All the latest Blog Posts Life at The Hall https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk (c) 2017 - 2026 en-gb Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  As we approach Hallowe'en my mind has gone back to that first winter at Hoar Cross Hall and all the scary things that happened - and that was without any trick or treaters in those days!  We quickly realised that we weren’t the only inhabitants of the house when we moved there in the 1970s.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to the attics to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.   They were all tightly shut as they had been for the previous 20 years, when the house had stood empty.  I remember standing there in the attic rooms feeling a tingling down my spine and goose bumps all over as I felt the atmosphere closing in on me -  and I quickly legged it back downstairs! 

Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  As we approach Hallowe'en my mind has gone back to that first winter at Hoar Cross Hall and all the scary things that happened - and that was without any trick or treaters in those days!  We quickly realised that we weren’t the only inhabitants of the house when we moved there in the 1970s.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to the attics to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.   They were all tightly shut as they had been for the previous 20 years, when the house had stood empty.  I remember standing there in the attic rooms feeling a tingling down my spine and goose bumps all over as I felt the atmosphere closing in on me -  and I quickly legged it back downstairs!  On other nights we would hear people walking along the attic corridor (the attic, by the way, was the floor right above our bedroom floor) and then at other times we could hear heavy furniture being dragged about – yet there was nothing up there as the rooms were all empty!  How strange!  Other members of the family heard it too and also people that stayed overnight, so it wasn’t the imaginings of a frightened child.  There was also nobody else in the house at that point, apart from our family and they definitely weren’t walking about the house at 3am.  And why is it that these things always happen in the middle of the night?  When it’s dark.  When we feel most scared?  I often woke up at 3am whether there were noises or not – or perhaps there had been a noise and that’s what had woken me up – who knows?   I also loved reading books about old houses, mysteries and ghosts but w

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:55:15 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1761735480/article/halloween-hauntings-100.html 1761735480 Growing Up In a Stately Home With the new Downton Abbey film out this month I thought I would do a comparison of the two family homes, Downton and Hoar Cross Hall, the latter being my old family home for those of you who are new to these blogs.  Although Downton Abbey is fictional, the house on which it is based is not, it being Highclere Castle in Hampshire which was built in 1679 and is owned by the Earl of Carnarvon. Hoar Cross Hall was the original home of the Meynell Ingram family who first came from Leicestershire and was built in 1863.  Hugo Meynell of Quorndon was the High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield and the family owned considerable property in Staffordshire, Shropshire and Derbyshire. He bought the Hoar Cross estate in 1793 and built a hunting lodge there known as Old Hall and founded the Meynell Hunt. It seemed the family lived here for many years until Hugo’s grandson, also Hugo, got married in 1863 and decided to build the present Hall for him and his wife, Emily Charlotte.

With the new Downton Abbey film out this month I thought I would do a comparison of the two family homes, Downton and Hoar Cross Hall, the latter being my old family home for those of you who are new to these blogs.  Although Downton Abbey is fictional, the house on which it is based is not, it being Highclere Castle in Hampshire which was built in 1679 and is owned by the Earl of Carnarvon. Hoar Cross Hall was the original home of the Meynell Ingram family who first came from Leicestershire and was built in 1863.  Hugo Meynell of Quorndon was the High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield and the family owned considerable property in Staffordshire, Shropshire and Derbyshire. He bought the Hoar Cross estate in 1793 and built a hunting lodge there known as Old Hall and founded the Meynell Hunt. It seemed the family lived here for many years until Hugo’s grandson, also Hugo, got married in 1863 and decided to build the present Hall for him and his wife, Emily Charlotte. The house took nine years to build and was eventually finished in 1871. Hugo and Emily had already moved in, but their new life together was soon to be cut short by a tragic accident. Fourteen months earlier at Birch Wood on their estate Hugo had a horse riding accident and had been bed-ridden ever since – he died in May of that year. They had no children and Emily built The Church of the Holy Angels in the grounds of the hall in memory of her husband. This is the church that I got married in over a hundred years later. On Hugo’s death Emily inherited the family's many large estates and they say she was a double millionairess – which in those days was a huge amount of money! Emily Charlotte   The original site of Highclere Castle was recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 when an Anglo-Saxon king granted the estate to the Bishops of Winchester and in the 14th century a palace was built there by the Bishop.  However, it was co

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Sat, 27 Sep 2025 18:45:45 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1758723720/article/hoar-cross-hall-meets-downton-abbey-99.html 1758723720 Growing Up In a Stately Home When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross Hall it included a whole estate with it, namely kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages.  This was quite common in those days as the estate supported the house with food etc and also gave employment to local people. Old Hall (their original home) was also on the estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from the main road.  By the time the 1970s came along the stable block and Old Hall were private houses and another part of Old Hall had been made into a children’s home.  Emily Meynell had started this home in the Victorian days, calling it ‘The Home of the Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time.  When we were there it was a mixed home and run by a husband and wife couple.  They used to have fetes there in the summer and we would sometimes go round to play with the children, as they had lots of climbing frames and slides. 

When Hugo and Emily Meynell built Hoar Cross Hall it included a whole estate with it, namely kitchen gardens, greenhouses, stables, a farm and cottages.  This was quite common in those days as the estate supported the house with food etc and also gave employment to local people. Old Hall (their original home) was also on the estate and was accessed via a private road, which ran from the main road.  By the time the 1970s came along the stable block and Old Hall were private houses and another part of Old Hall had been made into a children’s home.  Emily Meynell had started this home in the Victorian days, calling it ‘The Home of the Good Shepherd’ but it was for boys only at that time.  When we were there it was a mixed home and run by a husband and wife couple.  They used to have fetes there in the summer and we would sometimes go round to play with the children, as they had lots of climbing frames and slides.  The private road also joined up to our woods near the driveway and this is the road I walked along every day, up to the main road, to catch the bus to school in nearby Uttoxeter.  It was about half a mile but I hated walking through the woods, especially in the winter when the mornings were darker.  One day, whilst walking round Uttoxeter at lunchtime, I saw a newspaper board telling everyone about a streaker that had run through the town the day before – what was this?  A man running naked for the fun of it?  On further investigation I found that this was the latest craze from America – but why anyone would want to do it in our cold country was beyond me! Streaking comes to Britain!   I was not an academic by any means and hated my schooldays. I was constantly being teased for being too thin, too quiet or for living in a stately home. (This was from the teachers too!) so when it was time for 'skools out for summer' I was more than ready to leave!    B

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:04:16 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1755618240/article/skools-out-for-summer-98.html 1755618240 Growing Up In a Stately Home Balls and functions held at Hoar Cross Hall were lavish affairs, especially before the First World War, with the catering and other services invariably being provided by premier London companies.  In 1907, Gunter Co of Berkeley Square, London, could supply a Ball supper and refreshments for ten shillings (50p) a head, plus 'extra services'.

