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Huntin', Shootin' and Fishin' #6

HUNTIN’, SHOOTIN’ AND FISHIN’:      Most stately homes have The obligatory hunting, shooting and fishing and Hoar Cross Hall was no exception during The Meynell family’s time There.   We participated in none of These but The Meynell and South Staffs Hunt used to meet locally to do a spot of fox hunting.  They would all gaTher at different venues around The area and enjoy a drink before setting off.  One of Their usual places was The Meynell Ingram Arms Public House at The bottom of The village.   In February 1972 They had Their ‘meet’ at The Hall.  We, as The host family, got all dressed up to meet and greet Them and local helpers served dr...

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...

The graveyard shift #24

The GRAVEYARD SHIFT:    Life carried on at Hoar Cross Hall as best it could in difficult circumstances.  My dad continued to go to Arms and Armour Fairs to buy and sell antiques and we also went to a mediaeval banquet in Cheshire one night, although it wasn’t anywhere near as good as ours!  Once or twice we took my dad out with our friends to Derby, where he originated from, and that seemed to cheer him up.  But he really needed to get away from The house for longer periods of time and when he saw a boat advertised for sale at Caernarvon he jumped at The chance and bought it.  It was an ex lifeboat called The Bembo so quite sturdy, although in need of a...

The Kitchen Maid's Story #34

The KITCHEN MAID’S STORY:     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 (equ...

Gardeners World at Hoar Cross #36

GARDENERS’ WORLD AT HOAR CROSS:      In it’s heyday Hoar Cross Hall had around 28 people employed to keep The 20 acres of grounds tidy and weed free. In Victorian England The most common of all male servants was The gardener. At Hoar Cross The head gardener had numerous under-gardeners known affectionately as ‘digging slaves’! They were responsible for producing fruit, vegetables and growing luxury items in and out of season, much of it under glass. Adjacent to The house was The carp pool and greenhouse area along with a palm house; next to These was a walled kitchen garden. This supplied The house with all its fruit, vegetables and herbs. The palm h...

The Kitchen Maid's Story #37

The KITCHEN MAID’S STORY:    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 was ta...