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Alice - the ghost in the mirror #26

In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote another story about Alice following on from ‘Alice in Wonderl<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>’. It was called ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’. In this story Alice climbs onto the mantlepiece over the fireplace in her lounge <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> finds that she can climb through the mirror into another world which is reversed, just like a reflection. Once again, she encounters strange figures in a world dominated by a chess set <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> nursery rhyme characters, among others. But what inspired Lewis Carroll to write about a little girl having lots of adventures? In the 1850s Charles Dodgson (Carroll’s real name) studied at Christ Church in Oxford. A new dean, Henry Liddell,...

Temple Newsam <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> the Meynells #42

TEMPLE NEWSAM <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> THE MEYNELLS:     Following on from last week's blog about Emily Meynell Ingram's family background, this week I am delving into the family background of Emily's husb<Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Hugo which explains how Emily came to own the Temple Newsam estate after his death.   In 1782, Hugo's gr<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>father, Hugo Meynell of Quorndon, the 'father of fox hunting', married the Hon. Elizabeth Ingram Shepheard.  She was the daughter of Charles Ingram, 9th Viscount Irwin <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Lord Ingram.  The family seat was Temple Newsam in Yorkshire <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> this was how the Meynell family became associated with this great house.  Through this marriage of Hugo <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Elizabeth, the Meynel...

Things That Go Bump In The Night! #3

  THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  That first winter at the Hall was like that.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.   They were all tightly shut as they had been for 20 years.  I remember st<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>ing there in the attic rooms, the hairs prickling the back of my neck <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> quickly legging it back downstairs!  On other nights I would hear peopl...

Alice - the ghost in the mirror

ALICE – THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR:       In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote another story about Alice following on from ‘Alice in Wonderl<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>’.   It was called ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’.  In this story Alice climbs onto the mantlepiece over the fireplace in her lounge <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> finds that she can climb through the mirror into another world which is reversed, just like a reflection.  Once again, she encounters strange figures in a world dominated by a chess set <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> nursery rhyme characters, among others.  But what inspired Lewis Carroll to write about a little girl having lots of adventures? In the 1850s Charles Dodgson (Carroll’s real name) studied...

Alice - the ghost in the mirror #28

ALICE – THE GHOST IN THE MIRROR:     (Based on true events)    In 1865 Lewis Carroll wrote another story about Alice following on from ‘Alice in Wonderl<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>’. It was called ‘Alice through the Looking Glass’. In this story Alice climbs onto the mantlepiece over the fireplace in her lounge <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> finds that she can climb through the mirror into another world which is reversed, just like a reflection. Once again, she encounters strange figures in a world dominated by a chess set <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> nursery rhyme characters, among others. But what inspired Lewis Carroll to write about a little girl having lots of adventures? In the 1850s Charles Dodgson (Carroll’s rea...

Victorian Courtship - fans #91

For the next few months I will be doing a series on Victorian courtship starting in February, the month of love, as we have just celebrated Valentine’s Day on the 14th.  The Victorians used various items for flirting with, namely fans, gloves, parasols <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> h<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>kerchiefs!  I imagine the Meynell family at Hoar Cross Hall held lots of dinner parties <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> Balls back in the Victorian days where most of the young ladies would have had their fans at the ready to signal to a secret beau.  But what were these signals <Span class='highlight'>andSpan> why were they used? The belief that the fan was used in society to express feelings or comm<Span class='highlight'>andSpan>s dates back to at least the early 18th century.  I...