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Like Father, Like Sons #20

As mentioned in earlier blogs my dad used to be a racing driver during the 1950s and ran his own team in the 1960s, travelling all over Europe in his trusty Volkswagon van with his two mechanics and driver. He didn’t have big sponsorship money behind him and most of it was done on a shoestring but he came back with lots of funny stories of their van breaking down or some rural ‘hotel’ that they had stayed in. From each country that he visited he always brought me back a doll dressed in the traditional costume of that country. There was quite a collection and I still have them; I used to put them on display in the Library when our house was open to the publ...

Hysterical Productions #15

...here were lots of funny things that happened. Myra (the fire-eater’s wife) and I always did the cloakroom and one time this lady took her coat off and as she did so her halter neck top came undone and she stood there in her bra and skirt for all to see! The banquet menu Once the banquets started we would join in with the singing, even standing behind the main act and pretending to be the backing group. My dad once  wore a sombrero and shook maracas to a Latin song while we threw petals all over him – don’t ask me why!  It certainly wasn't very mediaeval!   The next day, when cleaning up, we would find all sorts of things which people had left beh...

Meet the Neighbours - Shugborough Hall #80

...there is lots to see and do at this historic house and I know that we always enjoyed our visits there where the children would chase each other from folly to folly around the park and finish up with a visit to see the farm animals, while Mother and I would enjoy a much-needed cup of tea! Check out their website here   Don't miss next month's blog - 'Meet the Neighbours - Coombe Abbey'   If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, please click here and feel free to share with your friends.Join me on a Tour of the Hall - click here to follow me on my YouTube channel and see all the rooms mentioned in my blogs - including the secret doors and t...

Meet the Neighbours - Trentham Gardens #83

...te offers lots of things for families to do along with music events, cruises around the lake and a miniature train!  This site has certainly stood the test of time from being mentioned in the Doomsday Book to hosting famous rock bands – what more could you want! Click here to check out their website as due to a technical error I wasn't able to download any pictures of the house and grounds.   Don't miss next month's blog:  "Mediaeval weaponry"   If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, please click here and feel free to share with your friends.Join me on a Tour of the Hall - click here to follow me on my YouTube channel and see all th...

Mediaeval Weaponry #84

...ic we had lots of mediaeval weapons on display along with the armour.  Later, we ran Mediaeval Banquets and the halberds were used by the Halberdier (a man dressed as a knight) as he stood on guard at the banquet doors before letting the guests enter the Banqueting Hall.  He would bang the halberd on the floor very loudly to attract their attention before announcing that the banquet was about to commence! The Halberdier announces the King   The principal missile weapon of the Middle Ages was the bow.  It took two main forms: the simple bow and the crossbow.  The simple bow was about five feet long and fired arrows with heads of steel.  Later these h...

Victorian Courtship - fans #91

...For the next few months I will be doing a series on Victorian courtship starting in February, the month of love, as we have just celebrated Valentine’s Day on the 14th.  The Victorians used various items for flirting with, namely fans, gloves, parasols and handkerchiefs!  I imagine the Meynell family at Hoar Cross Hall held lots of dinner parties and Balls back in the Victorian days where most of the young ladies would have had their fans at the ready to signal to a secret beau.  But what were these signals and why were they used? The belief that the fan was used in society to express feelings or commands dates back to at least the early 18th century.  I...