Story Search Results

Motor Racing Days #8

...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 If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends.      ...

Racing travels #40

...RACING TRAVELS:   During the 1960s my dad travelled all over Europe with his racing team.  The header photo shows him with his VW van with his racing car on the back.  He usually took two mechanics with him who were friends of his who just loved racing and volunteered their services for a free holiday abroad!  He went to all the big racing circuits:  Hockenheim, Nurburgring and Monza, travelling across Europe to get to them.  He always came back with lots of funny stories to tell.  Because the van he used wasn't brand new it would sometimes break down but at least he had two mechanics with him - however, getting parts wasn't easy in the 1960s, especially...

Skools out for summer! #12

...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. It was about half a mile but I hated walking through the woods, especially in the winter when the mornings were darker. I was growing up now and keeping different secrets from my parents than the previous escapades with my brothers, Gavin and Piers; I had started smoking! Going into Uttoxeter every day meant I could buy cigarettes for 30p a pack and smoke them on the way home. I often went up to our attic room to do my homework and write stories but also to ha...

Suits you Sir! #22

...ob we had lots of dutch courage inside of us!  The header picture shows my dad dressed up in one of his suits of armour at a mediaeval re-enactment day at Warwick Castle. 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 bo...

Whodunit in the Library? #24

...WHODUNIT IN THE LIBRARY?      When we first moved to Hoar Cross Hall, growing up in a stately home seemed an idyllic way to live – and lots of fun if you’re a child. This rambling old house full of empty rooms and secret doors, wild gardens and woods to explore, was in some ways a dream come true for our family, certainly for my dad. But as we turned from children to teenagers the isolation and lack of public transport was frustrating. Coupled with this was my parents fighting and subsequent split, living at each end of the house and battling for the house and business through their solicitors. The effect this had on me, as the eldest child who perhaps s...

The Haunting of Hoar Cross Hall #27

...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 nothing. All...