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Ghostbusters #8

GHOSTBUSTERS! Later on an class='highlight'>inan> the year of 1973 a couple of professional ghost hunters asked to stay over one night to try and source the noises we heard an class='highlight'>inan> the attic.  They brought cases full of recordan class='highlight'>inan>g equipment and set it all up an class='highlight'>inan> one of the attic rooms.  Rather them than me I thought!  Then I had a brilliant idea and went off to tell Gavan class='highlight'>inan> all about it.  as mentioned an class='highlight'>inan> my first blog the attic and basement had a row of bells which the family used to summon the servants.  Before the men arrived we spent all day tryan class='highlight'>inan>g out all the bells to see which ones were which.  We found that one of the bell pulls an class='highlight'>inan> the Chase Dressan class='highlight'>inan>g Room made one of the bells an class='highlight'>inan> th...

Like Father Like Sons #20

LIKE FaTHER, LIKE SONS  as mentioned before my dad used to be a racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver duran class='highlight'>inan>g the 1950s and ran his own team an class='highlight'>inan> the 1960s, travellan class='highlight'>inan>g all over  Europe an class='highlight'>inan> his trusty Volkswagon van with his two mechanics and driver.   He didn’t have big sponsorship money behan class='highlight'>inan>d him and most of it was done on a shoestran class='highlight'>inan>g but he came back with lots of funny stories of their van breakan class='highlight'>inan>g down or some rural ‘hotel’ that they had stayed an class='highlight'>inan>.  From each country that he visited he always brought me back a doll dressed an class='highlight'>inan> the traditional costume of that country.  There was quite a collection and I still have them; I used to put them on display an class='highlight'>inan> the Library when our...

RaCE TRaCK ‘aFTER PaRTIES’ #27

RaCE TRaCK ‘aFTER PaRTIES’ Because my dad used to be a racan class='highlight'>inan>g driver he was often an class='highlight'>inan>vited to parties and open days at various racan class='highlight'>inan>g circuits.  He naturally knew lots of racan class='highlight'>inan>g people and on this particular occasion he was an class='highlight'>inan>vited to an Open Day at Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Park.  Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had bought Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Park an class='highlight'>inan> the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars an class='highlight'>inan> the world at that time.  an class='highlight'>inan> 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton Grand Prix Exhibition.   Donan class='highlight'>inan>gton became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcyclan class='highlight'>inan>g championships but he was really hopan class='highlight'>inan>g to bran class='highlight'>inan>g F...

Here comes the bride (Part 2)

HERE COMES THE BRIDE (Part 2)      and so our weddan class='highlight'>inan>g day 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> your grounds; you don’t get to drive all through the town with everyone lookan class='highlight'>inan>g at you!  Neve...

What the butler saw!

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...

More Tea Vicar? #12

MORE TEa VICaR?   Duran class='highlight'>inan>g the long summer holidays it was easy to get bored.  as there was no public transport from Hoar Cross and no children an class='highlight'>livan class='highlight'>inan>gan> nearby, we three children had to make our own entertaan class='highlight'>inan>ment and we were always havan class='highlight'>inan>g adventures and gettan class='highlight'>inan>g up to mischief – a bit like the Famous Five, but without a dog!  We would roam around the village or explore the basement.  My dad was a hoarder and had kept all sorts of stuff over the years an class='highlight'>inan>cludan class='highlight'>inan>g gas masks and field phones from World War 2.  The old Servants Hall was now my dad’s workshop and he spent a lot of time down there restoran class='highlight'>inan>g antiques to sell.  He had one of the field phones an class='highlight'>inan> his...