Balls and functions held at Hoar Cross Hall were lavish affairs, especially before the First World War, with the catering and other services invariably being provided by premier London companies.  In 1907, Gunter Co of Berkeley Square, London, could supply a Ball supper and refreshments for ten shillings (50p) a head, plus 'extra services'. For a Ball Supper in January 1913, Mayfair Catering, Grosvenor Square, assured Lady Mary Meynell that they had engaged 'a superior staff of tall waiters' to attend her guests and, “.....if waiters are desired to be in Full Dress (silk stockings) the additional cost will be five shillings (25p) per man.”  They also provided services for the Servants Dance Supper for 200 persons including silver plate and dishes, glass, china and linen, and the services of three pantrymen!  Footmen and waiters dressed in their finery!   The liquid refreshment for this January 1913 event was provided by Thomas Mallorie Co in Leeds.  They invoiced 4 dozen bottles of fine claret, 3 bottles of port, one bottle of sherry, 6 bottles of scotch whiskey and 2 bottles of gin.  The grand total 'less 10% discount' came to £13.13 shillings (£13.65).  Delivery was made to Burton-on-Trent by Midland Railway and no doubt the chauffeur from the Hall would have collected it in the car in time for the supper.  No nipping out to Sainsbury's in those days! Emily Meynell's sister-in-law, Lady Mary wanted to organize an eighteenth birthday and 'coming out' Ball in 1912 for her daughter, Daisy.  A Ball at the Ritz in London would have cost at least £600 so Lady Mary (now a widow) decided to hold a little dance for eight or more people at home.  This was in a house in Surrey as they had moved out of the Hall by this time and had been living a more simple life.  With the help of “a good cook and kind friends” the function cost exactly £50 and was enjoyed by al

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 25 Jul 2025 15:12:26 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1750849920/article/summer-balls-and-garden-parties-97.html 1750849920 Growing Up In a Stately Home With the summer season well and truly upon us and Wimbledon almost here, I thought a blog about tennis might be in order!  The game of tennis first started in the Mediaeval days and involved hitting a ball with a bare hand and later with a glove.  By the 16th century the glove had become a racquet and the game had moved to an enclosed playing area and the rules had stabilized.  This was known as ‘real tennis’.  The word tennis came into use in English in the mid-14th century from French, via the Anglo-Norman term Tenez, which can be translated as 'hold', 'receive' or 'take', a call from the server to his opponent indicating that he is about to serve.

With the summer season well and truly upon us and Wimbledon almost here, I thought a blog about tennis might be in order!  The game of tennis first started in the Mediaeval days and involved hitting a ball with a bare hand and later with a glove.  By the 16th century the glove had become a racquet and the game had moved to an enclosed playing area and the rules had stabilized.  This was known as ‘real tennis’.  The word tennis came into use in English in the mid-14th century from French, via the Anglo-Norman term Tenez, which can be translated as 'hold', 'receive' or 'take', a call from the server to his opponent indicating that he is about to serve. It seems that royalty and the upper classes played tennis a lot, with Henry VIII making the biggest impact as a young monarch, playing the game with gusto at Hampton Court! However, the game was actually invented in Birmingham (England) and is the direct descendant of what is now denoted ‘real tennis’ or ‘royal tennis’ and continues to be played today with more complex rules.  Many original courts still remain at Oxford, Cambridge, Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland and Hampton Court Palace. Wimbledon itself is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and arguably the most famous. Since the first tournament 148 years ago in 1877, The Championships have been hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London and take place over two weeks in late June – early July.  Tennis became popular because of the waning interest in croquet and the Club decided to organise a tennis tournament to pay for the repair of its pony roller, used to maintain the lawns.   It must have been popular as its still going strong!  Although you may enjoy the tennis I think people love the strawberries and cream too that are famously served there!  Or you may like a tour around the museum - check it out here Wimb

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:07:40 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1750865160/article/anyone-for-tennis-96.html 1750865160 Growing Up In a Stately Home The Victorian era was roughly from 1830 – 1900 and saw many changes in fashion styles.  This was the era of technological advancement and the mass production of sewing machines in the 1850s and the advent of synthetic dyes introduced major changes in fashion.  This, coupled with the printing of fashion magazines, allowed the masses to become more fashion conscious – the middle classes were rising up thanks to the Industrial Revolution!

The Victorian era was roughly from 1830 – 1900 and saw many changes in fashion styles.  This was the era of technological advancement and the mass production of sewing machines in the 1850s and the advent of synthetic dyes introduced major changes in fashion.  This, coupled with the printing of fashion magazines, allowed the masses to become more fashion conscious – the middle classes were rising up thanks to the Industrial Revolution! Clothes were an expression of your place in society, therefore upper-class women, who didn’t need to work, could wear more elaborate dresses over layers of petticoats with tightly laced corsets.  Men would wear long frock coats over waistcoats and shirts with scarves tied at the neck.  As the century progressed women’s dresses went from full skirts and low necklines to crinolines and bodices which extended to the hips.  The Victorians seemed to be obsessed with the ‘hourglass’ figure thus creating the need for a crinoline ‘cage’ under the skirt to make it look fuller and corsets which were laced ever more tightly to train the waist to go in – some ladies’ waists could be as small as 18”!  However, they could hardly breathe nor eat large meals, which is probably why they were always fainting! Emily Meynell c.1870   The crinoline didn’t last long though due to its being cumbersome and dangerous for working women so dresses became flatter at the front and voluminous behind with a train gathered together to form soft folds. Necklines rose higher and had collars for the day dresses – however, they still liked to show off those tiny waistlines! Many Balls were held at Hoar Cross Hall during this era and ladies would wear the latest fashions as they danced in the Ballroom.  When we lived there in the 1970s and 1980s we often had dances and Balls, especially on Midsummer’s Eve and New Year’s Eve.  Peo

