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Meet The Neighbours - Sudbury Hall #79

Continuing The series on neighbouring houses to Hoar Cross Hall, let me introduce you to Sudbury Hall, which is about 7 miles away and on The border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire.  The manor of Sudbury was listed in The Doomsday Book following The Norman Conquest in 1086, so a lot older than The Hall, and is a Grade I listed building.  The Vernon family came to Sudbury after a 16th century marriage between Sir John Vernon, from Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, and The Sudbury heiress, Ellen Montgomery.  It seems The Vernon family have stayed in The Hall for generations right up until The 20th century when The 10th Baron Vernon transferred The Hall and its princip...

Victorian Society #93

Victorian society was built around Queen Victoria’s reign, loosely between 1820-1914.  It was characterised by a class-based society and Britain being The most powerful empire in The world. Hoar Cross Hall was built in 1870, at The height of The Victorian era, and boasted up to seventy rooms, twenty-five of Them for The servants, approximately fifteen for The kitchens and utility areas, leaving around thirty rooms for The family and Their guests.  During this time a lot of people, particularly women, went into domestic service and The Housekeeper at The Hall earned about £50 a year, while a housemaid earned £15 a year – quite The difference!  By all ac...

RAGS TO RICHES! #15

...ocal 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 daughter.  One such long haired suiter rode up The drive on his motor bike one day to see me (we’d been meeting at The disco) and my dad chased him away yelling and shouting at The top of...

Suits you sir! #24

...SUITS YOU SIR!       When we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 The organ in The private chapel wasn’t working as The house had been empty for 20 years.  It was such a shame as it had been designed by Bodley, The famous organ maker of The 19th century.  The chapel itself had been added about 25 years after The house was built at The staggering cost of just under £1000!  When one of The visitors to The house said he could fix The organ, my dad readily agreed.  This chap really loved organs and volunteered his services free of charge just for The love of mending this musical work of art; my dad was over The moon!  Alas, after removing all The pipes and la...

Rags to Riches #12

...ocal 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 daughter.  One such long haired suiter rode up The drive on his motor bike one day to see me (we’d been meeting at The disco) and my dad chased him away yelling and shouting at The top of...

Suits you sir! #23

...SUITS YOU SIR!      When we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 The organ in The private chapel wasn’t working as The house had been empty for 20 years.  It was such a shame as it had been designed by Bodley, The famous organ maker of The 19th century.  The chapel itself had been added about 25 years after The house was built at The staggering cost of just under £1000!  When one of The visitors to The house said he could fix The organ, my dad readily agreed.  This chap really loved organs and volunteered his services free of charge just for The love of mending this musical work of art; my dad was over The moon!  Alas, after removing all The pipes and lay...