Story Search Results

The Graveyard Shift #23

...ringing a horse into the pub one lunchtime and standing with it in the bar while he sipped his G & T ! Only in rural England!   Don’t miss next week’s exciting instalment: Whodunit in the Library? If you would like to follow my story from the beginning, click here and please feel free to share with your friends.                ...

The Kitchen Maid's Story #37

...e clothes horse. At 12.40am she was ready for bed! Jenny as a young woman   Eventually though, in the Spring of 1929, she obtained a job as a head kitchen maid in London – ‘to better herself’. She remained in service until the Second World War when she noticed a big difference in domestic service. ‘The lower classes no long curtsy and bow, or work for the love of their betters’. She married and eventually settled in Norfolk. Her musical aspirations were partially fulfilled by amateur dramatics and she wrote two books about her time in service and the Americans in Britain during the war. Her university dream was finally realised in 1981, when at...

Gardeners' World at Hoar Cross #39

...cut by a horse drawn mower, a task carried out by the chauffeur of all people! One of the family told us that back in the early days the head gardener was pushed around in a wheelchair when he was older, inspecting the lawns – apparently if he saw a weed amongst the blades of grass he would tell one of the gardeners to pluck it out straightaway! Emily Meynell Ingram employed a Mr Rowley especially to carry out her plans of planting the yew hedges, of which there were many. At each side of the garden was a long walk bordered by yew hedges down to the ha-ha wall at the bottom. Across the bottom of the gardens were smaller square gardens (including the stepping...

Temple Newsam and the Meynells #42

...ed from a horse riding accident in 1871 Emily inherited the Temple Newsam estate along with many others.  She devoted a lot of time to Temple Newsam where she carried out many improvements and alterations, notably toward the restoration of its Tudor-Jacobean features.  Between 1877 and 1900 the Library became a Chapel, the Great Hall was Jacobeanized and the oak staircase installed.  It seems likely that she felt far more 'at home' at Temple Newsam than at Hoar Cross, as the Hall must have held bad memories for her.     Emily Meynell sitting in the dog cart at Temple Newsam   An ardent lover of art, Emily had acquired a large collection of pictur...

Temple Newsam and the Meynells #40

...ed from a horse riding accident in 1871 Emily inherited the Temple Newsam estate along with many other estates.  She devoted a lot of time to Temple Newsam where she carried out many improvements and alterations, notably toward the restoration of its Tudor-Jacobean features.  Between 1877 and 1900 the Library became a Chapel, the Great Hall was Jacobeanized and the oak staircase installed.  It seems likely that she felt far more 'at home' at Temple Newsam than at Hoar Cross, as the Hall must have held bad memories for her. An ardent lover of art, Emily had acquired a large collection of pictures, especially those of the 17th century.  In accordance with th...

Gardeners World at Hoar Cross #43

...cut by a horse drawn mower, a task carried out by the chauffeur of all people! One of the family told us that back in the early days the head gardener was pushed around in a wheelchair when he was older, inspecting the lawns – apparently if he saw a weed amongst the grass blades he would tell one of the gardeners to pluck it out straightaway!   Gardeners at work on the hedges   Emily Meynell Ingram employed a Mr Rowley especially to carry out her plans of planting the yew hedges, of which there were many. At each side of the garden was a long walk bordered by yew hedges down to the ha-ha wall at the bottom. Across the bottom of the gardens were smal...