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Here Comes the Bride (Part 2) #33

HERE COMES THE BRIDE (Part 2):    and so our weddan class='highlight'>inan>g day at Hoar Cross Hall arrived bright and clear, all thoughts of solicitors, legals, fights and arrests behan class='highlight'>inan>d us! Myself and my bridesmaids went to get our hair done an class='highlight'>inan> the mornan class='highlight'>inan>g and Kev slapped a piece of steak on his jaw to bran class='highlight'>inan>g the swellan class='highlight'>inan>g down after the rather unfortunate fight at his stag do. Fortunately, the bruise didn’t show up too much on the photos! Gavan class='highlight'>inan> 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 havan class='highlight'>inan>g a church an class='highlight'>inan> the grounds; you don’t get to drive all through the town with everyone lookan class='highlight'>inan>g at you...

The Schoolroom Maid's Story #36

THE SCHOOLROOM MaID’S STORY:    For the first 75 years of Hoar Cross Hall’s history about 50 servants were employed by the Meynell family an class='highlight'>inan> the house and grounds. among these was a young girl of fifteen who started work an class='highlight'>inan> 1920 as a Schoolroom Maid. Her name was Miss an class='highlight'>inan>ez Sophia Large and she had connections to Hoar Cross through her grand-parents, William and Mary Tooth, who lived an class='highlight'>inan> the village where William was the blacksmith; his smithy was just along from the Meynell public house. He had worked on the ironwork of the Hall duran class='highlight'>inan>g its construction an class='highlight'>inan> the 1860s. an class='highlight'>inan>ez’s aunt, Constance Madeley, was the wife of the landlord at the Buffalo an class='highlight'>inan>n, an class='highlight'>inan> nearby...

What the Butler Saw! #38

WHaT THE BUTLER SaW!      anyone who’s seen Downton abbey will remember Carter the butler. He is exactly how a butler would have been an class='highlight'>inan> the 19th century and, strangely enough, the butler at the Hall duran class='highlight'>inan>g the early part of the 20th century was also called Carter! although most big houses had a house steward who was an class='highlight'>inan> charge of accounts and general runnan class='highlight'>inan>g of the household, a butler was more commonly engaged by the wealthy. He was usually a grand, authoritarian figure, commandan class='highlight'>inan>g respect and awe and most of the servants would have been scared to death of upsettan class='highlight'>inan>g him! He was dressed like a gentleman of the period and generally ran the household with an...

Gardeners' World at Hoar Cross #39

GaRDENERS’ WORLD aT HOaR CROSS:    an class='highlight'>inan> it’s heyday Hoar Cross Hall had around 28 people employed to keep the 20 acres of grounds tidy and weed free. an class='highlight'>inan> Victorian England the most common of all male servants was the gardener. at Hoar Cross the head gardener had numerous under-gardeners known affectionately as ‘diggan class='highlight'>inan>g slaves’! They were responsible for producan class='highlight'>inan>g fruit, vegetables and growan class='highlight'>inan>g luxury items an class='highlight'>inan> and out of season, much of it under glass. adjacent to the house was the carp pool and greenhouse area along with a palm house; next to these was a walled kitchen garden. This supplied the house with all its fruit, vegetables and herbs. The palm house...

Calendar Girls and Front Covers #7

CaLENDaR GIRLS aND FRONT COVERS Duran class='highlight'>inan>g our time at Hoar Cross Hall people would occasionally hire the house for a day’s filman class='highlight'>inan>g or whatever. Duran class='highlight'>inan>g the summer of 1973 a photographer from London hired the house and grounds for a day and he brought two models with him, one English and one German - they were takan class='highlight'>inan>g photos for a glamour calendar! We children were told to keep right out of the way as they were takan class='highlight'>inan>g photos an class='highlight'>inan> the gardens as well as the house. Naturally we wanted to see everythan class='highlight'>inan>g that was goan class='highlight'>inan>g on and my younger brother Gavan class='highlight'>inan> especially was very keen to watch – so much so that he found a pair of ban class='highlight'>inan>oculars to follow all the proceedan class='highlight'>inan>gs! We mana...

The Schoolroom Maid's Story #36

For the first 75 years of Hoar Cross Hall’s history about 50 servants were employed by the Meynell family an class='highlight'>inan> the house and grounds. among these was a young girl of fifteen who started work an class='highlight'>inan> 1920 as a Schoolroom Maid. Her name was Miss an class='highlight'>inan>ez Sophia Large and she had connections to Hoar Cross through her grand-parents, William and Mary Tooth, who lived an class='highlight'>inan> the village where William was the blacksmith; his smithy was just along from the Meynell public house. He had worked on the ironwork of the Hall duran class='highlight'>inan>g its construction an class='highlight'>inan> the 1860s. an class='highlight'>inan>ez’s aunt, Constance Madeley, was the wife of the landlord at the Buffalo an class='highlight'>inan>n, an class='highlight'>inan> nearby Newborough, and it was through her...