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 30 May 2025 15:17:06 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1748510280/article/victorian-fashions-95.html 1748510280 Growing Up In a Stately Home As a way of commemorating V. E. Day I have re-posted my blog from November's Remembrance Day which tells of the sacrifice that the men of the Meynell family made during both world wars as well as the many thousands of others who took part.  During the two World Wars the Meynell family of Hoar Cross Hall served their country alongside many others from all walks of life.  After each war there was huge social upheaval, especially for women, who had been doing what was traditionally 'men's work' during the war and weren't prepared to go back to domestic roles.  At the time of the First World War Frederick Meynell and Lady Mary Meynell were living at the Hall with their five children.  Their four sons all served in the war and their daughter Margaret served in the Red Cross as a volunteer.

As a way of commemorating V. E. Day I have re-posted my blog from November's Remembrance Day which tells of the sacrifice that the men of the Meynell family made during both world wars as well as the many thousands of others who took part.  During the two World Wars the Meynell family of Hoar Cross Hall served their country alongside many others from all walks of life.  After each war there was huge social upheaval, especially for women, who had been doing what was traditionally 'men's work' during the war and weren't prepared to go back to domestic roles.  At the time of the First World War Frederick Meynell and Lady Mary Meynell were living at the Hall with their five children.  Their four sons all served in the war and their daughter Margaret served in the Red Cross as a volunteer. Their eldest son Francis was a Major but was wounded in action in 1917 with severe wounds to his back. He was moved from the Duchess of Westminster Hospital to the Meynell Hospital in Lennox Gardens, London, the home of his mother, Lady Mary. She had offered her house to the War Office and the Red Cross, and it had become a Military Hospital for officers. When the Second World War started in 1939 the next generation of Meynells stepped up to help out.  Francis had married Lady Dorothy and their eldest son Hugo also served as an officer and was awardedthe Military Cross, although he was seriously injured at Al Alamein leading to his early death in 1960.  Their daughter, also Dorothy, moved back to Hoar Cross at the outbreak of war and joined the Joint War Organisation of the Red Cross and St John, which meant travelling overseas to Africa, Sicily and Italy. One of the Meynells'  photos of military men   My own father, William Bickerton-Jones, served in the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) as a despatch rider because he owned a motor bike and had been racing it at Donington Park during the 1930s.  He served in North Africa and Al

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 09 May 2025 17:11:21 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1746739140/article/celebrating-ve-day-94.html 1746739140 Growing Up In a Stately Home Victorian society was built around Queen Victoria’s reign, loosely between 1820-1914.  It was characterised by a class-based society and Britain being the most powerful empire in the world.

Victorian society was built around Queen Victoria’s reign, loosely between 1820-1914.  It was characterised by a class-based society and Britain being the most powerful empire in the world. Hoar Cross Hall was built in 1870, at the height of the Victorian era, and boasted up to seventy rooms, twenty-five of them for the servants, approximately fifteen for the kitchens and utility areas, leaving around thirty rooms for the family and their guests.  During this time a lot of people, particularly women, went into domestic service and the Housekeeper at the Hall earned about £50 a year, while a housemaid earned £15 a year – quite the difference!  By all accounts the Hoar Cross servants were treated well and many stayed for years but their days were long, often starting at 5am to clean and light the fires and finishing late in the evening – at least they had bed and board thrown in, unlike lots of people who lived in poverty in the inner cities. Hoar Cross Hall servants   c.1910   Class was a big issue and encompassed income, occupation, education, family structure and leisure.  Men were primarily in charge and independent.  They took part in politics and paid work while the dependent women stayed at home and ran the household and looked after the children.  The Victorians were also very moral people generally, particularly in the upper classes, although there were a lot of ‘double standards’.  There was a prudish refusal to admit the existence of sex, for instance, even though educated men constantly discussed it or wrote books about it, and even had affairs or liaisons with prostitutes.   Men seemed to think this was acceptable behaviour yet if a woman had an affair she was ostracised from society! Back in the Victorian era the Anglican church dominated the religious landscape and many wealthy aristocrats helped to start schools to educate children who otherwi

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:38:05 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1745491500/article/victorian-society-93.html 1745491500 Growing Up In a Stately Home This is the second blog in the series on Victorian courtship and is all about the use of gloves.

This is the second blog in the series on Victorian courtship and is all about the use of gloves. During the Victorian era, gloves were deeply connected to the notion of the “perfect hand” which were to be “shapely, finely made, white with blue vein, taper fingers, rosy nails and slightly arched”.  They were seen as social markers and accordingly, ladies wore gloves which were too small for them in order to shrink their hands. Following an old French practice, glove length was traditionally measured in buttons based on the distance between the base of the thumb and the top edge of the glove.  Until Queen Victoria’s reign gloves were quite short.  Fashion changed however after 1835, and gloves got longer and longer up the arm until the longest ones were well past the elbow and had 16 buttons to fasten them up!  No wonder they needed the help of maids to get dressed – it must have taken an eternity to button up gloves, dresses and boots! A lady in her long white gloves   It was common not to wear gloves within the domestic sphere – for example, when having a meal at home.  However, it was considered inappropriate for a woman to go outside without her gloves on, as ungloved hands were sometimes associated with nudity.  Gloves, of course, were mainly for the wealthy and were made of kid leather.  Wealthy women also wore silk and cotton gloves for informal or country wear.  But how did they use gloves in courtship?  In 1890, Henry Wehman presented his interpretation and analysis of the glove language, as presented in his book,  “The mystery of love, courtship and marriage explained”.  Here are a few samples:-             Holding with tips downward ………………….........I wish to be acquainted           Using the

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:29:00 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1742985780/article/victorian-courtship-gloves-92.html 1742985780 Growing Up In a Stately Home 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. 

