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Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #18

HOAR CROSS HALL – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:   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...

Whodunit in the Library? #24

WHODUNIT IN THE LIBRARY?      When we first moved to Hoar Cross Hall, growing up in a stately home seemed an idyllic way to live – and lots of fun if you’re a child. This rambling old house full of empty rooms and secret doors, wild gardens and woods to explore, was in some ways a dream come true for our family, certainly for my dad. But as we turned from children to teenagers the isolation and lack of public transport was frustrating. Coupled with this was my parents fighting and subsequent split, living at each end of the house and battling for the house and business through their solicitors. The effect this had on me, as the eldest child who perhaps s...

Christmas High Jinks! #29

...w a small chapel to one side and lit the candles in there too. The church looked so pretty now as the candlelight reflected off the brass work and the stained glass windows. “That’s much better,” exclaimed Viv. “Now the place doesn’t look anywhere near as gloomy as it did before.” As they stood back to admire their handiwork they thought they heard someone walking down the path to the door outside. “Quick!” shouted Viv. “Let’s get out of here or we’ll be in trouble.” They ran to the door but saw that it was just some visitors to the church so didn’t feel too worried after all. As they wandered around the corner of the church and ont...

Becoming a Rock Chick #17

...s off the chapel corridor and next to the library. In the summer we left the back door open and visitors would wander outside and look at our pets – I imagine an over enthusiastic child had opened the hutch and not shut it properly because they escaped into the house and got into the library, it being the nearest room to the back door. I happened to be coming into the house on this particular day when I heard a woman scream “Rats, rats – on the bookshelves!” I rushed into the Library through the secret door (which made the visitors jump even more) to find them looking at our guinea pigs! How could they think our lovely pets were rats? However, we did get...

Like Father Like Sons #20

...into the chapel wall breaking his pelvis!  Occasionally he got to drive it at Chasewater when Gavin was testing so then there were two of them going off to race at weekends. It was in 1979/80 that Piers started to test a proper racing kart and went on to race for four seasons with 1983 being the most successful – the highlight was winning the Cristal Challenge National.  He also drove Gavin’s Reynard FF2000 at Donington Park for a few laps to get the feel of a racing car and to see if his future lay there.  Nowadays he’s more interested in the two wheel variety, regularly travelling around Europe riding along the French mountain trails! Piers with...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #19

...This week I’ve done a historical 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...