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a New Year Calamity #34

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 an class='highlight'>boughtan> 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 and into the Ballroom with his...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of History #54

Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers. The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who an class='highlight'>boughtan> the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross. This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross). In 1740 the manor house was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot an class='highlight'>boughtan> the estate for £17,000. Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county and was now about to add another one to his portfolio. This branch...

Race Day Parties! #25

an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> used to be a racing driver so he was often invited to parties and open days at various racing circuits. He naturally knew lots of racing people and on this particular occasion he was invited to an Open Day at Donington Park. Tom Wheatcroft, a local entrepreneur, had an class='highlight'>boughtan> Donington Park in the 1970s as he owned the largest collection of Grand Prix cars in the world at that time. In 1973 he opened a museum there to house them all and called it the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition.  This sadly closed in 2018. Donington became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championships but he was really hoping to bring Formula 1 racing b...

Celebrating VE Day #94

as a way of commemorating V. E. Day I have re-posted an class='highlight'>Myan> blog from November's Remembrance Day which tells of the sacrifice that the men of the Meynell family made during both world wars as well as the many thousands of others who took part.  During the two World Wars the Meynell family of Hoar Cross Hall served their country alongside many others from all walks of life.  after each war there was huge social upheaval, especially for women, who had been doing what was traditionally 'men's work' during the war and weren't prepared to go back to domestic roles.  at the time of the First World War Frederick Meynell and Lady Mary Meynell were living at the Hall with...

Whodunit in the Library? #24

WHODUNIT IN THE LIBRaRY?      When we first moved to Hoar Cross Hall, growing up in a stately home seemed an idyllic way to live – and lots of fun if you’re a child. This rambling old house full of empty rooms and secret doors, wild gardens and woods to explore, was in some ways a dream come true for our family, certainly for an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan>. But as we turned from children to teenagers the isolation and lack of public transport was frustrating. Coupled with this was an class='highlight'>Myan> parents fighting and subsequent split, living at each end of the house and battling for the house and business through their solicitors. The effect this had on me, as the eldest child who perhaps s...

See you in Court #27

The saga of an class='highlight'>Myan> parents’ split continued as we grew up in our stately home, although their behaviour was anything but stately for most of the time! Seven years of arguing and fighting were about to come to an end and the solicitors had finally agreed on a date to go to court. We carried on helping an class='highlight'>Myan> an class='highlight'>dadan> to run the Hall and he still went to his boat in Caernarfon at weekends to get away from the house but we were all getting weary of it now. We were young adults and wanting to get on with our own lives. after five years together we were hoping to get married at some point so we were glad that it was finally going to be sorted out one way or another. Gavin was...