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Rags to Riches #14

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 header picture)....

Hoar Cross HAll - Life below stairs #20

HOAR CROSS HAll – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:       This week I’ve done a history 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...

Here comes the Bride (Part 2) #31

HERE COMES THE BRIDE (Part 2):        And so our wedding day arrived bright and clear, All thoughts of solicitors, legals, fights and arrests behind us!   Myself and my bridesmaids went to get our hair done in the morning and Kev slapped a piece of steak on his jaw to bring the swelling down after the rather unfortunate fight at his stag do.  Fortunately, the bruise didn’t show up too much on the photos!  Gavin drove my dad’s Mercedes Benz car All the way down the drive and back up the road to the church – this was one of the drawbacks of having a church in your grounds; you don’t get to drive All through the town with everyone looking at you! ...

Hoar Cross HAll - Life below stairs

HOAR CROSS HAll – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:       This week I’ve done a history 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...

Hoar Cross HAll - Life below stairs #39

HOAR CROSS HAll – LIFE BELOW STAIRS:    This week I’ve done a history 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 hal...

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...