Story Search Results

See you in Court #27

...theby’s Auction House were to visit the Hall and value my dad’s antique collection.  Shortly after the hearing the valuers came to the house; they walked in and took one look at the collection and asked what all the fuss was about.  My mum’s face was a picture as they informed her that it was all reproduction and of little value!  As mentioned in previous blogs the original items were safely tucked away in Kev’s attic! Well, if nothing else, at least my dad had the last laugh!   Don’t miss next week’s instalment:  The tax man cometh! If you would like to follow my story form the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your f...

Moving Out #31

...MOVING OUT:     And so the day arrived a month or so after our wedding when my dad had to leave Hoar Cross Hall. Ten years after moving in he was now moving out, leaving his dream home for my mum to live in alone. Gavin moved with him and Piers was away at school most of the time. It was a mammoth task as he had so much stuff to move, especially from the basement. He had some heavy machinery too that he’d brought with him from his alabaster days, including a band saw which we used to saw up logs for the huge fireplaces in the main rooms. He had bought a house in nearby Burton-on-Trent which had some outbuildings for a workshop and there he moved to start af...

See you in Court #31

...theby’s Auction House were to visit the Hall and value my dad’s antique collection. Shortly after the hearing the valuers came to the house; they walked in and took one look at the collection and asked what all the fuss was about. My mum’s face was a picture as they informed her that it was all reproduction and of little value! As mentioned in previous blogs the original items were safely tucked away in Kev’s attic! Well, if nothing else, at least my dad had the last laugh!   Next week:    'Here Comes the Bride (Part 1)' If you’d like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends....

Moving Out #29

...And so the day arrived a month or so after our wedding when my dad had to leave Hoar Cross Hall. Ten years after moving in he was now moving out, leaving his dream home for my mum to live in alone. Gavin moved with him and Piers was away at school most of the time. It was a mammoth task as he had so much stuff to move, especially from the basement. He had some heavy machinery too that he’d brought with him from his alabaster days, including a band saw which we used to saw up logs for the huge fireplaces in the main rooms. He had bought a house in nearby Burton-on-Trent which had some outbuildings for a workshop and there he moved to start afresh. He carried o...

THE GRAND OPENING #5

...THE GRAND OPENING: And so into 1971 and the preparation of the house 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 and paintings like  crazy and I remember our previous home being jam packed with chaise longues, sideboards and carved chests as well as all the arms and armour that he already had.  This furniture was now set out in all the rooms.  The Long Gallery 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 and the m...

MOTOR RACING DAYS #9

...MOTOR RACING DAYS: Although my blogs are about living at Hoar Cross Hall, I would just like to give a bit of background about my dad’s racing career in the years leading up to moving to the Hall as this will set the scene for later instalments of my story.  As mentioned in my first blog my dad used to be a racing driver but he actually started off racing motor cycles.  He had been a despatch rider in World War 2 in North Africa and after the war ended and he’d recovered from TB he decided to take up racing his bike as a hobby.  As he lived in Derby the nearest track was Donington Park and he raced there at the beginning of the 1950s.  After that he move...