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MOTOR RACING DAYS #9

MOTOR RACING DAYS: Although my blogs are about living at Hoar Cross Hall, I would just like to give a bit of background about my dad’s racing career in The years leading up to moving to The Hall as this will set The scene for later instalments of my story.  As mentioned in my first blog my dad used to be a racing driver but he actually started off racing motor cycles.  He had been a despatch rider in World War 2 in North Africa and after The war ended and he’d recovered from TB he decided to take up racing his bike as a hobby.  As he lived in Derby The nearest track was Donington Park and he raced There at The beginning of The 1950s.  After that he move...

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! #13

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! When Hugo and Emily Meynell built The Hall it included a whole estate with it, namely kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages.  Old Hall (Their original home) was also on The estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from The main road.  By The time The seventies came along The stable block and Old Hall were private houses and anoTher part of Old Hall had been made into a children’s home.  Emily Meynell had started this home in The Victorian days, calling it ‘The Home of The Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time.  When we were There it was a mixed home and run by a husband and wife co...

RAGS TO RICHES! #15

RAGS TO RICHES:  My parents were married in Derby in July 1952.  Mum was 19 and dad was 36 so quite a bit older.  They both lived in Derby and were very arty; my dad went to The Derby Sketching Club in his free time and my mum attended art college.  I’m not sure where They met but it was eiTher at something art related or at a dance, as was usual in those days.  My dad was a sculptor by trade; I think his interest was sparked by seeing all The beautiful alabaster in Italian churches during The war.  After The war he set up his own business making alabaster lamps, bowls and candlesticks among oTher things (see header picture).  He would go to The alabast...

Becoming A Rock Chick! #17

BECOMING A ROCK CHICK:  My schooldays were coming to an end now and I absolutely couldn’t wait to leave.  The school itself was an old Victorian grammar school which still had wooden desks with inkwells in Them!  Even The teachers wore Their mortar boards and gowns, not like The ones at Eton and Harrow – mine were more like The ones in The Beano!  However, in The last two years There I had made a few good friends and we would go into Uttoxeter every lunch time to meet up with a group of guys that worked at The local JCB firm.  They were all into motor bikes and one of The first films I watched was ‘Easy Rider’.  They also went to a lot of concerts...

"He's Behind You" #22

“HE’S BEHIND YOU!” During The 1970s The Hall was used from time to time for local community activities and one such event was The production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight and a Journey back to Happiness’.   It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall and The Hon. Alexandra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased The Hall from.  The words and music were written by local songwriter, David MatThews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during The 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change The world’.  So off to a good start There! For those of you who d...

Suits You Sir! #23

SUITS YOU SIR! When we moved to The Hall in 1970 The organ in The private chapel wasn’t working as The house had been empty for 20 years.  It was such a shame as it had been designed by Bodley, The famous organ maker of The 19th century.  The chapel itself had been added about 25 years after The house was built at The staggering cost of just under £1000!  When one of The visitors to The house said he could fix The organ, my dad readily agreed.  This chap really loved organs and volunteered his services free of charge just for The love of mending this musical work of art; my dad was over The moon!  Alas, after removing all The pipes and laying Them out in...