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Queen alexandra - an class='highlight'>Myan> family #52

Here is a final selection of photos from the album of Queen alexandra, found in the Library of Hoar Cross Hall.  alexandra enjoyed photography as a hobby and in 1908 put together this album of personal photos of her family to be sold for charity.  It is a fascinating insight into another world, long gone now.  as we lead up to the Coronation of King Charles III it is a reminder of all that has gone before and all that is to come in the future with our hard working royals.     King Edward VII and David Here is the King in relaxed pose with his grandson, David, who later became King Edward VIII.  David became the King in January 1936 and famously abdicat...

RaCE TRaCK ‘aFTER PaRTIES’ #27

RaCE TRaCK ‘aFTER PaRTIES’ Because an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> used to be a racing driver he was often invited to parties and open days at various racing circuits.  He naturally knew lots of racing people and on this particular occasion he was invited to an Open Day at Donington Park.  Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had an class='highlight'>boughtan> Donington Park in the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars in the world at that time.  In 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition.   Donington became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championships but he was really hoping to bring F...

an Englishman's Home is his Mansion! #2

aN ENGLISHMaN'S HOME IS HIS MaNSION! an class='highlight'>Myan> parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving house was done over the summer months. We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This house was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there! actually I love history and I think an class='highlight'>Myan> interest was fuelled by living in these historic houses as a child. an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donnington Park. During the 1960s...

Moving house to a mansion #1

MOVING HOUSE TO a MaNSION:       an class='highlight'>Myan> parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving house was done over the summer months.  We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This house was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there!  actually I love history and I think an class='highlight'>Myan> interest was fuelled by living in these historic houses as a child.  an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donington Park.  During the...

Moving On #33

MOVING ON - and so we come to the end of an class='highlight'>Myan> story.  an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> and Gavin moved out to live in Burton and an class='highlight'>Myan> mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years.  She and the singer eventually got together much to an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan>’s chagrin.  He spent a lot more time at the Hall helping an class='highlight'>Myan> mum run the banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him.  When he was about 14 years old an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> received a phone call from Piers – he had run away from home and was ringing from the phone box by the Meynell arms car park!  He told an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> that he was hiding behind a bush and could he come and get him.  Of course, an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> was only too happy to fetch him and get...

Like father, like sons #20

LIKE FaTHER, LIKE SONS:        as previously mentioned in earlier blogs an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> used to be a racing driver during the 1950s and ran his own team, Shardlow Motor Racing, in the 1960s, travelling all over Europe in his trusty Volkswagon van (see picture above) with his two mechanics and racing driver.   He didn’t have big sponsorship money behind him and most of it was done on a shoestring but he came back with lots of funny stories of their van breaking down or some rural ‘hotel’ that they had stayed in.  From each country that he visited he always brought me back a doll dressed in the traditional costume of that country.  There was quite a collectio...