Story Search Results

Christmas High Jinks! #29

...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!” “It was here!” shouted Gavin. “There's the stone that I tripped over.” “But why would it disappear after all...

Moving On #35

...e will be lots more photos on the website at some point in the near future. In 2000 we moved down to Devon to start a new chapter in our lives, running restaurants and festivals and creating a whole new bunch of stories! For years we have been telling people all about my eccentric family and the crazy life we lived at the Hall, especially during the divorce, which is why I decided to write this blog. I would like to dedicate it to the memory of my parents, without whom this story would not have been possible. Against all the odds, they went out on a limb to buy this amazing old house and try to do something with it. Thank goodness for people like them who mak...

An Englishman's Home is his Mansion! #2

...AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME IS HIS MANSION! 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 Donnington Park. During the 1960s...

Ghostbusters! #8

...had heard lots of people chattering and thought there was a party going on somewhere but everywhere was in darkness. Then, as they made their way back to their room a woman in a long skirt brushed past them – they didn't see her, just felt the 'swish' of her skirt and the chill of the air! We stood listening to them with shivers going down our back – it seemed our plan had worked better than we could ever have imagined!   A dress similar to the one heard in the attic!   Every now and then Mrs Meynell (who had sold us the house) would come around to see us and regale us with stories about the house and surprisingly, the ghosts! So it wasn’t just u...

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

Skools out for summer #13

...they had lots of climbing frames and slides. At one of the fetes I was standing next to a crockery smashing stall and a piece of crockery cut my head open causing a huge gash. I ran all the way home screaming and crying with blood pouring down my face – no-one could stop me – and was taken to the nearby hospital to have it stitched up. I still have a huge scar from that cut but luckily no-one can see it! 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...