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.  It wasn't like nowadays where you just jump on an app and find the nearest available person to meet up with!  Young ladies were expected to be discreet as their reputations were at stake - any young woman with the slightest slur on her character would not be considered marriageable, which is hard to believe in the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr07ewmg0LE ab_channel=KKWilson-mindfulmusic   se modern times of 'Girl power' and equal rights.  For a woman back then, her only choice was to make a good marriage so she was set for life and well looked after, as women couldn't be financially independent and totally relied on a man (firstly their father, then a husband) to look after them.  And so, this is where the fans came in.  They could look for a man without seeming 'forward'.    They were expected to know how to hold their fans, unfurl their fans and flutter their fans!   Emotions were also added to the movement of fans: “There is an infinite variety of motions to be made use of in the flutter of a fan.  There is the angry flutter, the modish flutter, the merry flutter and the amorous flutter.” Oh la-la! So much to learn before you’re launched into society!  In 1797 a “Fanology or Ladies Conversation Fan&rdqu

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Sat, 01 Mar 2025 13:40:39 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1740655560/article/victorian-courtship-fans-91.html 1740655560 Growing Up In Stately Home The New Year’s Eve Balls at Hoar Cross Hall were usually the highlight of the year during the 1970s.  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  with his pipes droning on.  When midnight arrived a net full of balloons was dropped onto all the guests from the ceiling, out came the party poppers and hats and everyone joined hands to sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’.  Once all the traditional stuff was done the band started up again and we all did the Hokey Cokey, the Conga  and other silly dances that only happen on New Year’s Eve!  It was always great fun and I loved to dress up and be a part of it.

The New Year’s Eve Balls at Hoar Cross Hall were usually the highlight of the year during the 1970s.  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  with his pipes droning on.  When midnight arrived a net full of balloons was dropped onto all the guests from the ceiling, out came the party poppers and hats and everyone joined hands to sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’.  Once all the traditional stuff was done the band started up again and we all did the Hokey Cokey, the Conga  and other silly dances that only happen on New Year’s Eve!  It was always great fun and I loved to dress up and be a part of it. Black tie and party hats!   My parents were having a trial separation around this time so my dad had to run the New Year’s Eve Ball on his own.  I helped, as I had before, with the administration; posting out tickets and doing a bit of book-keeping.  The week prior to the Ball was spent moving furniture about and cleaning the house up after all the banquet tables and benches were removed.  We usually used some of the banquet tables for people to sit at but this particular year my mum had stored them all away in the basement and put a lock on the door – these were her property now!  This left my dad in a bit of a quandary about what to do for tables and after a lot of ranting he decided that he would have to hire some.  As my dad w

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:37:28 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1735812840/article/a-new-year-calamity-90.html 1735812840 Growing Up In a Stately Home The final Christmas blog this year is a story of how the servants celebrated Christmas at Hoar Cross Hall, based around true events.  The Meynells always gave a party for their servants and local tradesmen in the Long Gallery, and I imagine it went a bit like this!

The final Christmas blog this year is a story of how the servants celebrated Christmas at Hoar Cross Hall, based around true events.  The Meynells always gave a party for their servants and local tradesmen in the Long Gallery, and I imagine it went a bit like this!     “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 Christmas,” said Molly, a young kitchen maid who’d only just started working for the Meynell family a few months before.  “And I can’t wait to go to the party.” “You’ll be going nowhere if you don’t get all this food prepared on time,” scowled Cook, who didn’t really enjoy mixing with the family ‘upstairs’. “Don’t worry!” said Jenny airily.  “We’ll get it all done.”  She looked across at Molly and winked.  Jenny had been working at the Hall for a few years now and was used to Cook’s temper.  It was only because there was a lot to do and she got easily stressed; also, she was getting on in years and her feet hurt a lot from long hours of standing so it was no wonder she got irritable! The party was the highlight of the year for most members of staff.  The Meynell family treated their servants and workers quite well compared to some families and always hosted a party just before Christmas for the indoor and outdoor staff as well as the es

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:16:59 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1734704820/article/a-christmas-celebration-89.html 1734704820 Growing Up In a Stately Home Welcome to another story based on true facts and things that went bump in the night at Hoar Cross Hall, to get you in the mood for all those Christmas ghost stories you'll be watching this season!  Hope you don't get too scared!

Welcome to another story based on true facts and things that went bump in the night at Hoar Cross Hall, to get you in the mood for all those Christmas ghost stories you'll be watching this season!  Hope you don't get too scared! The typewriter keys clattered away as Viv wrote her story.  It was coming along nicely and she was feeling pleased with herself.  The attic room that she and her brothers had made into their ‘den’ was ideal for getting away from everybody and having some peace and quiet and she quite forgot about the time as she lost herself in the plot.  Suddenly she looked up and realized how dark it was getting; the December nights were pulling in and it was already quite dusky by 3.30pm.  Quickly she packed her books and folders away and prepared to go downstairs.  How she hated being up in the attics when it was getting dark as it was so spooky!  The wind was starting to howl outside and the familiar sound of a banging window started.  Viv sighed and stood in the doorway of the room – should she go and investigate or leave it?  Against her better judgement she walked up the corridor towards the noise and checked all the rooms but as usual all the windows were shut tight.  The banging continued along with the familiar prickle down her spine.  She needed to get out of here and quick!  As she turned to go back along the corridor towards the other end she could hear people talking but not clearly, just a general babble of voices.  Viv was in a complete panic now as she knew there was no-one up there and she started to run along the corridor willing the noises to stop, feeling the knot in her stomach and sensing the sheer terror in her mind as she ran to get away from the voices, the people, the footsteps. The spooky attics   The green baize door banged behind her and Viv breathed a sigh of relief.  She’d made it out alive!  At least that’s w

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:51:21 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1734105240/article/ghosts-of-christmas-past-88.html 1734105240 Growing Up In a Stately Home Here's a true story to get you in the mood for Christmas!  My brother and I were definitely not good children and we were always amazed that Santa still left us gifts on Christmas Eve!  We were like 'elves behaving badly'!  Hope you enjoy it!

