Story Search Results

Moving on - the end of an era #33

MOVING ON - the END of AN ERA:          And so I come to the end of my story.  After ten years of living in a stately home,  my parents’ divorce agreement meant that my dad had to be bought out by my mum and he had to leave his dream home forever.  He and Gavin moved out to live in Burton-on-Trent and my mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years.  She and the singer eventually got together much to my dad’s chagrin.  the singer spent a lot more time at the hall helping my mum run the banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him.  When he was about 14 years old my dad received a phone call from Piers – he had run...

Hoar Cross hall - Life below stairs #19

This week I’ve done a historical blog about the servants who lived at the hall from the 1870s to the 1950s when the hall became empty. they were an essential part of keeping a big house running but were often not appreciated by the aristocracy as they went about their day to day duties. the life of a servant in Victorian times was a hard one. they had to rise at 5am to clean and light all the fires and dust and polish the floors, then do a day’s work, often not getting to bed much before midnight. No wonder they didn’t live to a great age in those days! By the end of the 19th century there were nearly one and a half million servants; most young girls went...

A Christmas Celebration #74

the final festive story is here based on true events and people that lived at Hoar Cross hall.  “Come on, look sharp!” shouted Cook to her assistants in the kitchen.  “We’ve got a load of cooking to do for the Christmas party at the weekend and if you don’t get a move on there’ll be nothing to eat!” the kitchen maids looked at each other, stopped their gossiping and started to move a bit quicker.  Cook could be quite intimidating when she was in one of her moods.  the table was laden with pastries, jellies and fruit and the girls were just putting the finishing touches to the gingerbread biscuits before starting on the blancmange. “I love...

Moving On - the end of an era #32

MOVING ON – the END of AN ERA:       And so, after ten years of growing up and living in a stately home, I have come to the end of my story. After my parents’ divorce it was agreed that my mum bought out my dad's half of the house and he had to leave his dream home forever. He and Gavin moved out to live in Burton-on-Trent and my mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more years. She and the singer eventually got together much to my dad’s chagrin. the singer spent a lot more time at the hall helping my mum run the banquets; however, Piers didn’t really get on with him. When he was about 14 years old my dad received a phone call from Pier...

the Tax Man Cometh #29

...my video tour of the hall as it is today, click the image below and subscribe to my YouTube channel to see all the rooms, the gardens, and the church in the grounds that are featured in my blogs! *I'm also in the process of making more videos based on my life at the hall, so please subscribe to my channel and make sure you don't miss any! If you've enjoyed reading my stories why not get a copy of my book, 'My Dad Bought a Mansion' as it goes into a lot more detail of my life at the hall and also includes over 100 original photographs! And, with Christmas just around the corner, it might also be the perfect present for any book lovers you know! Go check it...

Hoar Cross History #65

...Hoar Cross hall, where I grew up, is in the village of Hoar Cross, so small that it is almost a hamlet.  the only thing that defines it as a village is the fact that it has a place of worship which is the Church of the Holy Angels, built by Emily Meynell in the 1870s in memory of her husband, Hugo.  the name of the village was first recorded in 1230 and called ‘Horcros’ and may refer to a grey boundary cross which stood as a marker but is now long gone.  No-one is entirely sure if this cross is the point where the four wards of Needwood Forest once met, or whether it indicated the extent of the land owned by Burton Abbey.  Whatever the reason we shall ne...