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The Kitchen Maid's Tale #41

If you were young, free and single – oh, and very well-to-do – the 1920s were the decade to be a part of. The upper classes had lots of time on their hands and enjoyed post-First World War delights such as the theatre and jazz clubs.Not so for the lower classes, in particular a young girl who was to become the kitchen maid at Hoar Cross hall in the 1920s. The ‘depression’ after the First World War brought stark poverty to her home and many like her. Her name was Jean Rennie, and she was extremely intelligent having won a scholarship to Glasgow University to study French and music. However, the £5 bursary she got (equivalent to around £250 in today's mo...

Midnight Pool Parties # 59

Following on with the summer theme my mind drifted back to those halcyon days of summer when we were all young and lively and hanging out with a large group of friends.  By now Kev and I had left college and were both working but weekends were for fun and parties! Kev and the band were also getting a few gigs around the area and after singing with them for a little while I gave it up and let a more professional singer take over – I needed to work on my confidence first!   We still went to the local '76 Club' though to see live music – it was the start of the punk era and we saw the Sex Pistols there when they were just starting out – I have to say they...

Ghouls Galore! #85

Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  As we approach hallowe'en my mind has gone back to that first winter at Hoar Cross hall and all the scary things that happened - and that was without any trick or treaters in those days!  We quickly realised that we weren’t the only inhabitants of the house.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to the attics to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.   They were all tightly shut as...

hallowe'en Hauntings #100

Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  As we approach hallowe'en my mind has gone back to that first winter at Hoar Cross hall and all the scary things that happened - and that was without any trick or treaters in those days!  We quickly realised that we weren’t the only inhabitants of the house when we moved there in the 1970s.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to the attics to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.�...

Mediaeval Mayhem!

...that the hall was ready for the guests to be seated. (A halberd is a long wooden pole with a spear on the end).   It all sounded very grand and exciting and I was on hand to show people to their tables along with my mum.  The night started off really well and people were enjoying the festivities and singing.  Four of us were serving the beer and wine all evening which was included in the price – however, I think we served too much as everyone was completely sloshed by the end of the evening!  They’d also had a cup of mead at the start of the meal.  Things started to get out of hand as people were throwing apples across the room, instead of eating them...

Hysterical Productions #15

...anqueting hall with a tray of soup, tripped up and spilt the whole lot over the nearest table! The staff were also eating the food in the kitchen which was meant for the guests and we nearly ran out of cheese and pate – the chef was ranting and raving at them, threatening to walk out if they didn’t stop! Oh, it really was hysterical! In from the cold!   The year finished with our annual New Year’s Eve Ball which was marred slightly by my parents arguing, something which was becoming all too regular during the course of this last year. Mum had received a plant as a birthday present and my dad was going berserk about it, wanting to know who it was fr...