Here's a true story to get you in the mood for Christmas!  My brother and I were definitely not good children and we were always amazed that Santa still left us gifts on Christmas Eve!  We were like 'elves behaving badly'!  Hope you enjoy it! The sounds of "La Golondrina" floated through the air as Viv sat at the grand piano.  How pleased she was that someone had asked them to look after this fine musical instrument for a few months.  Having learned to play when she was younger, this gave Viv the opportunity to brush up on her skills as a pianist and she was thoroughly enjoying it.  The piano was in the Library and suited the room perfectly.  She could hear her father and an antique dealer talking in the Long Gallery as they haggled over the price of a painting that he was selling.  Viv gazed out of the window as she played and thought back to the Midsummer’s Eve Ball that they’d had a few months ago.  It had been a huge success and so many people were there – more than she’d ever seen in one place.  She had worn her long dress and her best friend had stayed the night so that she had someone of her own age there.  She and her friend had sold raffle tickets to the guests, which had been fun and a good way to mix with everyone.  Now her thoughts headed towards Christmas and the New Year’s Eve Ball that they were planning.  It was so exciting having all these Balls and dances; it made Viv feel very grown up when she wore her long evening gown.  However, Christmas was first and she began to wonder what gifts she would get. “Let’s go out for a bit, I’m bored!” Gavin’s voice ran ahead of him into the Library and made Viv jump.  “OK, I suppose we could. I’ve been playing for ages now, I could do with a break,” answered Viv.  “Where’s Pap?”  Viv used their little brother’s nick

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:50:32 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1733480700/article/christmas-high-jinks-87.html 1733480700 Growing Up In a Stately Home During the two World Wars the Meynell family of Hoar Cross Hall served their country alongside many others from all walks of life.  After each war there was huge social upheaval, especially for women, who had been doing what was traditionally 'men's work' during the war and weren't prepared to go back to domestic roles.  At the time of the First World War Frederick Meynell and Lady Mary Meynell were living at the Hall with their five children.  Their four sons all served in the war and their daughter Margaret served in the Red Cross as a volunteer.

During the two World Wars the Meynell family of Hoar Cross Hall served their country alongside many others from all walks of life.  After each war there was huge social upheaval, especially for women, who had been doing what was traditionally 'men's work' during the war and weren't prepared to go back to domestic roles.  At the time of the First World War Frederick Meynell and Lady Mary Meynell were living at the Hall with their five children.  Their four sons all served in the war and their daughter Margaret served in the Red Cross as a volunteer. Their eldest son Francis was a Major but was wounded in action in 1917 with severe wounds to his back. He was moved from the Duchess of Westminster Hospital to the Meynell Hospital in Lennox Gardens, London, the home of his mother, Lady Mary. She had offered her house to the War Office and the Red Cross, and it had become a Military Hospital for officers.When the Second World War started in 1939 the next generation of Meynells stepped up to help out.  Francis had married Lady Dorothy and their eldest son Hugo also served as an officer and was awardedthe Military Cross, although he was seriously injured at Al Alamein leading to his early death in 1960.  Their daughter, also Dorothy, moved back to Hoar Cross at the outbreak of war and joined the Joint War Organisation of the Red Cross and St John, which meant travelling overseas to Africa, Sicily and Italy. An overseas military group (from the Meynells' photos)   My own father served in the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) as a despatch rider because he owned a motor bike and had been racing it at Donington Park during the 1930s.  He served in North Africa and Al Alamein as did Hugo Meynell.  Who knows - they could have crossed paths during the war, my dad never dreaming for a moment that he would one day own Hugo's house!  After North Africa he moved to Italy and spent a lot of time in Bari and Naples eventually movi

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:59:38 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1731082440/article/lest-we-forget-86.html 1731082440 Growing Up In a Stately Home Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  As we approach Hallowe'en my mind has gone back to that first winter at Hoar Cross Hall and all the scary things that happened - and that was without any trick or treaters in those days!  We quickly realised that we weren’t the only inhabitants of the house.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to the attics to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.   They were all tightly shut as they had been for 20 years.  I remember standing there in the attic rooms feeling a tingling down my spine and goose bumps all over as I felt the atmosphere closing in on me -  and I quickly legged it back downstairs! 

Going to sleep in a big old house is quite scary when you’re young but going to sleep in a big old house that’s haunted is even more scary!!  As we approach Hallowe'en my mind has gone back to that first winter at Hoar Cross Hall and all the scary things that happened - and that was without any trick or treaters in those days!  We quickly realised that we weren’t the only inhabitants of the house.  Every time there was a windy night I could hear a window banging in the attic – all night long it kept me awake.  The next day I would go upstairs to the attics to close it but there would be no windows open or even loose.   They were all tightly shut as they had been for 20 years.  I remember standing there in the attic rooms feeling a tingling down my spine and goose bumps all over as I felt the atmosphere closing in on me -  and I quickly legged it back downstairs!  On other nights we would hear people walking along the attic corridor (the attic, by the way, was the floor right above our bedroom floor) and then at other times we could hear heavy furniture being dragged about – yet there was nothing up there as the rooms were all empty!  How strange!  Other members of the family heard it too and also people that stayed overnight, so it wasn’t the imaginings of a frightened child.  There was also nobody else in the house at that point, apart from our family and they definitely weren’t walking about the house at 3am.  And why is it that these things always happen in the middle of the night?  When it’s dark.  When we feel more scared?  I often woke up at 3am whether there were noises or not – or perhaps there had been a noise and that’s what had woken me up – who knows?   I loved reading books about old houses, mysteries and ghosts but when you actually live in one in real life, it’s a bit different!  The

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 25 Oct 2024 12:40:10 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1729173240/article/ghouls-galore-85.html 1729173240 Growing Up In a Stately Home When we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in the 1970s, my father owned the largest private collection of arms and armour in the UK at that time!  He owned about 20 suits of armour and numerous items of ‘arms’, which is another word for weapons.  The word ‘arms’ comes from the Latin ‘arma’ which means ‘tools of war’; this word passed into the English language from the French in 1200. 

