Story Search Results

Summer Balls and Garden Parties #97

Balls and functions held at Hoar Cross Hall were lavish affairs, especially before the First World War, with the cateran class='highlight'>inan>g and other services an class='highlight'>inan>variably bean class='highlight'>inan>g provided by premier London companies.  an class='highlight'>inan> 1907, Gunter & Co of Berkeley Square, London, could san class='highlight'>upan>ply a Ball san class='highlight'>upan>per and refreshments for ten shillan class='highlight'>inan>gs (50p) a head, plus 'extra services'. For a Ball San class='highlight'>upan>per an class='highlight'>inan> January 1913, Mayfair Cateran class='highlight'>inan>g, Grosvenor Square, assured Lady Mary Meynell that they had engaged 'a san class='highlight'>upan>erior staff of tall waiters' to attend her guests and, “.....if waiters are desired to be an class='highlight'>inan> Full Dress (silk stockan class='highlight'>inan>gs) the additional cost will be five shillan class='highlight'>inan>gs (25p) per man.”  They als...

Movan class='highlight'>inan>g On - the end of an era #33

after ten years of an class='highlight'>growan class='highlight'>inan>gan> an class='highlight'>upan> an class='highlight'>inan> a stately home (Hoar Cross Hall), I have come to the end of my story. after my parents’ divorce it was agreed that my mum bought out my dad's half of the house and he had to leave his dream home forever. He and Gavan class='highlight'>inan> moved out to live an class='highlight'>inan> Burton-on-Trent 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>. The san class='highlight'>inan>ger 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>g...

Motor Racan class='highlight'>inan>g Days #9

although my blogs are about livan class='highlight'>inan>g at Hoar Cross Hall, I would just like to give a bit of background about my dad’s racan class='highlight'>inan>g career an class='highlight'>inan> the years leadan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>upan> to movan class='highlight'>inan>g to the Hall as this will set the scene for later an class='highlight'>inan>stalments of my story. as mentioned an class='highlight'>inan> my first blog my dad used to be a racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver but he actually started off racan class='highlight'>inan>g motor cycles an class='highlight'>inan> the 1930s. Because of this he became a despatch rider duran class='highlight'>inan>g the Second World War and spent a lot of time an class='highlight'>inan> North africa. after the war he started racan class='highlight'>inan>g motor bikes at nearby Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Park and he raced there an class='highlight'>upan> to the began class='highlight'>inan>nan class='highlight'>inan>g of the 1950s. after that he moved onto cars and drove a Cooper 500cc (which is the...

Eat, Dran class='highlight'>inan>k & Be Merry #11

By 1973 we had been at Hoar Cross Hall for 3 years and our lives were always busy, by keepan class='highlight'>inan>g on top of the weeds and with the general an class='highlight'>upan>keep of the house. My dad expected us children to help as much as possible, which we hated, and much of our time was spent tryan class='highlight'>inan>g to hide from him to get out of doan class='highlight'>inan>g the chores. But sometimes we didn’t man class='highlight'>inan>d and we happily pulled an old trolley an class='highlight'>inan>to the woods every now and then to collect wood for the fires and sometimes as a family we would spend a day clearan class='highlight'>inan>g parts of the woods and grounds. My mum had hired a lady from the village to help with the housework and we had also taken on a retired chap called Mr Hickman to do so...

Motor Racan class='highlight'>inan>g Days #64

although my blogs are about livan class='highlight'>inan>g at Hoar Cross Hall, I would just like to give a bit of background about my dad’s motor racan class='highlight'>inan>g career an class='highlight'>inan> the years leadan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>upan> to movan class='highlight'>inan>g to the Hall as this will set the scene for later an class='highlight'>inan>stalments of my story.  With the Silverstone Grand Prix recently an class='highlight'>inan> the news, I thought this would be quite topical! as mentioned my dad used to be a motor racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver but he actually started off racan class='highlight'>inan>g motor cycles an class='highlight'>inan> the 1930s.  Because of this he became a despatch rider duran class='highlight'>inan>g the Second World War and spent a lot of time an class='highlight'>inan> North africa.  after the war he started racan class='highlight'>inan>g motor bikes at nearby Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Park and he raced there an class='highlight'>upan> to the...

a New Year Calamity! #75

The New Year’s Eve Ball at Hoar Cross Hall was usually the highlight of the year.  after twelve months of hard work, especially runnan class='highlight'>inan>g the Mediaeval Banquets twice a week through the wan class='highlight'>inan>ter, we were always ready to see out the year an class='highlight'>inan> style with a big new year party.  an class='highlight'>inan> those days it was always black tie for the men and long dresses for the ladies – usually around 500 people bought tickets for an evenan class='highlight'>inan>g of entertaan class='highlight'>inan>ment with a dance band, disco and a meal.  at midnight a man dressed an class='highlight'>inan> traditional Scottish regalia, an class='highlight'>inan>cludan class='highlight'>inan>g a kilt and sporran, would pipe an class='highlight'>inan> the new year with his bagpipes.  Down the Long Gallery he would slowly walk and an class='highlight'>inan>to the Ballr...