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MOTOR RACING DAYS #9

...he BRM in 1973 Every year we would go to the Grand Prix which was usually held at Silverstone.  My dad had kept his old VW van as it was useful for transporting furniture etc from auction houses and we would pack this up and go off for the weekend.  Gavin and I would sit on chairs in the back of the van and every time we went round a corner our chairs would tip over to the side and we’d be hanging on for dear life – my mum would sit in the front with Piers on her knee!  No seatbelts then or child seats – I dread to think how we would have survived an accident!  My dad would always get passes for the Paddock which was the area where all the racing ca...

More Tea Vicar? #12

...r that in 1973 there was a big campaign to plant trees in this country and the catch line was “Plant a tree in 73”.  Towards the end of the year my mum and we children went down to the bottom of the village near the Meynell Ingram Arms pub and helped to plant about six trees along the verge near the roadside.  Afterwards we went back to someone’s house nearby for a cup of tea and some food.  We always found these social occasions very boring, as children are want to do, but as there was food involved we gladly went along.  However, after a little while, standing in the lounge and gazing idly out of the window, I realised with a sudden dread that this w...

More Tea Vicar? #13

...r that in 1973 there was a big campaign to plant trees in this country and the catch line was “Plant a tree in 73”.  Towards the end of the year my mum and we children went down to the bottom of the village near the Meynell Ingram Arms pub and helped to plant about six trees along the verge near the roadside.  Afterwards we went back to someone’s house nearby for a cup of tea and some food.  We always found these social occasions very boring, as children are want to do, but as there was food involved we gladly went along.  However, after a little while, standing in the lounge and gazing idly out of the window, I realised with a sudden dread that this w...

More Tea Vicar? #12

...r that in 1973 there was a big campaign to plant trees in this country and the catch line was “Plant a tree in 73”. Towards the end of the year my mum and we children went down to the bottom of the village near the Meynell Ingram Arms pub and helped to plant about six trees along the verge near the roadside. Afterwards we went back to someone’s house nearby for a cup of tea and some food. We always found these social occasions very boring, as children are want to do, but as there was food involved we gladly went along. However, after a little while, standing in the lounge and gazing idly out of the window, I realised with a sudden dread that this was the g...

Ghostbusters! #8

...GHOSTBUSTERS!       People were always coming to Hoar Cross Hall to either hire the place or to have a look around.  In 1973, because of all the media interest in our ghosts, we had a couple of professional ghost hunters asking to stay over one night to try and find the source of the noises.  They brought cases full of recording equipment and set it all up in one of the attic rooms.  Rather them than me I thought!  Then I had a brilliant idea and went off to tell my brother Gavin all about it.  As mentioned in my first blog the attic and basement had a row of bells which the family used to summon the servants.  Before the three men arrived we spent all...

Calendar Girls and Front Covers #7

...CALENDAR GIRLS AND FRONT COVERS: Occasionally people would hire the Hall and during the summer of 1973 a photographer from London hired the place for a day.  He brought two models with him, one English and one German and they were taking photos for a glamour calendar.  We were told to keep right out of the way as they were taking photos in the gardens as well as the house.  Naturally we wanted to see everything that was going on and Gavin especially was very keen to watch – so much so that he found a pair of binoculars to follow all the proceedings!  We managed to find all sorts of hiding places eventually settling in our attic room to keep tabs on everyt...