When we moved to Hoar Cross Hall in the 1970s, my father owned the largest private collection of arms and armour in the UK at that time!  He owned about 20 suits of armour and numerous items of ‘arms’, which is another word for weapons.  The word ‘arms’ comes from the Latin ‘arma’ which means ‘tools of war’; this word passed into the English language from the French in 1200.  Mediaeval weapons consisted of halberds, double-edged swords, daggers, battle axes, crossbows and longbows to name but a few, these being the most common.  Knives were also used but mainly for eating and repairing, although I’m sure they got to be used as weapons too in an emergency!  Me standing next to some of the halberds   Mounted warriors or knights would use something called a mace which was a blunt, metal ball on the end of a pole.  They would also use a lance too, which was a long wooden pole with a knife on the end, similar to a halberd.  Some of these weapons could do some serious damage on the battle field which is why a lot of men wore armour to protect themselves.  I can imagine some of them having a few dents in their suits after a particularly gruesome fight and they would be asking the local blacksmith to knock them out ready for the next battle! When our house was open to the public 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 si

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:56:11 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1727447940/article/mediaeval-weaponry-84.html 1727447940 Growing Up In a Stately Home This neighbour was a little further afield to Hoar Cross Hall than the other houses, as it was in Stoke-on-Trent.  However, we often visited the gardens and I went to a few concerts there which were held in the Ballroom of the house. It was very similar to Alton Towers in that it had formal gardens with a large house and in later years was made into pleasure grounds, although not as grand as the rides at Alton towers!

This neighbour was a little further afield to Hoar Cross Hall than the other houses, as it was in Stoke-on-Trent.  However, we often visited the gardens and I went to a few concerts there which were held in the Ballroom of the house. It was very similar to Alton Towers in that it had formal gardens with a large house and in later years was made into pleasure grounds, although not as grand as the rides at Alton towers! Originally the Trentham site was a priory but had been demolished during the dissolution of the monasteries in Henry XIII’s reign.  In 1599 the first hall on this estate was built on the priory ruins but later in 1633 a Richard Leveson replaced the hall with an Elizabethan-style mansion.  Inspired by French trends, the landscape architect Charles Bridgeman influenced the layout of Trentham by including wide avenues, a boating lake, a deer park, a causeway and canal which created beautiful gardens for the family to walk around and plenty to do on the water! By 1759, Granville, 2nd Lord Gower was the owner of the park and he engaged the famous landscape designer, ‘Capability’ Brown to redesign the grounds.  The formal gardens, walks and walls were replaced by a mile long serpentine lake with a single island, lawns, sweeping gravelled walks, a bowling green and woodland walks.  All very typical of his style!  A sweeping drive extended up the west side of the lake and across a deer lawn flanked by a series of Ha Ha walls – very similar to the one at Hoar Cross Hall.  It seems that deer parks, lakes and walks were a ‘standard’ in most stately homes of that era. Moving on to 1833 and George Granville, 2nd Duke of Sutherland decided to redesign the hall and gardens but this time the Italian Renaissance was all the rage so Brown’s sweeping lawns were transformed back into formal terraced garden rooms.  Fountains, balustrading, clipped topiary and sculptures were the new look n

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Sat, 31 Aug 2024 13:28:14 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1724948220/article/meet-the-neighbours-trentham-gardens.html 1724948220 Growing Up In a Stately Home When you say the name ‘Alton Towers’ most people in the UK will think of the theme park with spectacular rollercoaster rides.  It really has changed beyond all recognition to the days when I used to go there back in the 1970s.  In those days it was a lovely house set in beautiful grounds with a few fairground rides to one side of the car park!  Well, it still is a lovely place to visit but the rides have taken over now so that people only think of it as a theme park with fantastically themed hotels and an enchanted village!

When you say the name ‘Alton Towers’ most people in the UK will think of the theme park with spectacular rollercoaster rides.  It really has changed beyond all recognition to the days when I used to go there back in the 1970s.  In those days it was a lovely house set in beautiful grounds with a few fairground rides to one side of the car park!  Well, it still is a lovely place to visit but the rides have taken over now so that people only think of it as a theme park with fantastically themed hotels and an enchanted village! However, this estate started life as an Iron Age Fort built on Bunbury Hill. Then later on in the 11th century, Alton Castle was built following the Norman conquest, in the village of Alton, Staffordshire, about a mile from the present-day Alton Towers.  Over the centuries the manorial estate was given to knights who fought in the Crusades as a reward for their hard work.  In 1406, Sir John Talbot acquired the estate when he married Maud, the eldest daughter of the 3rd Baron Furnivall.  Talbot then became the second created Earl of Shrewsbury in 1442.  Sadly, the castle was destroyed during the English Civil War. A painting of Alton Towers in 1880   Moving on a few centuries to the 17th century, the former castle was redeveloped and turned into a hunting lodge.  The house was three stories high and incorporated one of the castle’s towers, which remains part of the present-day building.  The Talbots split the house into two properties and used their half as a summer residence.  By 1801, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury decided that the hunting lodge was beyond repair and commissioned a gothic-style country house to be built on his estate.  This doubled the size of the property and took 10 years to build!  (A bit like Hoar Cross Hall – but I suppose they are big places!).  It also had similar rooms to the Hall, including a Chapel, Library, Long Gallery

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 26 Jul 2024 12:21:39 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1721223180/article/meet-the-neighbours-alton-towers-82.html 1721223180 Growing Up In a Stately Home Although this house isn’t quite so neighbourly to Hoar Cross Hall as the others in this series, it is loosely linked to the hall as it was the inspiration for the Mediaeval Banquets that my parents ran in the 1970s.  They went along one night, to one of their banquets, to see what the format was and saw immediately how popular they were and so decided to start their own brand of banquets.  The Coombe Abbey banquets were very traditional and had minstrels playing lutes etc while people ate their meal.  The entertainment too was typical of mediaeval amusement of the times and I remember my parents saying it was an enjoyable night out but not terribly lively!  This may have changed now of course!

