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Moving On #35

MOVING ON – THE END OF AN ERA:      And so, after ten years of growing up and living in a stately home, I have come to the end of my story. After my parents’ divorce it was agreed that my mum bought out my dad's half of the house and he had to leave his dream home forever. He and Gavin moved out to live in Burton-on-Trent and my mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years. She and the singer eventually got together much to my dad’s chagrin. The singer spent a lot more time at the Hall helping my mum run the banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him. When he was about 14 years old my dad received a phone call from Piers...

Hoar Cross Hall meets Downton Abbey #99

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...

The life and times of an upper class family #44

...quare. Hickleton Hall, Emily's childhood home   Emily Charlotte's mother was Lady Mary Grey, youngest daughter of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl and Whig Prime Minister from 1830-34. It was he who the famous Earl Grey tea was named after, after a special taste was created by adding Oil of Bergemot to black tea. His administration was also responsible for passing the first Reform Act of 1832 which changed how the elections were done and meant that the middle classes could vote also. Once Hugo and Emily were married they moved to Hoar Cross and lived in Old Hall which was a hunting lodge near to where they were later to build Hoar Cross Hall. Tragically, after mo...

Alice - the ghost in the mirror #26

...s Wood of Hickleton Hall in Yorkshire. During the summer a friend of the children, Mary Heath, stayed at the Hall and this is the little girl believed to be his inspiration for Alice. But also, the room in which he taught the children had a lovely mirror over the mantlepiece which is exactly the same as the picture of the mirror in his story ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’. So it seems that lots of things from that time inspired him!   Alice in Lewis Carroll's book   When Charles Wood’s daughter Emily got married in 1863 she took the mirror with her to her new home, Hoar Cross Hall, and there it hung over the fireplace in the Library for many d...

The History of Temple Newsam #37

...lment:  'Hickleton Hall and the Meynells'   If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends. Follow me around my childhood home in my 'Tour of the Hall' – click here to view and subscribe to my YouTube channel. OUT NOW!!  'My Dad Bought a Mansion' book is available on Amazon. All my memoirs packed with lots of original photographs from the times.   Go check it out and let me know what you think! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. ...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #20

...HOAR CROSS Hall – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:       This week I’ve done a history blog about the servants who lived at the Hall from the 1870s to the 1950s when the Hall became empty.  They were an essential part of keeping a big house running but were often not appreciated by the aristocracy as they went about their day to day duties. The life of a servant in Victorian times was a hard one.  They had to rise at 5am to clean and light all the fires and dust and polish the floors, then do a day’s work, often not getting to bed much before midnight.  No wonder they didn’t live to a great age in those days!  By the end of the 19th century there were nearly...