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The Kitchen Maid's Story #36

If you were young, free <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> single – oh, <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> very well-to-do – the 1920s were the decade to be a part of. The upper classes had lots of time on their h<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>s <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> enjoyed post-First World War delights such as the theatre <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> 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 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> many like her. Her name was Jean Rennie, <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> she was extremely intelligent having won a scholarship to Glasgow University to study French <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> music. However, the £5 bursary she got was taken by her father <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> used to buy...

Christmas High Jinks #72

The sounds of 'La Golondrina' floated through the air as Viv sat at the gr<Span class='highlight'>andSpan> piano.  How pleased she was that someone had asked them to look after this fine musical instrument for a few months.  Having learned to play when she was younger, this gave Viv the opportunity to brush up on her skills as a pianist <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> she was thoroughly enjoying it.  The piano was in the Library <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> suited the room perfectly.  She could hear her father <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> an antique dealer talking in the Long Gallery as they haggled over the price of a painting that he was selling.  Viv gazed out of the window as she played <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> thought back to the Midsummer’s Eve Ball that they’d had a few...

Panto Pranks! #76

During the 1970s Hoar Cross Hall was used from time to time for local community activities <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> one such event was the production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> a Journey back to Happiness’.   It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the Hon. Alex<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>ra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased the Hall from.  The words <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> music were written by local songwriter, David Matthews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during the 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change the world’.  So off to a good start there! For those of you who don’t reside in t...

The Gr<Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Opening #5

THE GR<Span class='highlight'>andSpan> OPENING:        <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> so we move into 1971 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the preparation of the Hall so we could open it to the public by Easter.  During the run up to buying the house my dad had been buying furniture, carpets <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> paintings like  crazy <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> I remember our previous home being jam packed with chaise longues, sideboards <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> carved chests as well as all the suits of armour that he already had.  This furniture was now set out in all the rooms. My mum’s collection of Victorian costumes were on display in the Ballroom as well as my dad’s collection of silver plated ‘display’ armour, which hung around the panelled walls; the suits of armour <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the many pai...

Suits you sir! #24

SUITS YOU SIR!       When we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 the organ in the private chapel wasn’t working as the house had been empty for 20 years.  It was such a shame as it had been designed by Bodley, the famous organ maker of the 19th century.  The chapel itself had been added about 25 years after the house was built at the staggering cost of just under £1000!  When one of the visitors to the house said he could fix the organ, my dad readily agreed.  This chap really loved organs <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> volunteered his services free of charge just for the love of mending this musical work of art; my dad was over the moon!  Alas, after removing all the pipes <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> la...

Suits you sir! #23

SUITS YOU SIR!      When we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 the organ in the private chapel wasn’t working as the house had been empty for 20 years.  It was such a shame as it had been designed by Bodley, the famous organ maker of the 19th century.  The chapel itself had been added about 25 years after the house was built at the staggering cost of just under £1000!  When one of the visitors to the house said he could fix the organ, my dad readily agreed.  This chap really loved organs <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> volunteered his services free of charge just for the love of mending this musical work of art; my dad was over the moon!  Alas, after removing all the pipes <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> lay...