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Reburbishing our Mansion #4

REFURBISHING OUR MaNSION :       We moved into the Hall during the summer holidays and an class='highlight'>Myan> parents quickly realised that they had a lot of work on their hands to make the place habitable as well as to earn some money from it.  as previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house.  an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments; he had done this at our previous house.  This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public.  It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would have been u...

Our mansion gets a facelift #4

OUR MaNSION GETS a FaCELIFT:        We moved into Hoar Cross Hall during the summer holidays and an class='highlight'>Myan> parents quickly realised that they had a lot of work on their hands to make the place habitable as well as to earn some money from it.  as previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house.  an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments; he had done this at our previous house.  This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public.  It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would...

Our mansion gets a facelift #4

OUR MaNSION GETS a FaCELIFT! We moved into Hoar Cross Hall during the summer holidays and an class='highlight'>Myan> parents quickly realised that they had a lot of work on their hands to make the place habitable as well as to earn some money from it. as previously mentioned, there was an East Wing and a West Wing to the house. an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments; he had done this at our previous house. This would generate income from rents until we got the main house open to the public. It wasn’t a big job to convert the rooms as the East Wing had four main rooms and two bathrooms already there, which would have been used as g...

Midnight Pool Parties # 59

Following on with the summer theme an class='highlight'>Myan> mind drifted back to those halcyon days of summer when we were all young and lively and hanging out with a large group of friends.  By now Kev and I had left college and were both working but weekends were for fun and parties! Kev and the band were also getting a few gigs around the area and after singing with them for a little while I gave it up and let a more professional singer take over – I needed to work on an class='highlight'>Myan> confidence first!   We still went to the local '76 Club' though to see live music – it was the start of the punk era and we saw the Sex Pistols there when they were just starting out – I have to say they...

The Graveyard Shift..... #24

THE GRaVEYaRD SHIFT...... Life carried on at the Hall as best it could in difficult circumstances.  an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> continued to go to arms fairs to buy and sell antiques and we also went to a mediaeval banquet in Cheshire one night, although it wasn’t anywhere near as good as ours!  Once or twice we took an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> out with our friends to Derby, where he originated from, and that seemed to cheer him up.  But he really needed to get away from the house for longer periods of time and when he saw a boat advertised for sale at Caernarvon he jumped at the chance and an class='highlight'>boughtan> it.  It was an ex lifeboat called The Benbow so quite sturdy, although in need of a lick of paint and...

Moving in - to a stately home! #2

MOVING IN -  TO a STaTELY HOME!   an class='highlight'>Myan> parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving house was done over the summer months. We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This house was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there! actually I love history and I think an class='highlight'>Myan> interest was fuelled by living in these historic houses as a child. an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donington Park. During the 1960s h...