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The origins of The stately home #43

So why are stately homes so called? Stately home actually means 'a large impressive old house with interesting history and usually visited by The public.' Well, I suppose They do look very 'stately' for a start but These houses were also a status symbol for The great families of England, who competed with each oTher to provide hospitality for The royal household who would travel around England meeting Their subjects. Stately homes were huge mansions which were always beautiful and The epitome of perfect architecture, often designed by famous architects of The day. The gardens too would be perfectly landscaped to show balance, variety, sequence and colour. One o...

Behind The green baize door #47

"The green baize door - dividing line betwix servant and master.” All stately homes had at least one green baize door and Hoar Cross Hall was no different. This was The door used by The servants to access The main part of The house unobtrusively and silently so They could go about Their work without disturbing The family. The Hall had a spiral staircase at each end of The house for The servants to use and The green baize door on The ground floor opened onto The Garden Corridor which led to The Chapel and The main house, as well as The garden. The green baize door on The first floor opened onto The east wing corridor and guest bedrooms and from this corridor t...

Summer Balls and Garden Parties #57

Balls and functions held at Hoar Cross Hall were lavish affairs, especially before The First World War, with The catering and oTher services invariably being provided by premier London companies.  Tea dances became popular in The 1880s but Balls with a supper included were also very popular amongst The aristocracy, especially if it was a 'coming out' Ball.  In 1907, Gunter & Co of Berkeley Square, London, could supply a Ball supper and refreshments for ten shillings (50p) a head, plus 'extra services'. For a Ball Supper in January 1913, Mayfair Catering, Grosvenor Square, assured Lady Mary Meynell that They had engaged 'a superior staff of tall waiters'...

Meet The Neighbours - Trentham Gardens #83

This neighbour was a little furTher afield to Hoar Cross Hall than The oTher houses, as it was in Stoke-on-Trent.  However, we often visited The gardens and I went to a few concerts There which were held in The Ballroom of The house. It was very similar to Alton Towers in that it had formal gardens with a large house and in later years was made into pleasure grounds, although not as grand as The rides at Alton towers! Originally The Trentham site was a priory but had been demolished during The dissolution of The monasteries in Henry XIII’s reign.  In 1599 The first hall on this estate was built on The priory ruins but later in 1633 a Richard Leveson replace...

Victorian Courtship - fans #91

...n 1829.  The aristocracy could be very influential in those times and clearly this helped launch The fan anew.  Also, in The 1850s The French fan maker Duvelleroy, The official fan supplier to Queen Victoria, published a leaflet explaining The language of fans to The masses in England and some say this was done to boost sales raTher than imparting The secret codes – I guess we’ll never know The answer to that!  Incidentally, The Duvelleroy fan company, started in 1827 is still going to this day – so fans couldn’t have lost Their popularity that much if They’re still in demand nearly 200 years later!  Happy flirting!   If you’d like to follow...