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The Long gallery #67

...re of the gallery, would be opened thus allowing the guests to wander between the rooms. The deep bay windows on one side would allow light into the Long gallery where ladies could sit and read or sew. A very cluttered Long gallery in 1920s Hoar Cross Hall   Monasteries and Abbeys had cloisters as places to exercise outdoors whilst keeping dry and of course were ways of getting from one part of the building to another, almost like a corridor.  Long Galleries were derived from such places as these and incorporated into the designs of Woburn Abbey and Lacock Abbey, for example.  Some homes had actual courtyards attached to the house on one side while the...

THE GRAND OPENING #5

...THE GRAND OPENING: And so into 1971 and the preparation of the house so we could open it to the public by Easter.  During the run up to buying the house my dad had been buying furniture, carpets and paintings like  crazy and I remember our previous home being jam packed with chaise longues, sideboards and carved chests as well as all the arms and armour that he already had.  This furniture was now set out in all the rooms.  The Long gallery My mum’s collection of Victorian costumes were on display in the Ballroom as well as my dad’s collection of silver plated ‘display’ armour, which hung around the panelled walls; the suits of armour and the m...

Mediaeval Mayhem! #13

...It was the end of the summer season at Hoar Cross Hall in 1973 and rehearsals had started for the new venture of Mediaeval Banquets. All the cast would come round to the house each week for rehearsals and my mum and one or two other ladies were busy making the skirts and blouses for the wenches. My mum also made about 200 bibs which the guests were going to be wearing as eating five courses with a dagger can be quite messy! We had a King, a Jester, a Fire-eater, a Halberdier, an organist and various wenches and serving ladies. To launch the banquets my parents decided to hold a Press Reception about a month before and so we all gathered at the Hall one day in ea...

Hysterical Productions #15

...down the gallery, hoping no-one would notice – fortunately nobody did notice as they thought it was somebody being helped outside that had had too much to drink! As December approached the banquets were twice a week and the guests were more lively as they got into the Christmas spirit. More people dressed up in mediaeval gear and once I walked down the Long gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire! But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too! The last banquet before Christmas had a great crowd in but the drunken wenches managed to spill soup do...

Hysterical Productions #16

...down the gallery, hoping no-one would notice – fortunately nobody did notice as they thought it was somebody being helped outside that had had too much to drink!  Thankfully this didn't happen every week! The King and Queen arrive for their banquet   As December approached the banquets were twice a week and the guests were more lively as they got into the Christmas spirit. More people dressed up in mediaeval gear and once I walked down the Long gallery to see a ‘monk’ with his robe up round his waist warming his bottom in front of the fire! But it wasn’t just the guests who had too much to drink – the staff were hitting the bottle too! The la...

A New Year Calamity! #35

...The New Year’s Eve Balls at Hoar Cross Hall were usually the highlight of the year. After twelve months of hard work, especially running the Mediaeval Banquets twice a week through the winter, we were always ready to see out the year in style with a big new year party. In those days it was always black tie for the men and long dresses for the ladies – usually around 500 people bought tickets for an evening of entertainment with a dance band, disco and a meal. At midnight a man dressed in traditional Scottish regalia, including a kilt and sporran, would pipe in the new year with his bagpipes. Down the Long gallery he would slowly walk and into the Ballroom wi...