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Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #13

HOAR CROSS HALL - A BIT OF HISTORY:       Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century l<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>s of Henry de Ferrers. The l<Span class='highlight'>andSpan> was passed down to Henry’s son <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> subsequent various people over the course of 500 years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the l<Span class='highlight'>andSpan> <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> house known as the Manor of the Cross. This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross). In 1740 the manor house was demolished <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000. Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county. This branch of the...

Rags to Riches #14

Before we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire we lived in Derbyshire.  My family originated from Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my parents were married there in July 1952. Mum was 19 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> dad was 36 so quite a bit older. They both lived in Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my mum attended art college. I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days. My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was Sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war. After the war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls <Span class='highlight'>andSpan>...

Rags to Riches #63

My family originated from Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my parents were married there in July 1952.  Mum was 19 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> dad was 36 so quite a bit older.  They both lived in Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my mum attended art college.  I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days.  My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was Sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war. My parents on their wedding day - 1952   After the Second World War he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> c<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>les...

Rags to Riches #14

RAGS TO RICHES:      My family originated from Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my parents were married there in July 1952. Mum was 19 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> dad was 36 so quite a bit older. They both lived in Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my mum attended art college. I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days. My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was Sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war. After the war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> c<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>lesticks among other things (see header picture)....

Moving On - the end of an era #33

...it into a <Span class='highlight'>HotelSpan> <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Spa after building a huge extension onto the side of the original house, which still looks the same, as you can see in my video tour here In 2000 Piers married his girlfriend Lindsey <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> we had a wedding lunch the next day at the Hall plus a tour of all the rooms new <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> old. It was quite fascinating to see the Spa <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> treatment rooms which are now in the  basement. The pool is in the old Servants Hall which in turn became my dad’s workshop <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the treatment rooms are in other parts of the old servants’ quarters – it was barely recognisable! In 2005 we went back again with my mum <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> two of our children, Lee <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Hannah. Again, it wa...

Rags to Riches #16

...RAGS TO RICHES:        My family originated from Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my parents were married there in July 1952.  Mum was 19 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> dad was 36 so quite a bit older.  They both lived in Derby <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> my mum attended art college.  I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days.  My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was Sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war.  After the war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> c<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>lesticks among other things (see hea...