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NEW YEAR JINKS #26

NEW YEAR JINKS The New Year’s Eve Balls 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 bought 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, would pipe in The new year with his bagpipes.  Down The Long Gallery he would slowly walk and into The Ballroom  with hi...

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 in The 1930s.   Because of this he became a despatch rider during The Second World War and spent a lot of time in North Africa.  After The war he started racing at nearby Donington Park and he raced There up to The beginning of The 1950s.  After that he moved onto cars and dr...

New Year jinks! #11

NEW YEAR JINKS!       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 throughout 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 bought 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...

Skools out for summer! #14

SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!       When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross 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 hu...

Rags to Riches #16

RAGS TO RICHES:        My family originated from Derby and my parents were married There 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 hea...

Becoming a rock chick #18

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 in Uttoxeter which still had wooden desks with inkwells in Them!  Even The teachers wore Their mortar boards and gowns just like The ones at Eton and Harrow – or The Beano!   However, in The last two years There I had made a few good friends and we would go into town every lunch time to meet up with a group of guys that worked at The local J. C. Bamford 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...