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Becoman class='highlight'>inan>g a Rock Chick #17

My schooldays were coman class='highlight'>inan>g to an end now and I absolutely couldn’t wait to leave. The school itself was an old Victorian grammar school an class='highlight'>inan> Uttoxeter which still had wooden desks with an class='highlight'>inan>kwells an class='highlight'>inan> them! Even the teachers wore their mortar boards and gowns just like the ones at Eton and Harrow – or the Beano! However, an class='highlight'>inan> the last two years there I had made a few good friends and we would go an class='highlight'>inan>to town every lunch time to meet up with a group of guys that worked at the local J. C. Bamford firm. They were all an class='highlight'>inan>to motor bikes and one of the first films I watched was ‘Easy Rider’. They also went to a lot of concerts to see live music, somethan class='highlight'>inan>g which was totally...

Christmas High Jan class='highlight'>inan>ks! #31

The sounds of La Golondran class='highlight'>inan>a floated through the air as Viv sat at the grand piano. How pleased she was that someone had asked them to look after this fan class='highlight'>inan>e musical an class='highlight'>inan>strument for a few months. Havan class='highlight'>inan>g learned to play when she was younger, this gave Viv the opportunity to brush up on her skills as a pianist and she was thoroughly enjoyan class='highlight'>inan>g it. The piano was an class='highlight'>inan> the Library and suited the room perfectly. She could hear her father and an antique dealer talkan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>inan> the Long Gallery as they haggled over the price of a paan class='highlight'>inan>tan class='highlight'>inan>g that he was sellan class='highlight'>inan>g. Viv gazed out of the wan class='highlight'>inan>dow as she played and thought back to the Midsummer’s Eve Ball that they’d had a few months ago. I...

The Hauntan class='highlight'>inan>g of Hoar Cross Hall #32

The typewriter keys clattered away as Viv wrote her story. It was coman class='highlight'>inan>g along nicely and she was feelan class='highlight'>inan>g pleased with herself. The attic room that she and her brothers had made an class='highlight'>inan>to their ‘den’ was ideal for gettan class='highlight'>inan>g away from everybody and havan class='highlight'>inan>g some peace and quiet and she quite forgot about the time as she lost herself an class='highlight'>inan> the plot. Suddenly she looked up and realized how dark it was gettan class='highlight'>inan>g; the December nights were pullan class='highlight'>inan>g an class='highlight'>inan> and it was already quite dusky by 3.30pm. Quickly she packed her books and folders away and prepared to go downstairs. How she hated bean class='highlight'>inan>g up an class='highlight'>inan> the attics when it was gettan class='highlight'>inan>g dark as it was so spooky! The wan class='highlight'>inan>d was startan class='highlight'>inan>g to howl...

Racan class='highlight'>inan>g travels #40

RaCan class='highlight'>inan>G TRaVELS:   Duran class='highlight'>inan>g the 1960s my dad travelled all over Europe with his racan class='highlight'>inan>g team.  The header photo shows him with his VW van with his racan class='highlight'>inan>g car on the back.  He usually took two mechanics with him who were friends of his who just loved racan class='highlight'>inan>g and volunteered their services for a free holiday abroad!  He went to all the big racan class='highlight'>inan>g circuits:  Hockenheim, Nurburgran class='highlight'>inan>g and Monza, travellan class='highlight'>inan>g across Europe to get to them.  He always came back with lots of funny stories to tell.  Because the van he used wasn't brand new it would sometimes break down but at least he had two mechanics with him - however, gettan class='highlight'>inan>g parts wasn't easy an class='highlight'>inan> the 1960s, especially...

a Bit Of Background #1

a BIT OF BaCKGROUND: It was the summer of 1970, Mungo Jerry was at the top of the hit parade and we were about to move house.  But not to any old house – to a 70 roomed mansion an class='highlight'>inan> 20 acres of grounds!  For years my dad had collected antiques, ever san class='highlight'>inan>ce he was a young boy of 12, and it was his dream to own a large house where he could put them on show to the general public.  an class='highlight'>inan> the 1970s he owned the largest private collection of arms and armour an class='highlight'>inan> the country and his dream was about to be realised; but little did we know what a nightmare would unfold before us. Hoar Cross Hall was the home of the Meynell an class='highlight'>inan>gram family who origan class='highlight'>inan>ated from Leicestershire.�...

Here comes the bride (Part 1) #30

HERE COMES THE BRIDE (Part 1)   Our weddan class='highlight'>inan>g preparations were goan class='highlight'>inan>g quite well.  as we knew lots of musicians it wasn’t hard to fan class='highlight'>inan>d a local band and a DJ to do the disco.  a friend of my dad’s offered to do the cateran class='highlight'>inan>g and the bar was set up with plenty of kegs from the local brewery an class='highlight'>inan> Burton on Trent.  I had two bridesmaids and we all went to Birman class='highlight'>inan>gham one day to choose our dresses and shoes – it was all kept very simple really as I had no help or advice from my mum as most brides do.   Kev’s parents had eloped after the war and got married an class='highlight'>inan> a register office with two witnesses dragged off the street, so they had no idea what you did to pla...