Story Search Results

Alice - the ghost in the mirror #26

In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote another story about Alice following on from ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It was called ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’. In this story Alice climbs onto the mantlepiece over the fireplace in her lounge and finds that she can climb through the mirror into another world which is reversed, just like a reflection. Once again, she encounters strange figures in a world dominated by a chess set and nursery rhyme characters, among others. But what inspired Lewis Carroll to write about a little girl having lots of adventures? In the 1850s Charles Dodgson (Carroll’s real name) studied at Christ church in Oxford. A new dean, Henry Liddell,...

The life and times of an upper class family #44

...work and church work. Also artistic work and house decoration. Frederick Meynell, Emily's brother   They often visited their families and Lady Mary and Frederick used to stay with their uncle, old Lord Grey in Scotland. During one of these visits to Scotland the couple stayed at Glamis Castle where a little party piece was put on for them and other guests present. This was a minuet performed by ten-year-old Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and her younger brother David. That little girl would become the future Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Co-incidentally Lady Mary's sister Annie had married Frank Bowes-Lyon in 1883 and Lady Elizabeth was to become their...

Summer Balls and Garden Parties #57

...ng in the church tower. Presentations were made to the happy couple and a Band of the 2nd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry played a popular programme of music on the terrace. Tea was served in the afternoon and by 6pm guests were making their way home having enjoyed a thoroughly good day out, something which they probably talked about for weeks afterwards! The Memorable Day as mentioned in the local paper   The programme of toasts!   When my family bought the Hall in 1970 we held Midsummer's Eve Balls, New Year's Eve Balls and people often hired the Hall to put on their own functions including Red cross Balls and County Show Balls. Occas...

Hoar Cross History #65

...Hoar Cross Hall, where I grew up, is in the village of Hoar Cross, so small that it is almost a hamlet.  The only thing that defines it as a village is the fact that it has a place of worship which is The church of the Holy Angels, built by Emily Meynell in the 1870s in memory of her husband, Hugo.  The name of the village was first recorded in 1230 and called ‘Horcros’ and may refer to a grey boundary cross which stood as a marker but is now long gone.  No-one is entirely sure if this cross is the point where the four wards of Needwood Forest once met, or whether it indicated the extent of the land owned by Burton Abbey.  Whatever the reason we shall ne...

Meet the Neighbours - Trentham Gardens #83

...tower and church were not demolished and the grounds were used as pleasure gardens throughout the last century – they even hosted the Lombard RAC Rally!  As my father had been a racing driver and this was my  background growing up, I was quite keen to take up rally driving when I got older, so we often went to watch the cars skid and screech around the muddy tracks in the grounds.  Unfortunately, my dream never came true – well, it took me six years just to pass my driving test for one thing! Currently the remains of the property are Grade II listed buildings and there are plans in place to rebuild and restore so hopefully it will return to its former gr...

Summer Balls and Garden Parties #97

...ng in the church tower.  Presentations were made to the happy couple and a Band of the 2nd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry played a popular programme of music on the terrace.  Tea was served in the afternoon and by 6pm guests were making their way home having enjoyed a thoroughly good day out, something which they probably talked about for weeks afterwards!   Celebrating the marriage of Hugo and Jean Meynell   When my family bought the Hall in 1970 we held Midsummer's Eve Balls, New Year's Eve Balls and people often hired the Hall to put on their own functions including Red cross Balls and County Show Balls.  Occasionally a local business...