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Suits you sir! #24

...ob we had lots of dutch courage inside of us! Gradually over the next year or two we managed to swap most of the armour over and also exchanged the better paintings for reproduction versions; we took the original antiques to Kev’s parents’ house and kept them in their attic until my dad could sell them.  My dad managed to sneak out other smaller items too but as there was so much stuff in Kev’s attic he forgot what he’d taken; a few years after the divorce was over Kev’s dad found a pair of duelling pistols in a lovely wooden box still up there under a pile of Christmas decorations!  Whilst his friend was making the reproduction pieces, my dad asked...

Motor Racing Days #9

...contained lots of free food and drink which is great when you’re a kid – and my dad would always help himself to free bottles of champagne which he said he was keeping for me when I got married!  But that’s another story! When Gavin was older my dad encouraged him to race too and he went on to run his own World Championship Team travelling all over the world.  He also took Piers go-kart racing at nearby Chasewater Park in Cannock – more about that in future blogs! Don’t miss next week’s instalment:  Ventures New - the Banquets begin! If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your frie...

The haunting of Hoar Cross Hall #15

...nose and lots of curly hair – if she didn’t know any better she could have sworn that it was Alice!  A giggle erupted behind her and as she turned she saw Alice standing by one of the secret doors. “Hello,” said Viv.  “Do you want to play?” Alice smiled and ran through the door.  Viv followed close behind but as she emerged from the doorway into the Ballroom Alice was nowhere to be seen.  “Hey, are you hiding Alice?  Do you want to play hide and seek?” called Viv.  She looked at all the Victorian costumes that were on display in the Ballroom and wondered if she was hiding behind one of the large dresses, but a quick look round revealed...

Christmas High Jinks!

...ards with lots of food, mince pies and mulled wine along with a group of bell-ringers to finish off the evening.  The thought of nice Christmas fare was enough to mollify them but they were already thinking up tricks they could play on the unsuspecting parishoners! The day of the Carol Service arrived and as they approached the church Gavin and Viv went to show their mother where the grave was.  But as they got nearer they couldn’t find it. “How strange,” said Viv.  “I’m sure it was here, just round the corner from the front door!” They looked around but couldn’t see anything but overgrown grass and crooked headstones.  Their mother bustled...

Suits you sir! #23

...ob we had lots of dutch courage inside of us! Gradually over the next year or two we managed to swap most of the armour over and also exchanged the better paintings for reproduction versions; we took the original antiques to Kev’s parents’ house and kept them in their attic until my dad could sell them.  My dad managed to sneak out other smaller items too but as there was so much stuff in Kev’s attic he forgot what he’d taken; a few years after the divorce was over Kev’s dad found a pair of duelling pistols in a lovely wooden box still up there under a pile of Christmas decorations!  Whilst his friend was making the reproduction pieces, my dad asked...

Moving in - to a stately home! #2

...MOVING IN -  TO A STATELY HOME!   My parents took vacant possession of Hoar Cross Hall in 1970 and the whole process of moving house was done over the summer months. We lived about 20 miles away in an old vicarage with a large garden and lots of outbuildings. This house was about 200 years old and they say Bonnie Prince Charlie marched past it on his way to battle back in the day, for all you history buffs out there! Actually I love history and I think my interest was fuelled by living in these historic houses as a child. My dad used to be a racing driver in the 1950s and before that he did motorcycle racing, often at nearby Donington Park. During the 1960s h...