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Race day parties #26

...ghout the 1950s alongside great names such as Graham Hill and Jim Clarke.  So it seemed appropriate that his ex-driver should buy the track that he used to race round! Chris decided to hold a party there when he re-opened it and so we all went along to celebrate.  It was similar to the Donington party with lots of different races and marquees full of free food and drink!  They went on all day and my friend Janine came along to join in the fun.  We went into one of the marquee parties and pretended to be Swedish aux pair girls (this is what we did for fun in those days!).  I could hardly speak any English so Janine would ‘translate’ for me, then we woul...

What the Butler Saw! #42

...ll in the 1950s and bought the smaller Hollybush House in nearby Newborough he went with them until his retirement. He and his wife celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary in 1972. The Carters celebrating their anniversary   However, when at the Hall his main duties would have been looking after the wine cellar and silverware or 'plate' as it was known. This was kept in a room next to his bedroom so he could keep an eye on it and make sure no-one stole anything. Similarly with the wine cellar, he would have kept it all under lock and key so none of the servants could have a crafty drink when no-one was looking! There was actually a Chubb walk-in saf...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #45

...This week I’ve done a history blog about the servants who lived at the Hall from the 1870s to the 1950s when the Hall became empty. They were an essential part of keeping a big house running but were often not appreciated by the aristocracy as they went about their day to day duties. The life of a servant in Victorian times was a hard one. They had to rise at 5am to clean and light all the fires and dust and polish the floors, then do a day’s work, often not getting to bed much before midnight. No wonder they didn’t live to a great age in those days! By the end of the 19th century there were nearly one and a half million servants; most young girls went in...

Moving Out #31

...up with a 1950s style twin tub washing machine! Well, it matched the age of the house I suppose! Many a week whilst washing, I cursed my dad for buying it as it always broke down and flooded the kitchen – eventually we threw it out! A little while later we went to an auction at a large farmhouse that was quite local to us and because of the interesting ‘lots’ it had, quite a few of our well-to-do friends were there too. My dad was also there and told us he’d bought an oven for our new house. He couldn’t wait to tell us that it had only cost him £1. Even in those days £1 was ridiculously cheap, especially for an oven! He said it was in one of the out...

Rags to Riches #63

...n the mid 1950s my dad sold the alabaster works to Louis Martin, who had just arrived in England from Jamaica.  He was a weight lifter and turned the works into a gym and weight training centre.  He went on to win medals in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and also won four world titles, four European titles and broke four world records!  In 2018 he was added to the Derby Walk of Fame and has a star on the pavement there which was unveiled by his son in recent years. Wendy with her sculpture   After the First World War the market places were full of tea chests with swords and guns from the Boer War and the First World War.  My dad found all this stuff fasc...

What the Butler Saw! #35

...ll in the 1950s and bought the smaller Hollybush House in nearby Newborough he went with them until his retirement. He and his wife celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary in 1972. However, when at the Hall his main duties would have been looking after the wine cellar and silverware or plate as it was known. This was kept in a room next to his bedroom so he could keep an eye on it and make sure no-one stole anything. Similarly with the wine cellar, he would have kept it all under lock and key so none of the servants could have a crafty drink when no-one was looking. There was actually a Chubb walk-in safe in the basement where, I assume, the more valuable...