Although this house isn’t quite so neighbourly to Hoar Cross Hall as the others in this series, it is loosely linked to the hall as it was the inspiration for the Mediaeval Banquets that my parents ran in the 1970s.  They went along one night, to one of their banquets, to see what the format was and saw immediately how popular they were and so decided to start their own brand of banquets.  The Coombe Abbey banquets were very traditional and had minstrels playing lutes etc while people ate their meal.  The entertainment too was typical of mediaeval amusement of the times and I remember my parents saying it was an enjoyable night out but not terribly lively!  This may have changed now of course! The Abbey itself was built in the 12th century, being one of the largest monasteries in Warwickshire.  The land was given to a group of Cistercian monks by Richard de Camville and they lived in temporary wooden buildings while they built the monastery; it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.  Numerous gifts of land were made to the monks during their four hundred years of occupation and they did a lot of work helping the poor in the area.   In 1470 King Edward IV actually visited the abbey while chasing his enemy, the Earl of Warwick, during the Wars of the Roses.  Of course, it had to shut down in the 1500s when Henry VIII came along! In 1603 King James I sent his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, to live there and be educated, when it was bought by a John Harington but by 1622 the Craven family had acquired the Abbey, and it stayed with them for another 300 years.  Sounds like there’s been a few royal connections to this Grade I listed building!  John Harington converted the abbey into  one of the most substantial houses in the county and it seems that he and his wife looked after the Princess Elizabeth for about four years, keeping her safe from the plague in 1604 and then the famous Gunpowder Plot later

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 28 Jun 2024 12:14:18 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1718288220/article/meet-the-neighbours-coombe-abbey-81.html 1718288220 Growing Up In a Stately Home The next house in this series is a mere half hour from Hoar Cross Hall and we often visited it during the summer months and later, when my children were born, we’d take them for a visit too!  Seated on the edge of Cannock Chase this elegant house was once a manor house owned by the Bishops of Lichfield, until the dissolution of the monasteries around 1540.  Later it came into the hands of the Anson family, who were ancestors of the Earls of Lichfield, and stayed there for three centuries.  William Anson’s grandson, also called William, demolished the manor house in 1693 and built a three storey building in the Neo-Classical style which forms the central part of the hall today.  In the 1740s William’s elder son, Thomas, would further extend the house and added two pavilions on either side of the central block.  The state rooms contain some of the most opulent and highly decorated interiors in the hall and include the State Dining Room, The Red Drawing Room, The Library, The Saloon and the Veranda Room among others.

The next house in this series is a mere half hour from Hoar Cross Hall and we often visited it during the summer months and later, when my children were born, we’d take them for a visit too!  Seated on the edge of Cannock Chase this elegant house was once a manor house owned by the Bishops of Lichfield, until the dissolution of the monasteries around 1540.  Later it came into the hands of the Anson family, who were ancestors of the Earls of Lichfield, and stayed there for three centuries.  William Anson’s grandson, also called William, demolished the manor house in 1693 and built a three storey building in the Neo-Classical style which forms the central part of the hall today.  In the 1740s William’s elder son, Thomas, would further extend the house and added two pavilions on either side of the central block.  The state rooms contain some of the most opulent and highly decorated interiors in the hall and include the State Dining Room, The Red Drawing Room, The Library, The Saloon and the Veranda Room among others. The land around Shugborough is mainly flat and Thomas Anson took a keen interest in landscaping the parkland so that trees, water and follies were on view to the family. If you’re wondering what a folly is, it’s an ornamental building of no practical use which the aristocracy would build in their large gardens to make for an interesting view.  James Stuart, the classical architect, designed a number of these and the Greek influence is obvious, as he had visited Athens some years before.  Therefore, two of the follies are copies of a building and an archway in Athens.  Other follies in the grounds are The Chinese House and two Chinese-style bridges, in honour of Admiral George Anson, Thomas’ younger brother, who had visited Canton and left a huge amount of money to his older brother when he died.  This was used to further expand the house and estate. The Admiral was created L

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 31 May 2024 09:51:37 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1716368040/article/meet-the-neighbours-shugborough-hall-80.html 1716368040 Growing Up In a Stately Home Continuing the series on neighbouring houses to Hoar Cross Hall, let me introduce you to Sudbury Hall, which is about 7 miles away and on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire.  The manor of Sudbury was listed in the Doomsday Book following the Norman Conquest in 1086, so a lot older than the Hall, and is a Grade I listed building.  The Vernon family came to Sudbury after a 16th century marriage between Sir John Vernon, from Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, and the Sudbury heiress, Ellen Montgomery.  It seems the Vernon family have stayed in the Hall for generations right up until the 20th century when the 10th Baron Vernon transferred the Hall and its principal contents, and part of the parkland and gardens to the National Trust in part payment of death duties which had continued to burden the family.  However, the remainder of the Sudbury estate is still held by Vernon descendants.

Continuing the series on neighbouring houses to Hoar Cross Hall, let me introduce you to Sudbury Hall, which is about 7 miles away and on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire.  The manor of Sudbury was listed in the Doomsday Book following the Norman Conquest in 1086, so a lot older than the Hall, and is a Grade I listed building.  The Vernon family came to Sudbury after a 16th century marriage between Sir John Vernon, from Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, and the Sudbury heiress, Ellen Montgomery.  It seems the Vernon family have stayed in the Hall for generations right up until the 20th century when the 10th Baron Vernon transferred the Hall and its principal contents, and part of the parkland and gardens to the National Trust in part payment of death duties which had continued to burden the family.  However, the remainder of the Sudbury estate is still held by Vernon descendants. Sudbury Hall   In 1660 George Vernon inherited the house at the age of 25; he also got married that year to a Northamptonshire heiress, Margaret Onley.  With the extra wealth that came with the marriage he built a grand new mansion on the same site which he designed himself – a Jacobean house but with the traditional Tudor structure.  He also moved the village closer to the Hall so that his servants and the tradesmen could live near at hand.  These buildings still survive today! It seems George Vernon was a very ambitious man who wanted to further his political career and having a large, impressive house helped him to move in higher social circles.  Together he and his wife had nine children so those extra rooms would have come in useful!  After his wife died in 1675, George married again.  Dorothea Shirley was the daughter of Lady Catherine and Sir Robert Shirley and these titles helped George and his family move in even higher social circles.  They had two daughters but sadly his wife died in childbirth in 1680.&

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:05:59 +0100 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1713965940/article/meet-the-neighbours-sudbury-hall-79.html 1713965940 Growing Up In a Stately Home This month I start a brand new series on stately homes local to Hoar Cross Hall and the first one is Blithfield Hall, which was probably the nearest stately home neighbour to Hoar Cross Hall and had been privately owned by the Bagot family since the 14th century.  The house, which is Grade I listed, is situated between Rugeley and Abbots Bromley and is about 6 miles from the Hall.  I remember calling round with my parents once to see Nancy, Lady Bagot, and admiring the goats they had roaming around the nearby fields.  Blithfield Hall is known as the home of a breed of goat, the Bagot goat, which for several hundred years have lived semi-wild on the estate.

