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The Grand Opening #5

THE GRAND OPENING:     And so we move into 1971 and the preparation of Hoar Cross Hall so we could open it to the public by Easter. During the run up to buying the house my dad had been buying furniture, carpets and paintings like crazy and I remember our previous home being jam packed with chaise longues, sideboards and carved chests as well as all the suits of armour that he already had. This furniture was now set out in all the rooms. My mum’s collection of Victorian costumes were on display in the Ballroom as well as my dad’s collection of silver plated ‘display’ armour, which hung around the panelled walls; the suits of armour and the many painti...

Midnight Pool Parties #20

...s the old butler who still haunts the Entrance Hall. Now it looked as if we had a ghost at each end of the house. What a night! We were now spending more of our social time in the Meynell Arms, the local pub. Every time we went in everybody wanted an update on what was going on at the Hall with my parents and their quabbles. It was a bit like a local soap opera! We had also become engaged and I stayed at Kev’s house in the week so I could get to work easily having failed my driving test a couple of times; weekends were spent at the Hall. Hoar Cross and the surrounding villages were a bit of a Birmingham commuter belt area and a lot of the families were quite...

An Englishman's Home is his Mansion! #2

...t 6pm the butler and footman would go over to the pumping station to pump water into the tanks which were situated in the two towers at each end of the house. This provided the house with fresh water each day. The ponds were also there in case the house ever caught fire and they had a ready supply of water! In another part of the woods we found a shed with an old fashioned fire engine in it from the Victorian days – still there after all those years!   The Victorian fire ladder   One day whilst on baby sitting duties my little brother went missing in the woods and we were terrified that he might have fallen into the ponds that we’d recently found �...

The Grand Opening #5

...  A few months after moving in preparations at Hoar Cross Hall were going well, so that we could open it to the public by Easter.  During the run up to buying the house my dad had been buying furniture, carpets and paintings like crazy and I remember our previous home being jam packed with chaise longues, sideboards and carved chests as well as all the suits of armour that he already had. This furniture was now set out in all the rooms. My mum’s collection of Victorian costumes were on display in the Ballroom as well as my dad’s collection of silver plated ‘display’ armour, which hung around the panelled walls; the suits of armour and the many paintin...

Ventures New! #10

...e was the butler because he was wearing a dinner jacket with black tie! He didn’t take too kindly to that but they were more impressed when they found out that he was the owner! And they tipped well too. I was allowed to come to these events and loved telling a few stories about ‘the servants’ we had and the haunted attic! The Americans would hang on my every word! The JCB tankards   During that summer my parents auditioned for a King, a jester, entertainers and singers and by August they had a team of ‘am-dram’ actors ready to start rehearsals. They also advertised for wenches and serving girls of which I became one – at 14 years old this be...

Moving Day Arrives #2

...t 6pm the butler and footman would go over to the pumping station to pump water into the tanks which were situated in the two towers at each end of the house. This provided the house with fresh water each day. The ponds were also there in case the house ever caught fire and they had a ready supply of water! In another part of the woods we found a shed with an old fashioned fire engine in it from the Victorian days – still there after all those years! Clearing the woods - a huge task!   One day whilst on baby sitting duties my little brother went missing in the woods and we were terrified that he might have fallen into the ponds that we’d recently fou...