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Hysterical Productions #16

...down the gallery, hoping no-one would notice – nobody did as they thought it was somebody being helped outside that had had too much to drink! As December approached the banquets were twice a week and the guests were more lively as they got into the Christmas spirit.  More people dressed up in mediaeval gear and once I walked down the Long gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire!  But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too!  The last banquet before Christmas had a great crowd in but the drunken wenches managed to spill soup down one chap�...

Hysterical Productions #17

...down the gallery, hoping no-one would notice – fortunately nobody did notice as they thought it was somebody being helped outside that had had too  much to drink! As December approached the banquets were twice a week and the guests were more lively as they got into the Christmas spirit.  More people dressed up in mediaeval gear and once I walked down the Long gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire!  But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too!  The last banquet before Christmas had a great crowd in but the drunken wenches managed to spill...

Hysterical Productions! #13

...down the gallery, hoping no-one would notice – fortunately nobody did notice as they thought it was somebody being helped outside that had had too  much to drink! As December approached the banquets were twice a week and the guests were more lively as they got into the Christmas spirit.  More people dressed up in mediaeval outfits and once I walked down the Long gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire!  But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too!  The last banquet before Christmas had a great crowd in but the drunken wenches managed to sp...

Eat, drink and be merry! #10

...EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY!       It was the end of the summer season at Hoar Cross Hall in 1973 and rehearsals had started for the new venture of Mediaeval Banquets when the cast would come round to the house each week to practice their routines. My mum and one or two other ladies were busy making the skirts and blouses for the wenches; my mum also made about 200 bibs which the guests were going to be wearing as eating five courses with a dagger can be quite messy! We had a King, a Jester, a Fire-eater, a Halberdier, an organist and various wenches and serving ladies. To launch the banquets my parents decided to hold a Press Reception about a month before and...

Hysterical Productions #15

...down the gallery, hoping no-one would notice – fortunately nobody did notice as they thought it was somebody being helped outside that had had too much to drink! As December approached the banquets were twice a week and the guests were more lively as they got into the Christmas spirit. More people dressed up in mediaeval gear and once I walked down the Long gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire! But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too! The last banquet before Christmas had a great crowd in but the drunken wenches managed to spill soup do...

What the Butler Saw! #42

...Anyone who’s seen Downton Abbey will remember Carson the butler. He is exactly how a butler would have been in the 19th century, a grand, authoritarian figure, commanding respect and awe and most of the servants would have been scared to death of upsetting him! He was dressed like a gentleman of the period and generally ran the household with an iron fist. Although most big houses had a house steward who was in charge of accounts and general running of the household, a butler was more commonly engaged by the wealthy. They usually started as footmen and worked their way up fro there.  Most butlers stayed at the same household until they retired and probably...