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More tea vicar? #12

...uch.  At midnight we had a Scottish piper who would walk down the Long Gallery in full Scottish regalia complete with bagpipes to pipe in the new year.  Once this was done everyone would sing Auld Lang Syne and then my dad would release a net full of balloons onto the crowd and everyone would set off their party poppers. My brother Gavin’s birthday was New Year’s Day so he was allowed to come down just before midnight and everyone would sing Happy Birthday to him.  Not many youngsters of that age had 500 people singing birthday wishes to them and a huge party in their house! Don’t miss next week’s instalment:  Skool’s out for summer! If you woul...

A New Year Calamity!

...A NEW YEAR CALAMITY!      The New Year’s Eve Balls at the Hall were usually the highlight of the year.  After twelve months of hard work, especially running the Mediaeval Banquets twice a week through the winter, we were always ready to see out the year in style with a big new year party.  In those days it was always black tie for the men and long dresses for the ladies – usually around 500 people bought tickets for an evening of entertainment with a dance band, disco and a meal.  At midnight a man dressed in traditional Scottish regalia, including a kilt and sporran, would pipe in the new year with his bagpipes.  Down the Long Gallery he would slowly...

A New Year Calamity! #90

...The New Year’s Eve Balls at Hoar Cross Hall were usually the highlight of the year during the 1970s.  After twelve months of hard work, especially running the Mediaeval Banquets twice a week through the winter, we were always ready to see out the year in style with a big new year party.  In those days it was always black tie for the men and long dresses for the ladies – usually around 500 people bought tickets for an evening of entertainment with a dance band, disco and a meal.  At midnight a man dressed in traditional Scottish regalia, including a kilt and sporran, would pipe in the new year with his bagpipes.  Down the Long Gallery he would slowly walk...

Ghostbusters! #7

...lm and by midnight, when the film had ended, I didn’t dare leave the lounge to go up to bed – imagine climbing those stairs in the semi-darkness, passing the suits of armour, expecting to see the ghost or a bat flying around like the one I’d just seen in the Dracula film – I was terrified and rang my mum at the venue where they had gone that night. She immediately thought that the house was on fire or had been broken into and was quite exasperated when I told her that it was only a scary movie that was the reason for the phone call! Fortunately, they were about to leave and were soon home; I have never been so glad to see them in all my life! Many years...

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #18

...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 one and a half...

Ghostbusters! #8

...lm and by midnight, when the film had ended, I didn’t dare leave the lounge to go up to bed – imagine climbing those stairs in the semi-darkness, passing the suits of armour, expecting to see the ghost or a bat flying around like the one I’d just seen in the Dracula film – I was terrified and rang my mum at the venue where they had gone that night. She immediately thought that the house was on fire or had been broken into and was quite exasperated when I told her that it was only a scary movie that was the reason for the phone call! Fortunately, they were about to leave and were soon home; I have never been so glad to see them in all my life! Many years...