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Calendar Girls and Front Covers #7

CALENDAR GIRLS AND FRONT COVERS:        During our time at the HAll people would occasionAlly hire the house for a day’s filming or whatever.   During the summer of 1973 a photographer from London hired the place for a day and he brought two models with him, one English and one German, and they were taking photos for a glamour calendar.  We were told to keep right out of the way as they were taking photos in the gardens as well as the house.  NaturAlly we wanted to see everything that was going on and my younger brother Gavin especiAlly was very keen to watch – so much so that he found a pair of binoculars to follow All the proceedings!  We managed...

Huntin', Shootin' and Fishin' #6

HUNTIN’, SHOOTIN’ AND FISHIN’:      Most stately homes have the obligatory hunting, shooting and fishing and Hoar Cross HAll was no exception during the Meynell family’s time there.   We participated in none of these but the Meynell and South Staffs Hunt used to meet locAlly to do a spot of fox hunting.  They would All gather at different venues around the area and enjoy a drink before setting off.  One of their usual places was the Meynell Ingram Arms Public House at the bottom of the village.   In February 1972 they had their ‘meet’ at the HAll.  We, as the host family, got All dressed up to meet and greet them and local helpers served dr...

Huntin', Shootin' and Fishin' #6

HUNTIN’,  SHOOTIN’ AND FISHIN’:    Most stately homes have the obligatory hunting, shooting and fishing and Hoar Cross HAll was no exception during the Meynell family’s time there. We participated in none of these but the Meynell and South Staffs Hunt used to meet locAlly to do a spot of fox hunting. They would All gather at different venues around the area and enjoy a drink before setting off. One of their usual places was the Meynell Ingram Arms Public House at the bottom of the village. In February 1972 they had their ‘meet’ at the HAll. We, as the host family, got All dressed up to meet and greet them and local helpers served drinks, usuAlly s...

Skools out for summer! #12

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!    When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross HAll it stood within 50 acres of land.  Their estate included kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages. Old HAll (their original home) was also on the estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from the main road. By the time the seventies came along the stable block and Old HAll were private houses and another part of Old HAll had been made into a children’s home. Emily Meynell had started this home in the Victorian days, cAlling it ‘The Home of the Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time. When we were there it was a mixed home and run by a...

More Tea Vicar? #12

Life at Hoar Cross HAll was always busy but during the long summer holidays it was easy to get bored. As there was no public transport from Hoar Cross and no other families living nearby, we three children had to make our own entertainment and we were always having adventures and getting up to mischief – a bit like the Famous Five but without a dog! We would roam around the village or explore the basement. My dad was a hoarder and had kept All sorts of stuff over the years including gas masks and field phones from World War 2. The old Servants HAll was now my dad’s workshop and he spent a lot of time down there restoring antiques to sell. He had one of the f...

Hoar Cross HAll - a bit of history #14

Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers. The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and 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 and 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 Meynell family originated from Leicestershire,...