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What the Butler saw!

...n the mid-1930s.  When the family left the Hall 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...

Royal visitors at Hoar Cross Hall #10

...uring the 1930s a lot of weekend parties were held at the Hall. One young man who became a close friend of the Meynell family made regular visits to Hoar Cross and recalled the happy times he spent there as “.....the last days of the traditional English country house with weekend parties full of gracious living and good company.” The people who came to the parties were usually young aristocrats such as Lady Diana Legge and her sister Lady Elisabeth Bassett, who was lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother from 1959 – 1993, when she retired at the age of 85! Lady Elizabeth Bassett (in the dark dress) 1930s   However, the Meynell family also spent a lot o...

Huntin', Shootin' and Fishin' #6

...hooting - 1930s   My dad had a gun licence and kept his gun in the bedroom in case any intruders tried to break in. One day Gavin and I found it when we had our friends round and took it to one of the empty bedrooms down the corridor. We were happily playing a game with it, pretending we were soldiers, when I decided to point it at the wall and pull the trigger. The bullet lodged in the plasterwork and the noise was so deafening that we thought that everyone in the house and surrounding district must have heard it. We all ran off and hid but no-one seemed to notice or come looking to see what all the noise was about so we came back out of hiding and carried...

What the Butler Saw! #42

...n the mid-1930s. When the family left the Hall 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 loo...

What the Butler Saw! #35

...n the mid-1930s. When the family left the Hall 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...

What the Butler Saw! #38

...n the mid-1930s. When the family left the Hall 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. Mr and Mrs Carter on their Diamond Wedding 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-...