Story Search Results

Anyone for Tennis? #96

With the summer season well and truly upon us and Wimbledon almost here, I thought a blog about tennis might be in order!  The game of tennis first started in the Mediaeval days and involved hitting a ball with a bare hand and later with a glove.  By the 16th century the glove had become a racquet and the game had moved to an enclosed playing area and the rules had stabilized.  This was known as ‘real tennis’.  The word tennis came into use in English in the mid-14th century from French, via the Anglo-Norman term Tenez, which can be translated as 'hold', 'receive' or 'take', a call from the server to his opponent indicating that he is about to serve....

The graveyard shift #24

...pub, the Meynell Arms.  There was always a good atmosphere here, unlike at home, and the landlord at that time was quite a character.  His idea of fun was to tell everyone there was free beer that night and when we all clamoured to the bar he would throw all the slops over us!  Eventually people got the idea not to wear their good clothes when going for a night out in the Meynell!  Another one of his tricks was to turn the clock back at closing time (11pm in those days) so he could go on serving.  Many a late night was spent there until the Police raided the pub one evening.  The quick thinking landlord switched the power off as the Police groped around i...

Midnight pool parties #22

...me in the Meynell Arms, the local pub.  Every time we went in everybody wanted an update on what was going on at the Hall with my parents and their quabbles.   It was a bit like a local soap opera!   We had also become engaged and I stayed at Kev’s house in the week so I could get to work easily having failed my driving test a couple of times; weekends were spent at the Hall.   Hoar Cross and the surrounding villages were a bit of a Birmingham commuter belt area and a lot of the families were quite well-to-do.  We met up with a crowd of young people in the Meynell every weekend whose fathers were stockbrokers, barristers and local gentry; most of their...

The Graveyard Shift #23

...pub, the Meynell Arms. There was always a good atmosphere here, unlike at home, and the landlord at that time was quite a character. His idea of fun was to tell everyone there was free beer that night and when we all clamoured to the bar he would throw all the slops over us! Eventually people got the idea not to wear their good clothes when going for a night out in the Meynell! Another one of his tricks was to turn the clock back at closing time (11pm in those days) so he could go on serving. Many a late night was spent there until the Police raided the pub one evening. The quick thinking landlord switched the power off as the Police groped around in the dark w...

Moving On - the end of an era #33

...After ten years of growing up in a stately home (Hoar Cross Hall), I have come to the end of my story. After my parents’ divorce it was agreed that my mum bought out my dad's half of the house and he had to leave his dream home forever. He and Gavin moved out to live in Burton-on-Trent and my mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years. She and the singer eventually got together much to my dad’s chagrin. The singer spent a lot more time at the Hall helping my mum run the banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him. When he was about 14 years old my dad received a phone call from Piers – he had run away from home and was ring...

More tea vicar? #12

...MORE TEA VICAR?   Life at Hoar Cross Hall was always busy but during the long summer holidays it was easy to get bored.  As there was no public transport from Hoar Cross and no other families living nearby, we three children had to make our own entertainment and we were always having adventures and getting up to mischief – a bit like the Famous Five but without a dog!  We would roam around the village or explore the basement.  My dad was a hoarder and had kept all sorts of stuff over the years including his own gas mask and some field phones from World War 2.  He had served in the army as a dispatch rider during the war in North Africa, mixing with Ameri...