Story Search Results
57 results for king edward viii
found
within the Story
6 displayed out of 57 (0.82seconds)Page 4 of 10
Anyone for Tennis? #96
Posted by Viv Wilson on 25th June 2025 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall spa hotel,barons eden,wimbledon,all england lawn tennis and croquet club,downton abbey,History,Period drama,Meynell,queen mother,tennis court,mediaval,Henry viii,hampton court,Ballroom,Balls
With the summer season well and truly upon us and Wimbledon almost here, I thought a blog about tennis might be in order! The game of tennis first started in the Mediaeval days and involved hitting a ball with a bare hand and later with a glove. By the 16th century the glove had become a racquet and the game had moved to an enclosed playing area and the rules had stabilized. This was known as ‘real tennis’. The word tennis came into use in English in the mid-14th century from French, via the Anglo-Norman term Tenez, which can be translated as 'hold', 'receive' or 'take', a call from the server to his opponent indicating that he is about to serve....
Hysterical Productions #16
Posted by Viv Wilson on 16th August 2021 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall,Meynell,londons olympia,IRA,Birmingham,monk,Grand Hotel Leicester,New Year's Eve,rock chick,Downton Abbey,Bridgerton
By the end of 1974 we had done about 40 banquets at Hoar Cross Hall and they were still going strong. Most of the original cast were still with us but we were on our second king now and also doing our own catering and bar, instead of an outside firm coming in. Every weekend over 200 people came to sample our Noble Brose, Roast Lambe and Saracen’s Delight and sing along to ‘I’m Henry viii’ whilst drinking beer, wine and mead.
But it was a very adult environment for 15 year old girls to work in; a few of my school friends also worked at the banquets as wenches and we were constantly being chatted up by men who bought us drinks all evening (even though w...Hysterical Productions #15
Posted by Viv Wilson on 21st September 2020 in Growing Up In Stately Home | mediaeval banquets,king,fire eater,long gallery,birmingham,londons olympia,afghan,New Years Eve
HYSTERICAL PRODUCTIONS: By the end of 1974 we had done about 40 banquets at Hoar Cross Hall and they were still going strong. Most of the original cast were still with us but we were on our second king now and also doing our own catering and bar, whereas when we first started, we had a catering firm in to do it all. Every weekend over 200 people came to sample our Noble Brose, Roast Lambe and Saracen’s Delight and sing along to ‘I’m Henry viii’ whilst drinking beer, wine and mead. But it was a very adult environment for 15 year old girls to work in; a few of my school friends also worked at the banquets as wenches and we were constantly being chatte...
Hoar Cross Hall meets Downton Abbey #99
Posted by Viv Wilson on 24th September 2025 in Growing Up In a Stately Home | hoar cross hall spa hotel,barons eden,downton abbey,Highclere Castle,Bishop of Winchester,first world war,Great War,meynell ingram,Shropshire,Leicestershire,Derbyshire,History,period drama,Servants,Suffragettes,my dad bought a mansion,Earl of Carnarvon,Tomb of Tutankhamun,Eqyptologist,Lord Grantham
With the new Downton Abbey film out this month I thought I would do a comparison of the two family homes, Downton and Hoar Cross Hall, the latter being my old family home for those of you who are new to these blogs. Although Downton Abbey is fictional, the house on which it is based is not, it being Highclere Castle in Hampshire which was built in 1679 and is owned by the Earl of Carnarvon. Hoar Cross Hall was the original home of the Meynell Ingram family who first came from Leicestershire and was built in 1863. Hugo Meynell of Quorndon was the High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield and the family owned considerable property in...Hysterical Productions #16
Posted by Viv Wilson on 1st November 1974 in Early Days | mediaeval banquets,racing car,olympia,london,ira,birmingham,hoar cross hall
HYSTERICAL PRODUCTIONS: By the end of 1974 we had done about 40 banquets and they were still going strong. Most of the original cast were still with us but we were on our second king now and also doing our own catering and bar, whereas when we first started, we had got a catering firm in to do it all. Every weekend over 200 people came to sample our Noble Brose, Roast Lambe and Saracen’s Delight and sing along to ‘I’m Henry viii I am’ whilst drinking beer, wine and mead.
But it was a very adult environment for 15 year old girls to work in; a few of my school friends also worked at the banquets as wenches and we were constantly being chatted up by...
Hysterical Productions #17
Posted by Viv Wilson on 10th February 2019 in Growing Up In a Stately Home |
HYSTERICAL PRODUCTIONS: By the end of 1974 we had done about 40 banquets at the Hall and they were still going strong. Most of the original cast were still with us but we were on our second king now and also doing our own catering and bar, whereas when we first started, we had a catering firm in to do it all. Every weekend over 200 people came to sample our Noble Brose, Roast Lambe and Saracen’s Delight and sing along to ‘I’m Henry viii’ whilst drinking beer, wine and mead. But it was a very adult environment for 15 year old girls to work in; a few of my school friends also worked at the banquets as wenches and we were constantly be...