Story Search Results

The Life and Times of an Upper Class Family #41

...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 older 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 niece, the daughter of Frank's older brother. And so therein lies a link to the royal family from a family living at Hoar Cross Hall!   Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and brother David   Don't miss next week's historical episode:    'Temple Newsam and the Meynells'   If you would like to follow my...

Things that go bump in the Night #3

...like at a party. They couldn’t work out if it was birds nesting under the eaves so they slept in another room down the corridor to see if they still heard it – and sure enough, they did! What was going on? Had we disturbed some lost souls forever wandering in the attics? One night my mum was woken up by the sight of a little girl ‘floating’ over the bed. She said the girl was wearing a long nightdress and mop cap and seemed to be stretching her arms out to my mum as if she was asking for help. She floated all around the bed scaring my mum half to death. Frantically she tried to wake my dad while the ghoulish girl reached out - by the time he was awake t...

Mediaeval Mayhem! #11

...e quite a party, even though it started at 9.30 in the morning; as the day wore on the organist started playing a few of the songs we would be doing at the banquets, and everyone started dancing and singing along – it was 4pm by the time we finished! And so arrived the day of the first banquet. All the furniture and costumes from the Chinese Room and Ballroom had been removed and put into storage elsewhere in the house. A local carpenter had made long tables and benches to seat about 200 guests in the Ballroom, which was now known as the Banqueting Hall. We had employed caterers to do the food and the Chinese Room was used as a food preparation area next to t...

Here comes the bride (Part 1) #27

...ith their party there.     When I came home and went up to bed, I passed the door leading to the apartments and could hear a lot of noise. I went into the East Wing and listened at the door; it sounded like they were having a lot more fun than me so in I went! The place was full of men watching the strippers and when I walked in all dressed up they thought another one had arrived until they realised it was me! Kev started to say to me that I shouldn’t be there – it was a stag do and only men were allowed. Even though he said it in jest, one uninvited guest who didn’t know us started to shout back at Kev and told him to stop treating me like that. He...

What the Butler Saw! #37

...e for the party, he heard a lot of giggling.  When he peeked  through the door he saw one of the young gentleman of the house in a passionate embrace with one of the housemaids!  Let’s hope the butler didn't see anything else!   Don’t miss next week’s instalment:   'Gardeners World at Hoar Cross'   If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends. Follow me around my childhood home in my 'Tour of the Hall' – click here to view and subscribe to my youtube channel. OUT NOW!!!  'My Dad Bought a Mansion' is out in book form on Amazon - all my memoirs packed with lots of photogra...

The life and times of an upper class family #42

...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 older 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 niece, the daughter of Frank's older brother. And so therein lies a link to the royal family from a family living at Hoar Cross Hall! The Queen Mother with brother David   Don't miss next week's instalment:  'Hickleton House and the Meynells'   If you would like to follow my story form the beginni...