This month I start a brand new series on stately homes local to Hoar Cross Hall and the first one is Blithfield Hall, which was probably the nearest stately home neighbour to Hoar Cross Hall and had been privately owned by the Bagot family since the 14th century.  The house, which is Grade I listed, is situated between Rugeley and Abbots Bromley and is about 6 miles from the Hall.  I remember calling round with my parents once to see Nancy, Lady Bagot, and admiring the goats they had roaming around the nearby fields.  Blithfield Hall is known as the home of a breed of goat, the Bagot goat, which for several hundred years have lived semi-wild on the estate. The Bagot family has a long lineage, holding land in Staffordshire since at least the 11th century.  The first Baron, Hervey Bagot, was created a baronet of Blithfield Hall in 1627 for his part in the Civil War – he was also High Sheriff of Staffordshire.  His son, grandson and great grandson also represented Staffordshire in the House of Commons. The Hall, with its embattled towers and walls is mainly Elizabethan and was originally a fortress complete with moat but in the 1820s a Gothic façade was added by the designer John Buckler, it is thought.  The interior decoration was carried out by Gothic-style plasterer, Francis Bernasconi, a man of Italian descent who became one of the most successful ornamental carvers and plasterers in Georgian Britain. The Dining Room   Sadly, in 1945, the Hall was sold by the 5th Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Waterworks Company, as they planned to build a reservoir which was completed in 1953 and opened by the Queen Mother. The reservoir is 14 metres deep and approx. 4km long and took 500 men six years to build.  It was made in a shallow valley through which the River Blithe ran and has a causeway across it. It is now classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the over-wintering wildfowl that r

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 29 Mar 2024 16:38:42 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1711451100/article/meet-the-neighbours-blithfield-hall-78.html 1711451100 Growing Up In a Stately Home Before we moved to Hoar Cross Hall my father had bought an old manor house in the village of Shardlow, near Derby, which had previously been a vicarage among other things.  I think my parents must have had a love of historic buildings and indeed were members of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings and Monuments.  My dad had a business in Derby at the time making alabaster items such as table lamps and candlestick holders and when he bought the manor house he moved his business there, as it had lots of outbuildings for all the alabaster equipment.

Before we moved to Hoar Cross Hall my father had bought an old manor house in the village of Shardlow, near Derby, which had previously been a vicarage among other things.  I think my parents must have had a love of historic buildings and indeed were members of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings and Monuments.  My dad had a business in Derby at the time making alabaster items such as table lamps and candlestick holders and when he bought the manor house he moved his business there, as it had lots of outbuildings for all the alabaster equipment. Some of my father's alabaster pieces   The house itself had about 17 rooms and was built in 1746 for a Mr Alpheus Burgin for the grand total of £43, after an older property was demolished.  The Burgin family owned large portions of Shardlow including the Dog and Duck Public House and part of the land on which the church was built as well as acres of fields and meadows around Shardlow.  Alpheus’ father already lived in the old house and when Alpheus got married to a Mary Wells, part of the marriage settlement deeds included the rebuilding of the manor house.  The house stayed in the Burgin family for many decades and in 1882 a Reverend William Burgin came into possession of the property and had it extended, adding a large room to the side of the house which we called the Billiard Room, and bay windows to the front – this is when the house officially became a rectory.  The header picture is a painting of the house, which somebody gave to us. My brother Piers' Christening - the Billiard Room   The manor stood on the London Road and nearby were other large properties of a similar age, namely The Dower House, Shardlow House and Shardlow Hall.  The village itself is mainly 18th and 19th century; however, there are a few older properties from the 1400s and I think there is evidence of a Roman settlement nearby.  The River Trent ran n

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:15:01 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1708596960/article/to-the-manor-born-77.html 1708596960 Growing Up In a Stately Home During the 1970s Hoar Cross Hall was used from time to time for local community activities and one such event was the production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight and a Journey back to Happiness’.   It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall and the Hon. Alexandra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased the Hall from.  The words and music were written by local songwriter, David Matthews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during the 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change the world’.  So off to a good start there!

During the 1970s Hoar Cross Hall was used from time to time for local community activities and one such event was the production in 1978 of a traditional pantomime, ‘Midnight and a Journey back to Happiness’.   It was written by local people, Robert Leighton from Yoxall and the Hon. Alexandra Meynell, daughter-in-law of Mrs Jean Meynell whom we had purchased the Hall from.  The words and music were written by local songwriter, David Matthews, who had written songs for quite a few pop artists during the 1960s, his most famous being Matt Munro’s ‘We’re gonna change the world’.  So off to a good start there! For those of you who don’t reside in the UK and have no idea what a pantomime is, it is a musical play with slapstick comedy based on a children’s nursery story or fairy tale, usually produced at Christmas.  It’s mainly for children but adults tend to love them too as there is always a lot of audience participation, especially when the villain walks on and everyone boos and hisses or shouts “He’s behind you!”. The aim was to involve as many people as possible, particularly the youngsters, and adults and children from around the area of Hoar Cross were invited to participate in the event, forming a group known as ‘The Overdraft Players’!  About 80 people took part altogether including three ‘retired’ semi-professionals.  A huge, three-tiered, sectional wooden stage was built for the venture and sited in the Ballroom.  Local people got involved with set design and costumes; another lady arranged and produced the ballet routines.  Some of the children in costume   My brothers, Gavin and Piers were involved of course but Gavin broke his arm a couple of weeks before the show started so ended up with the minor but important role of working the hands of the large clock that stood to one side of the stage!  I felt r

]]> viv1@mediaministries.co.uk (Viv Wilson) Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:18:29 +0000 https://growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1706010600/article/panto-pranks-76.html 1706010600 Growing Up In a Stately Home