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Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #18

...hatchers, carpenters, a joiner, a plumber and an electrician. They looked after the Hall and the workers’ cottages and all tenanted properties. The head gardener had a lot of authority outside the house and even the mistress would have to seek his permission first before entering the nursery gardens! Around Christmas time, all the staff and local trades’ people who supplied the house, were invited to a party held in the Long Gallery. However, they were only allowed to stay in this area, although they may have had a peep though the huge double doors into the drawing room. When Hugo Meynell married in 1936 a large reception was held for all the cottagers, ten...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #19

...hatchers, carpenters, a joiner, a plumber and an electrician. They looked after the Hall and the workers’ cottages and all tenanted properties. The head gardener had a lot of authority outside the house and even the mistress would have to seek his permission first before entering the nursery gardens! The 'Bothy boys' with their brooms   Around Christmas time, all the staff and local trades’ people who supplied the house, were invited to a party held in the Long Gallery. However, they were only allowed to stay in this area, although they may have had a peep though the huge double doors into the drawing room. When Hugo Meynell married in 1936 a large r...

Moving Out #32

...mbers and carpenters.  When it was all finished they put in their bills only to find out that the band were planning to leave the country – without paying anyone! The builders were none too pleased about this and went round to the newly finished house to take back anything they could find that was theirs – they also slashed the tyres on the Ferrari.  These were not people to mess around with!  Kev decided there and then not to do any more work with my dad’s friends and we moved on to other things.  About a year after we got married Kev set up his own electrical and plumbing business with a colleague and I joined the team a few months later when I was...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life Below Stairs #35

...hatchers, carpenters, a joiner, a plumber and an electrician. They looked after the Hall and the workers’ cottages and all tenanted properties. The head gardener had a lot of authority outside the house and even the mistress would have to seek his permission first before entering the nursery gardens! Around Christmas time, all the staff and local trades’ people who supplied the house, were invited to a party held in the Long Gallery. However, they were only allowed to stay in this area, although they may have had a peep though the huge double doors into the drawing room. When Hugo Meynell married in 1936 a large reception was held for all the cottagers, ten...

Gardeners' World at Hoar Cross #36

...hatchers, carpenters, a joiner, plumber and an electrician.  They looked after the maintenance of the house and workers’ cottages, and the tenanted properties. If the butler was an important figure inside the house, the head gardener had as much authority outside.  Even the mistress from the house was unable to enter the nursery garden without his permission, and to help herself to his produce would have been unthinkable.  Only the head gardener had the key and the door was always kept locked outside working hours! Around Christmas time, all the local trades’ people who supplied the house, were invited to a party held for them in the Long Gallery.  The...

Moving Out #32

...mbers and carpenters. When it was all finished they put in their bills only to find out that the band were planning to leave the country – without paying anyone!   The band's Ferrari on the drive    The builders were none too pleased about this and went round to the newly finished house to take back anything they could find that was theirs – they also slashed the tyres on the Ferrari. These were not people to mess around with! Kev decided there and then not to do any more work with my dad’s friends and we moved on to other things. About a year after we got married Kev set up his own electrical and plumbing business with a colleague and I joined...