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Hysterical Productions #15

By the end of 1974 we had done about 40 banquets at Hoar Cross Hall <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> they were still going strong. Most of the original cast were still with us but we were on our second King now <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> also doing our own catering <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> bar, whereas when we first started, we had a catering firm in to do it all. Every weekend over 200 people came to sample our Noble Brose, Roast Lambe <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Saracen’s Delight <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> sing along to ‘I’m Henry VIII’ whilst drinking beer, wine <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> mead. But it was a very adult environment for 15 year old girls to work in; a few of my school friends also worked at the banquets as wenches <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> we were constantly being chatted up by men who bought us dri...

The War Years <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Beyond #37

...became a <Span class='highlight'>HotelSpan> <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Spa in 1990 with a swimming pool in exactly the same location as where the monks were going to put theirs!      <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> so onto 1970 when my family bought the Hall. Apparently my dad had seen a notice about the contents sale of Dr Gillies in 1963, <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> had shown an interest in the Hall back then. I imagine my mother said ‘No’ as she had two small children at that time! Mrs Meynell had kept his phone number <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> rang him up in 1969 to see if he was still interested in buying the Hall after the monks had left. This time he said ‘Yes’ <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the rest, as they say, is history! This has now brought my blog full circle <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> if you would like...

Panto Pranks! #22

...PANTO PRANKS!      During the 1970s Hoar Cross Hall was used from time to time for local community activities <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> one such event was the production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> a Journey back to Happiness’.   It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the Hon. Alex<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>ra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased the Hall from.  The words <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> music were written by local songwriter, David Matthews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during the 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change the world’.  So off to a good start there! For those of you w...

Panto Pranks #21

...PANTO PRANKS!     During the 1970s Hoar Cross Hall was used from time to time for local community activities <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> one such event was the production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> a Journey back to Happiness’. It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the Hon. Alex<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>ra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased the Hall from. The words <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> music were written by local songwriter, David Matthews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during the 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change the world’. So off to a good start there! For those of you who don’...

Panto Pranks! #30

...During the 1970s Hoar Cross Hall was used from time to time for local community activities <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> one such event was the production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> a Journey back to Happiness’. It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the Hon. Alex<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>ra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased the Hall from. The words <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> music were written by local songwriter, David Matthews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during the 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change the world’. So off to a good start there! For those of you who don’t reside in the UK an...

THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN #4

...THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN: As previously mentioned, there was an East Wing <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> a West Wing to the house.  My dad decided to convert the first floor rooms of each wing into three separate apartments, as he had done 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 <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> two bathrooms already there, which would have been used as guest bedrooms in Victorian times.  He made these into two, one-bedroom apartments <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> made small kitchens in the Spaces which connected the lounge <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> bedroom, probably once used as cupboard Space. Th...