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A New Year Calamity! #90

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...

Moving On #33

MOVING ON - And so we come to the end of my story.  My dad and Gavin moved out to live in Burton and my mum carried on running Mediaeval Banquets for a few more Years.  She and the singer Eventually got together much to my dad’s chagrin.  He spent a lot more time at the Hall helping my mum run the banquets; howEver, Piers didn’t really get on with him.  When he was about 14 Years old my dad received a phone call from Piers – he had run away from home and was ringing from the phone box by the Meynell Arms car park!  He told my dad that he was hiding behind a bush and could he come and get him.  Of course, my dad was only too happy to fetch him and get...

Hoar Cross Hall - A bit of History #54

Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers. The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 Years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross. This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross). In 1740 the manor house was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000. Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county and was now about to add another one to his portfolio. This branch...

The War Years and Beyond #38

THE WAR Years AND BEYOND:         During the Second World War, life in country houses changed dramatically.  It was no different at Hoar Cross.  The flower borders on the main lawns were turfed over to reduce maintenance and vegetables were grown in areas formerly restricted to flowers.  Evacuees from Birmingham came to stay for the duration of the war and they lived in the basement, as it was considered to be the safest place.  I imagine that they must have been in the care of the servants as they were living amongst them but it must also have been quite exciting for them to move from a bombed out city to the relative safety of the countryside, althoug...

The War Years and beyond

THE WAR Years AND BEYOND:           During the Second World War, life in country houses changed dramatically.  It was no different at Hoar Cross.  The borders on the main lawns were turfed over to reduce maintenance and vegetables were grown in areas formerly restricted to flowers.  Evacuees from Birmingham came to stay for the duration of the war and they lived in the basement, as it was considered to be the safest place.  I imagine that they must have been in the care of the servants as they were living amongst them but it must also have been quite exciting for them to move from a bombed out city to the relative safety of the countryside, although th...

More Tea Vicar? #12

...ur annual New Years Eve Ball which was always enjoyable. This particular year we had booked a steel band and they were amazing – they didn’t stop playing until 3.30am as no-one could stop dancing!   At midnight we had a Scottish piper who would walk down the Long Gallery in full Scottish regalia complete with bagpipes to pipe in the New year. Once this was done Everyone would sing Auld Lang Syne and then my dad would release a net full of balloons onto the crowd and Everyone would set off their party poppers.   Non-stop dancing at New Year   My brother Gavin’s birthday was New Year’s Day so he was allowed to come down just before midnight and...