Story Search Results

Hoar Cross Hall - Life below stairs #20

...ll in the seventies, when we were open to the public, quite a few of the servants came to look around and told us their stories of what they had done and what it was like living there in the early part of the century.  Most of them agreed that it was hard work and it’s clear that life below stairs was very different to life above.  For most servants it was an accepted way of life, and for many, unavoidable. Don’t miss next week’s instalment:  Like Father, Like Sons If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends.          ...

Eat, drink and be merry! #10

...  In the seventies mediaeval banquets were becoming the ‘in thing’ so they started planning how they would do this.  It was decided that they would run them during the winter months and open the house to the public from Easter to the August Bank Holiday.   Around this time JCB, who had a factory in nearby Uttoxeter, heard that we were planning to run banquets and booked a private one exclusively for their US division.   My parents knew Joe Bamford (the JCB owner) quite well and I think my dad hoped that I would one day marry his son and invited him to one or two balls that we had at the Hall, but I was still quite young and nothing came of it. The Bamf...

The War Years and Beyond #38

...re in the seventies!  Enjoy!...

Hysterical Productions #17

...spite the seventies shenanigans the nights were always a good laugh and there were lots of funny things that happened.  Myra (the fire-eater’s wife) and I always did the cloakroom and one time this lady took her coat off and as she did so her halter neck top came undone and she stood there in her bra and skirt for all to see!    Menu from a typical banquet    Once the banquets started we would join in with the singing, even standing behind the main act and pretending to be the backing group.  Another member of the cast would wear a sombrero and shake maracas to a Latin song while we threw petals all over him – don’t ask me why!  My dad didn�...

Like Father, Like Sons #21

...the early seventies I became quite interested in rallying and thought that I might like to have a go at that when I left school.  I was quite the tomboy in those days and something like that would have suited me well, although it was very much a man’s world back then.  My parents took us all to see the annual Lombard RAC Rally which was quite exciting and very muddy!  We stood near a bend and watched cars skidding round corners and driving into ditches; occasionally knocking down trees which stood in their path!  Unfortunately, by the time I’d left school my parents’ marriage was rapidly falling apart and I was caught in the crossfire – any thoughts...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #11

...ss in the seventies.  It is now a nursing home. Emily also owned a house in London, a villa in Florence and a yacht, which was a fully-crewed schooner of 380 tons with over 20 staff on it.  She also had a small chapel made on the yacht and would often take her local vicar on trips with her so they could hold services for her and the crew.  Every spring she would go on a cruise around the Mediterranean and sometimes across to the Netherlands and Germany.  She loved painting and would spend much of her time doing water colours along with collecting beautiful objects to decorate the Hall and the Church of the Holy Angels.  In 1890 she went on a painting trip...