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Hallowe'en Hauntings #100
Posted by Viv Wilson on 29th October 2025 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall spa hotel,barons eden,ghosts,ghostbusters,Hallowe'en,paranormal activity,spooks,attic,candles,seance,ouija board,ghouls,scary,the exorcist,nightmare,All Hallows Eve,All saints day,period drama,history,downton abbey,my dad bought a mansion
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....
Things That Go Bump In The Night! #3
Posted by Viv Wilson on 1st August 1970 in Early Days | hoar cross hall,ghost,attic,living in a stately home
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: 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!! That first winter at the Hall was like that. 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 close it but there would be no windows open or even loose. They were all tightly shut as they had been for 20 years. I remember standing there in the attic rooms, the hairs prickling the back of my neck and quickly legging it back downstairs! On other nights I would hear peopl...
THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN #4
Posted by Viv Wilson on 1st September 1970 in Early Days | hoar cross hall,living in a stately home,hoar cross hall blog,1970's,growing up in a stately home,renovations
THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN: As previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house. My dad decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments, as he had done at our previous house. This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public. It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would have been used as guest bedrooms in Victorian times. He made these into two, one-bedroom apartments and made small kitchens in the spaces which connected the lounge and bedroom, probably once used as cupboard space.
Th...
VENTURES NEW #10
Posted by Viv Wilson on 1st March 1973 in Early Days | hoar cross hall,suits of armour,coombe abbey,mediaeval banquets,jcb
VENTURES NEW: We were now in our third year at the Hall and our lives were always busy keeping on top of the weeds and general upkeep of the house. My dad expected us children to help as much as possible, which we hated, and much of our time was spent trying to hide from him to get out of doing the chores. But sometimes we didn’t mind and we happily pulled an old trolley into the woods every now and then to collect wood for the fires and sometimes as a family we would spend a day clearing 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 some...
Party On! #18
Posted by Viv Wilson on 1st June 1976 in Early Days |
PARTY ON! One of the great things about living in 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 going out with Kev, whom I had met at college. Mum was a bit disappointed that my sensible boyfriend and I had parted company after 18 months of an on/off relationship but she begrudgingly accepted Kev into the fold and eventually met all the other members of the band. I think she wanted to put her mind at rest that they were a bunch of nice lads and not a drug crazed rock band eating bats! Which of course they were! No – I’m only kidding! After the awful split up at Christmas my parents...
Coming Of Age #21
Posted by Viv Wilson on 11th June 1976 in Early Days | hoar cross hall,party,hippy venue,1970's,businesses,roman,toga,moat,stately home,swimming,pool,parties,birmingham,sex pistols,punk,music,band
COMING OF AGE: My year at college had come to an end and I was now a fully fledged secretary. Now to find a job! It didn’t take too long as there was plenty of employment around in those days and I was soon offered a position with a small engineering firm in Burton. As I didn’t drive there was still the problem of me getting to work and dad managed to talk the residents of the apartments into taking me, as they were going to Burton every day as well, and it would save him coming out twice a day!
Kev and the band were 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 ta...