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championships but he was really hoping to bring Formula 1 racing b...
A New Year Calamity! #75
Posted by Viv Wilson on 29th December 2023 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall spa hotel,barons eden,new years eve,scottish piper,Balloons,christmas,mediaeval banquets,ballroom,my dad bought a mansion,downton abbey,the crown,haunting,ghosts,attics,bell,calamity
The New Year’s Eve Ball at Hoar Cross Hall was 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 walk and into the Ballr...A New Year Calamity! #90
Posted by Viv Wilson on 2nd January 2025 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall spa hotel,barons eden,auld lang syne,stately home,history,historic houses,national trust,christmas,scottish piper,black tie,ballgown,my dad bought a mansion
The New Year’s Eve Balls at Hoar Cross Hall were usually the highlight of the year during the 1970s. 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 walk...
RACE TRACK ‘AFTER PARTIES’ #27
Posted by Viv Wilson on 25th July 1977 in Early Days | hoar cross hall,racing car,donington park,mallory park,bob gerard,kirkby hall,grand prix,museum,car,racing driver,alvin stardust,joe bugner
RACE TRACK ‘AFTER PARTIES’ Because my dad used to be a racing driver he was often invited to parties and open days at various racing circuits. He naturally knew lots of racing people and on this particular occasion he was invited to an Open Day at Donington Park. Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had bought Donington Park in the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars in the world at that time. In 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition.
Donington became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championships but he was really hoping to bring F...
Race Day Parties #27
Posted by Viv Wilson on 21st April 2019 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | mallory park,Silverstone,donington park,hoar cross hall,mediaeval banquets,Bob Gerrard,Tom Wheatcroft
RACE DAY PARTIES: My dad used to be a racing driver so he was often invited to parties and open days at various racing circuits. He naturally knew lots of racing people and on this particular occasion he was invited to an Open Day at Donington Park. Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had bought Donington Park in the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars in the world at that time. In 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition. Donington became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championships but he was really hoping to bring Formula 1...