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Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #14

Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers. The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years endan class='highlight'>inan>g with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross. This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross). an class='highlight'>inan> 1740 the manor house was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000. Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county. This branch of the Meynell family origan class='highlight'>inan>ated from Leicestershire,...

Midnight Pool Parties #21

after leavan class='highlight'>inan>g school I spent a year at Burton-on-Trent Technical College studyan class='highlight'>inan>g to be a secretary but my year at college had come to an end - now to fan class='highlight'>inan>d a job! It didn’t take too long as there was plenty of employment around an class='highlight'>inan> the seventies and I was soon offered a position with a small engan class='highlight'>inan>eeran class='highlight'>inan>g firm an class='highlight'>inan> Burton. as I didn’t drive there was still the problem of me gettan class='highlight'>inan>g to work and dad managed to talk the residents of our apartments an class='highlight'>inan>to takan class='highlight'>inan>g me, as they were goan class='highlight'>inan>g to Burton every day as well, and it would save him coman class='highlight'>inan>g out twice a day (no doubt he was than class='highlight'>inan>kan class='highlight'>inan>g about the petrol he would save too!) Kev, my boyfriend, and the band were gettan class='highlight'>inan>g a fe...

To the Manor Born #77

Before we moved to Hoar Cross Hall my father had bought an old manor house an class='highlight'>inan> the village of Shardlow, near Derby, which had previously been a vicarage among other than class='highlight'>inan>gs.  I than class='highlight'>inan>k my parents must have had a love of historic buildan class='highlight'>inan>gs and an class='highlight'>inan>deed were members of the Society for the Preservation of ancient Buildan class='highlight'>inan>gs and Monuments.  My dad had a busan class='highlight'>inan>ess an class='highlight'>inan> Derby at the time makan class='highlight'>inan>g alabaster items such as table lamps and candlestick holders and when he bought the manor house he moved his busan class='highlight'>inan>ess there, as it had lots of outbuildan class='highlight'>inan>gs for all the alabaster equipment. Some of my father's alabaster pieces   The house itself had about 17 rooms and was built i...

Get me to the church on time! #30

My dad was havan class='highlight'>inan>g to move out of Hoar Cross Hall and we had decided to bran class='highlight'>inan>g our weddan class='highlight'>inan>g forward so we that we could get married an class='highlight'>inan> the church an class='highlight'>inan> the grounds and then have the reception afterwards an class='highlight'>inan> the Hall, which was after all our family home. The weddan class='highlight'>inan>g preparations were goan class='highlight'>inan>g quite well and as we knew lots of musicians it wasn’t hard to fan class='highlight'>inan>d a local band and a DJ to do the disco. a friend of my dad’s offered to do the cateran class='highlight'>inan>g and the bar was set an class='highlight'>upan> with plenty of kegs from the local brewery an class='highlight'>inan> Burton on Trent. I had two bridesmaids and we all went to Birman class='highlight'>inan>gham one day to choose our dresses and shoes – it was all kept very simple really as I had no...

Movan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>inan>to a Mansion #67

as summer turns to autumn my thoughts have gone back an class='highlight'>inan> time to 1970 when my family moved house at this time of the year - not to any old house, but to a 70-roomed stately home an class='highlight'>inan> Staffordshire!  The whole process of movan class='highlight'>inan>g  was done over the summer months as we lived about 20 miles away an class='highlight'>inan> an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildan class='highlight'>inan>gs. This house was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Pran class='highlight'>inan>ce Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back an class='highlight'>inan> the day, for all you history buffs out there!  actually I love history and I than class='highlight'>inan>k my an class='highlight'>inan>terest was fuelled by livan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>inan> these historic houses as a child.  My dad used to be a racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver an class='highlight'>inan> the 1...

Ghouls Galore! #18

One of the great than class='highlight'>inan>gs about livan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>inan> a stately home is that you can have a wild party with the loudest of music – and no-one will hear it! I was now goan class='highlight'>inan>g out with Kev, whom I had met at college. Mum was a bit disappoan class='highlight'>inan>ted that my sensible boyfriend and I had parted company after 18 months of an on/off relationship but she accepted Kev an class='highlight'>inan>to the fold and eventually met all the other members of the band. I than class='highlight'>inan>k she wanted to put her man class='highlight'>inan>d at rest that they were a bunch of nice lads and not a drug crazed rock band eatan class='highlight'>inan>g bats! Which of course they were! No – I’m only kiddan class='highlight'>inan>g! after the awful split an class='highlight'>upan> at Christmas my parents were now livan class='highlight'>inan>g at each end of t...