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Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #15

...ax in the summer months. Lady Dorothy’s daughter, also called Dorothy, was born in 1908 and was an accomplished pianist and conductor of the Hoar Cross choral society and had a life long interest in the arts and music.  She also played the pipe organ in the chapel at the Hall for the morning services there.  However, this young lady didn’t want to conform to the usual things of her society such as parties and husband hunting!  She begged her parents to let her train for some useful occupation and they finally agreed to let her train as a secretary in London.  She went on to become the private secretary to the Bishop of Portsmouth.  Dorothy never marrie...

Becoming a rock chick #18

...  In the summer we left the back door open and visitors would wander outside and look at our pets – I imagine an over enthusiastic child had opened the hutch and not shut it properly because they escaped into the house and got into the library, it being the nearest room to the back door.  I happened to be coming into the house on this particular day when I heard a woman scream “Rats, rats – on the bookshelves!”  I rushed into the Library through the secret door (which made the visitors jump even more) to find them looking at our guinea pigs!  How could they think our lovely pets were rats?  However, we did get rats in the house but that’s for anot...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #11

...uring the summer months. Lady Dorothy’s daughter, also called Dorothy, was born in 1908 and was an accomplished pianist and conductor of the Hoar Cross choral society and had a life long interest in the arts and music.  She also played the pipe organ in the chapel at the Hall for the morning services there.  However, this young lady didn’t want to conform to the usual things of her society such as parties and husband hunting!  She begged her parents to let her train for some useful occupation and they finally agreed to let her train as a secretary in London.  She went on to become the private secretary to the Bishop of Portsmouth.  Dorothy never marrie...

The Grand Opening #5

...on a hot summer’s day. Soon everyone was asking for one too. My dad was good at that sort of thing and we certainly didn’t mind helping out!  Here you can see us in the cafe with my mum's tapestry of the Canterbury Tales on the wall. My family in the Entrance Hall cafe   I seem to remember we had quite a good number of people that first Easter as we had advertised well; we stayed open until the first week of October, being open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I always helped out by serving in the café (once I’d finished my baking!) and sometimes on the Reception desk, taking entrance fees, to give my mum a break. Along with the...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #13

...uring the summer months. Lady Dorothy’s daughter, also called Dorothy, was born in 1908 and was an accomplished pianist and conductor of the Hoar Cross choral society and had a life long interest in the arts and music. She also played the pipe organ in the chapel at the Hall for the morning services there. However, this young lady didn’t want to conform to the usual things of her society such as parties and husband hunting! She begged her parents to let her train for some useful occupation and they finally agreed to let her train as a secretary in London. She went on to become the private secretary to the Bishop of Portsmouth. Dorothy never married and when...

The Grand Opening #5

...on a hot summer’s day. Soon everyone was asking for one too. My dad was good at that sort of thing and we certainly didn’t mind helping out! Sitting in the cafe   I seem to remember we had quite a good number of people that first Easter as we had advertised well; we stayed open until the first week of October, being open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I always helped out by serving in the café (once I’d finished my baking!) and sometimes on the Reception desk, taking entrance fees, to give my mum a break. Along with the house opening, people would hire the Hall for events and Balls. We had a Red Cross Ball, a Hunt Ball, A Midsu...