Story Search Results

Victorian Courtship - fans #91

...onsidered marriageable, which is hard to believe in these modern times of 'Girl power' and equal rights.  For a woman back then, her only choice was to make a good marriage so she was set for life and well looked after, as women couldn't be financially independent and totally relied on a man (firstly their father, then a husband) to look after them.  And so, this is where the fans came in.  They could look for a man without seeming 'forward'.    They were expected to know how to hold their fans, unfurl their fans and flutter their fans!   Emotions were also added to the movement of fans: “There is an infinite variety of motions to be made use of in the...

Summer Balls and Garden Parties #97

...rated the marriage of their eldest son, Hugo to Jean by organising a 'Laughton Tenants' Memorable Day at Hoar Cross'.  This was a day of feasting and enjoyment for 200 tenants of the Meynell estate in Laughton who arrived in six comfortable coaches after travelling through Nottingham and Derby.  Altogether there were 400 guests including family and friends who sat down to an excellent lunch in a large marquee on the lawn.  Among the guests were tenants and cottagers from the Hoar Cross Estate too who all made their way to the Hall to the sound of bells peeling in the church tower.  Presentations were made to the happy couple and a Band of the 2nd Battalion K...

RAGS TO RICHES! #15

...arents’ marriage.  I was also growing up now and hated being stuck at home all the time – I vowed that if I had children I would never bring them up in such a remote place!  The local pub, The Meynell, started having a disco every week which my friend and I went to but which my dad soon put a stop to when he saw the type of ‘long haired yobbos’ that went to it!  I was furious.  These were different times now and my dad, being so much older than me, couldn’t cope with it.  He always dressed in a shirt, tie and waistcoat every day and hated the new look for men of jeans, tee-shirts and long hair!   He certainly didn’t want them chasing his daugh...

Suits You Sir! #23

...�� in the marriage and my mum would be entitled to half of it.  My dad went berserk as usual and vowed that she wouldn’t have any of his antiques as they were his means of earning money and not part of the domestic furniture.  However, as he was classed as self employed, his collection was deemed part of the family belongings.   The Mediaeval Banquets business was now in my mum’s name as a limited company and she ran them herself, separate from my dad.  My dad still got the rent money from the apartments and the takings from the house when it was open to the public, and of course, buying and selling his antiques.  But his earnings weren’t anywhere ne...

Rags to Riches #16

...arents’ marriage.  I was also growing up now and hated being stuck at home all the time – I vowed that if I had children I would never bring them up in such a remote place!  The local pub, The Meynell, started having a disco every week which my friend and I went to but which my dad soon put a stop to when he saw the type of ‘long haired yobbos’ that went to it!  I was furious.  These were different times now and my dad, being so much older than me, couldn’t cope with it.  He always dressed in a shirt, tie and waistcoat every day and hated the new look for men of jeans, tee-shirts and long hair!   He certainly didn’t want them chasing his daugh...

Suits you sir! #24

...�� in the marriage and my mum would be entitled to half of it.  My dad went berserk as usual and vowed that she wouldn’t have any of his antiques as they were his means of earning money and not part of the domestic furniture.  However, as he was classed as self employed, his collection was deemed part of the family belongings.   The Mediaeval Banquets business was now in my mum’s name as a limited company and she ran them herself, separate from my dad.  My dad still got the rent money from the apartments and the takings from the house when it was open to the public, and of course, buying and selling his antiques.  But his earnings weren’t anywhere ne...