Story Search Results

Rags to Riches #16

RAGS TO RICHES:        My family originated from Derby and my parents were married there in July 1952.  Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older.  They both lived in Derby and were very arty; my dad went to the Derby Sketching Club in his free time and my mum attended art college.  I’m not sure where they met but it was either at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days.  My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was sparked by seeing all the beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during the war.  After the war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among other things (see hea...

Becoming a rock chick #18

...only seen dance bands at the New Year’s Eve Balls (yawn), even though I loved music.  They opened my eyes (and ears) to a new type of music and always bought me a ticket for the next concert they went to but my mum would always say ‘No’, much to my disgust!  Eventually I started dating one of the lads who was actually 21 so a bit older than my 16 years but as he was quite sensible my mother approved of him and eventually let me go to concerts with him.  Over the space of a few months we saw Jack the Lad, Dr Feelgood and The Who.  The Who were incredible and Keith Moon even smashed his drum kit up as their grand finale!  We also went to this really co...

THE TAX MAN COMETH #29

...few barn dances to go to and we even put one on ourselves.  These were usually in a local farmer’s barn with a disco and lots of real ales – they were good fun and went on to the early hours.  One of our friends was a farmer’s son and his farm was in the next village – after one such barn dance we all did a conga around the farmyard and woke all the sheep up.  Then we conga’d into a field full of cows – we thought it was hilarious until the ‘cows’ started to chase us; they were actually bulls!  The cows were all in their milking shed waiting to be milked – as we didn’t finish until 5am our friend would just go straight from the party to...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #20

...d a local dance, and always made sure they were escorted to and from the event by the footman.  Young maids were well protected in those times as the family were always worried about ‘undesirable’ friendships starting up, either within or outside the household.  But it seems that there was generally a good atmosphere in the house for most of the time.  The children mixed freely with the servants and Lady Mary forbid them to call the servants by their surname only, as was usual in those days.  She said it was disrespectful although the butler was always called by his surname, something still practised by today’s aristocracy. The basement rooms were whe...

Midnight pool parties #22

...do a fan dance to The Stripper and this seemed to keep the young men occupied! Alas, the neighbours complained about the noise on one occasion and reported the shenanigans to our friends’ parents.  Pool parties were thereafter banned for quite a while!   Kev in his tabard - minus the tights!   All the people renting our apartments were now young men and women and they soon became part of the crowd in the Meynell.  Every weekend would find us all creeping along the basement passage to one flat or another for a party – at least no-one could hear us; the walls in this stately home were about 2-3 feet (1m) thick!  When I turned 18 we decided t...

The Schoolroom Maid's Story

...d in attendance at the chapel ready for morning prayers.  All the family and staff had to attend although it was only prayers spoken by Colonel Meynell – no singing or music.   By mid-day she had again changed her outfit to an afternoon dress and made her way to the workroom to assist the lady’s maid in mending, sewing and general repairs to Miss Dorothy’s wardrobe.  It seems to me that people were forever changing their clothes in those days!  For the servants their morning dress was plain and serviceable covered with a large apron, for doing all the chores around the house.  Their afternoon dress was still plain but usually black and trimmed with...