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Here Comes the Bride (Part 2) # 28

And so our wedding day at Hoar Cross Hall arrived bright and clear, all thoughts of solicitors, legals, fights and arrests behind us! Myself and my bridesmaids went to get our hair done in the morning and Kev slapped a piece of steak on his jaw to bring the swelling down after the rather unfortunate fight at his stag do. Fortunately, the bruise didn’t show up too much on the photos! Gavin drove my dad’s Mercedes Benz car all the way down the drive and back up the road to the church – this was one of the drawbacks of having a church in your grounds; you don’t get a nice long drive through the town where everyone can see you! Never mind, a small crowd of l...

Rags to Riches #15

...parents' wedding day in 1952   For someone from his background, owning your own business was something of an achievement, being born the illegitimate son of a servant girl during the First World War. Even his birth is a story in itself as his mother worked at a nearby stately home as a servant and fell for the son of the house. My mum told me all about it years later – how they had fallen in love and were ‘walking out’ together even though it was forbidden in those days for the aristocracy to mix with the servants. However, before they could be married the son went off to the First World War and caught tuberculosis - he sadly died so my grandmother h...

Race Day Parties! #25

...oing to a wedding not a race meeting! But dad assured us that we needed to look the part as there was a big party afterwards in a marquee with all the top racing people in attendance – ‘racing royalty’ we called them. People like Bob Gerrard, who was one of the top racing drivers of the post war era – he and his wife were always very expensively dressed and hosted one of the marquee parties. There was also a VIP marquee which we managed to sneak into when no-one was looking. After ordering our drinks at the bar, Kev asked how much they were and was told in no uncertain terms that if we were real VIPs, we would know that it was all free!   The racing...

The Tax Man Cometh #29

...plan our wedding as we had always wanted to get married in the church in the grounds, The Church of the Holy Angels, and have the reception in the Hall – with all those bottles of champagne that my dad had been saving for years! The year was now 1980 and we set a date in August, a couple of months before my dad had to leave. It was strange having to meet up with the vicar who we had had such a fall out with when we were youngsters, when we had lit all the candles in the church one day to brighten it up. I hoped he didn’t remember! I also hoped he didn’t know that it was Gavin and I who had sabotaged the many Christmas and Easter high teas at the vicarage...

What the Butler Saw! #42

...r Diamond wedding anniversary in 1972. The Carters celebrating their anniversary   However, when at the Hall his main duties would have been looking after the wine cellar and silverware or 'plate' as it was known. This was kept in a room next to his bedroom so he could keep an eye on it and make sure no-one stole anything. Similarly with the wine cellar, he would have kept it all under lock and key so none of the servants could have a crafty drink when no-one was looking! There was actually a Chubb walk-in safe in the basement where, I assume, the more valuable items were kept for special occasions. Near to the butler’s room was a Chubb wall safe, whic...

RACE TRACK ‘AFTER PARTIES’ #27

...oing to a wedding not a race meeting!  But dad assured us that we needed to look the part as there was a big party afterwards in a marquee with all the top racing people in attendance – ‘racing royalty’ we called them.  People like Bob Gerrard, who was one of the top racing drivers of the post war era – he and his wife were always very expensively dressed and hosted one of the marquee parties.  There was also a VIP marquee which we managed to sneak into when no-one was looking.  After ordering our drinks at the bar, Kev asked how much they were and was told in no uncertain terms that if we were real VIPs, we would know that it was all free!  My dad...