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Like Father Like Sons #20

LIKE FaTHER, LIKE SONS  as mentioned before my dad used to be a racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver duran class='highlight'>inan>g the 1950s and ran his own team an class='highlight'>inan> the 1960s, travellan class='highlight'>inan>g all over  Europe an class='highlight'>inan> his trusty Volkswagon van with his two mechanics and driver.   He didn’t have big sponsorship money behan class='highlight'>inan>d him and most of it was done on a shoestran class='highlight'>inan>g but he came back with lots of funny stories of their van breakan class='highlight'>inan>g down or some rural ‘hotel’ that they had stayed an class='highlight'>inan>.  From each country that he visited he always brought me back a doll dressed an class='highlight'>inan> the traditional costume of that country.  There was quite a collection and I still have them; I used to put them on display an class='highlight'>inan> the Library when our...

RaCE TRaCK ‘aFTER PaRTIES’ #27

RaCE TRaCK ‘aFTER PaRTIES’ Because my dad used to be a racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver he was often an class='highlight'>inan>vited to parties and open days at various racan class='highlight'>inan>g circuits.  He naturally knew lots of racan class='highlight'>inan>g people and on this particular occasion he was an class='highlight'>inan>vited to an Open Day at Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Park.  Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had bought Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Park an class='highlight'>inan> the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars an class='highlight'>inan> the world at that time.  an class='highlight'>inan> 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Grand Prix Exhibition.   Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcyclan class='highlight'>inan>g championships but he was really hopan class='highlight'>inan>g to bran class='highlight'>inan>g F...

Here comes the bride (Part 2)

HERE COMES THE BRIDE (Part 2)      and so our weddan class='highlight'>inan>g day arrived bright and clear, all thoughts of solicitors, legals, fights and arrests behan class='highlight'>inan>d us!   Myself and my bridesmaids went to get our hair done an class='highlight'>inan> the mornan class='highlight'>inan>g and Kev slapped a piece of steak on his jaw to bran class='highlight'>inan>g the swellan class='highlight'>inan>g down after the rather unfortunate fight at his stag do.  Fortunately, the bruise didn’t show an class='highlight'>upan> too much on the photos!  Gavan class='highlight'>inan> drove my dad’s Mercedes Benz car all the way down the drive and back an class='highlight'>upan> the road to the church – this was one of the drawbacks of havan class='highlight'>inan>g a church an class='highlight'>inan> your grounds; you don’t get to drive all through the town with everyone lookan class='highlight'>inan>g at you!  Neve...

Movan class='highlight'>inan>g On #33

MOVan class='highlight'>inan>G ON - and so we come to the end of my story.  My dad and Gavan class='highlight'>inan> moved out to live an class='highlight'>inan> Burton and my mum carried on runnan class='highlight'>inan>g Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years.  She and the san class='highlight'>inan>ger eventually got together much to my dad’s chagran class='highlight'>inan>.  He spent a lot more time at the Hall helpan class='highlight'>inan>g my mum run the banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him.  When he was about 14 years old my dad received a phone call from Piers – he had run away from home and was ran class='highlight'>inan>gan class='highlight'>inan>g from the phone box by the Meynell arms car park!  He told my dad that he was hidan class='highlight'>inan>g behan class='highlight'>inan>d a bush and could he come and get him.  Of course, my dad was only too happy to fetch him and get...

What the butler saw!

WHaT THE BUTLER SaW!       anyone who’s seen Downton abbey will remember Carter the butler.  He is exactly how a butler would have been an class='highlight'>inan> the 19th century and, strangely enough, the butler at the Hall duran class='highlight'>inan>g the early part of the 20th century was also called Carter! although most big houses had a house steward who was an class='highlight'>inan> charge of accounts and general runnan class='highlight'>inan>g of the household, a butler was more commonly engaged by the wealthy.  He was usually a grand, authoritarian figure, commandan class='highlight'>inan>g respect and awe and most of the servants would have been scared to death of an class='highlight'>upan>settan class='highlight'>inan>g him!  He was dressed like a gentleman of the period and generally ran the household...

Calendar Girls and Front Covers #7

CaLENDaR GIRLS aND FRONT COVERS: Occasionally people would hire the Hall and duran class='highlight'>inan>g the summer of 1973 a photographer from London hired the place for a day.  He brought two models with him, one English and one German and they were takan class='highlight'>inan>g photos for a glamour calendar.  We were told to keep right out of the way as they were takan class='highlight'>inan>g photos an class='highlight'>inan> the gardens as well as the house.  Naturally we wanted to see everythan class='highlight'>inan>g that was goan class='highlight'>inan>g on and Gavan class='highlight'>inan> especially was very keen to watch – so much so that he found a pair of ban class='highlight'>inan>oculars to follow all the proceedan class='highlight'>inan>gs!  We managed to fan class='highlight'>inan>d all sorts of hidan class='highlight'>inan>g places eventually settlan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>inan> our attic room to keep tabs on everyt...