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Rags to Riches #14

RAGS TO RICHES:      My family originated from Derby and my parents were married there in July 1952. Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older. They both lived in Derby and were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time and my mum attended art college. I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days. My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war. After the war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among other things (see header picture)....

Midnight Pool Parties #20

...e as they both had their separate businesses to run, plus it was their home, so they continued to live at each end of the house trying to avoid one another! And so I came of age at a party where everyone was dressed as a Roman wearing a toga! It was great fun until someone decided to open the window and walk along the ledge. I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that my brothers and I would walk along the window ledges when we were children (with perhaps smaller feet) but this was a fully grown man who’d had a few drinks and thought it was hilarious to stand outside the window jigging up and down at us! We all ran to the window and tried to entice him in without...

Becoming a rock chick #16

...they were both supposed to be girls when we bought them! After a couple of months at college I met a boy called Kev. He was in a band and his chat up line was that they needed a singer and he was pretty sure he could get me an audition (it must have worked as we’re still together!) I agreed, even though I’d done very little singing, and I went along to their rehearsal room one afternoon and got the job. So now I was fronting a rock band – what would my mother have to say about that I wondered! The band also went to a venue called the ’76 Club’ in Burton-on-Trent. I talked my boyfriend into taking me (no ID checks in those days) and we went along one F...

Race Day Parties #25

...there. We both dressed up in our mediaeval costumes and became ‘Grid Girls’ for the day (see header photo) which was also a lot of fun when you’re only 16 and the world’s media is focused on the racing cars that you're standing next to!    Don’t miss next week’s instalment: See you in Court If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends.   *Mediaeval Banquets was the business that my parents ran at Hoar Cross Hall....

The Haunting of Hoar Cross Hall #27

...droom but both were fast asleep. How strange, she thought and went back to the lounge. The next day Viv was helping to clean the Library. This was her favourite room as it had two secret doors built into the walls masquerading as bookshelves; when they were closed you couldn’t see them at all. She dusted all the shelves, looked at a few books then decided to polish the mirror which stood on the mantlepiece above the fireplace. It was a lovely old gilt framed mirror so Viv was very careful with it. As she peered closely into it trying to remove a mark she suddenly jumped back – there before her was the face of a little girl! Viv gathered herself and slowly m...

Christmas High Jinks! #29

...” They both looked at the name and Viv suddenly had an epiphany. “It’s the ghost!” she cried. “The little girl we keep seeing on the landing.” “Urgh really?” queried Gavin, moving further away from the grave. “It must be”, continued Viv. “She’s the same age, she’s a Meynell and she died in the Victorian days.” Viv stood up triumphantly as she realised that this must be the child’s last resting place. Then she felt a bit sad as she thought of a child dying so young; it also made the whole ghost thing seem more of a reality now that they’d seen her grave. Dusk was starting to fall so they made their way back through the graveya...