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Growing Up In A Stately Home
United Kingdom
Приєднався 22 тра 2018
My Name is Vivienne Bickerton-Jones
...and I grew up in a 70 roomed stately home in Staffordshire, England called Hoar Cross Hall. I've always been an avid diary writer and I'm going to be using extracts from the diaries that I've kept all my life to tell the story of what life was like living and growing up in a house like this - not quite like Downton Abbey!
...and I grew up in a 70 roomed stately home in Staffordshire, England called Hoar Cross Hall. I've always been an avid diary writer and I'm going to be using extracts from the diaries that I've kept all my life to tell the story of what life was like living and growing up in a house like this - not quite like Downton Abbey!
Follow my astounding life growing up in a stately home
If you like the history channel and programmes on stately homes by presenters such as #philspencer and the restoration of historic houses, then I hope you will subscribe and enjoy the videos I'm making for my channel, Growing Up In A Stately Home.
In 1970 my family bought a famous piece of British history, Hoar Cross Hall. It was a 70 roomed stately home in Staffordshire, England that had been virtually abandoned for over 20 years. My videos are about growing up there as a teenager and the fascinating history of The Hall and the Meynell Ingram family who built it. They were actually descendants from William The Conqueror's army back in 1066, for which they were granted massive estates in England as prizes for doing so, eventually leading to them establishing the Hoar Cross estate in the 17th Century.
This enormous house became our family home as my former racing driver father bought it to house his huge collection of mediaeval armour and antiques and open it to the public. Soon after we moved in we learnt it was also haunted. So, there are a few scary ghost stories too!
Please subscribe and follow what I hope you will find an incredible, entertaining, and often amusing true story. There were plenty of ups and downs and it wasn’t like Downton Abbey; it was more like Dallas or Dynasty, but I’m not going to give any spoilers now!
Plus, you can also join me on a personal full stately home tour of the house and gardens as it is today, which is the only stately home spa hotel in the UK.
In 1970 my family bought a famous piece of British history, Hoar Cross Hall. It was a 70 roomed stately home in Staffordshire, England that had been virtually abandoned for over 20 years. My videos are about growing up there as a teenager and the fascinating history of The Hall and the Meynell Ingram family who built it. They were actually descendants from William The Conqueror's army back in 1066, for which they were granted massive estates in England as prizes for doing so, eventually leading to them establishing the Hoar Cross estate in the 17th Century.
This enormous house became our family home as my former racing driver father bought it to house his huge collection of mediaeval armour and antiques and open it to the public. Soon after we moved in we learnt it was also haunted. So, there are a few scary ghost stories too!
Please subscribe and follow what I hope you will find an incredible, entertaining, and often amusing true story. There were plenty of ups and downs and it wasn’t like Downton Abbey; it was more like Dallas or Dynasty, but I’m not going to give any spoilers now!
Plus, you can also join me on a personal full stately home tour of the house and gardens as it is today, which is the only stately home spa hotel in the UK.
Переглядів: 176
Відео
AMAZING: My Dad bought a mansion!
Переглядів 320Рік тому
Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a 70 roomed mansion with acres of gardens and grounds? In 1970 my dad bought a mansion, a real piece of British history. Find out about this and the history of Hoar Cross Hall and the family that built it who were descendants from William The Conqueror's army back in 1066. For this they were granted massive estates in England as prizes for doing so...
How Did My Family Afford To Buy This House?
Переглядів 327Рік тому
I grew up in a huge, 70 roomed haunted mansion in Staffordshire, England called Hoar Cross Hall. If you like to know what was like growing up in place like that, subscribe to my channel ua-cam.com/users/GrowingUpInAStatelyHome My channel is based on the diaries I kept as a teenager living at the hall in Staffordshire, in England during the 1970s. You'll also find out how we, just an ordinary fa...
My Dad Bought a Mansion - Book Now Available on Amazon
Переглядів 1912 роки тому
My Dad Bought a Mansion is about my life growing up in a 70 roomed haunted mansion in Staffordshire, England called Hoar Cross Hall. If you like to know what it was like growing up in place like that (and it might be a lot different to what you imagine...) get my book now! mydadboughtamansion.co.uk/amazon The book is based on the diaries I kept as a teenager during the seventies and is illustra...
Join me on a personal tour of Hoar Cross Hall, the Stately Home where I grew up!
Переглядів 15 тис.4 роки тому
Join me on a tour of Hoar Cross Hall, a 70 roomed haunted mansion that used to be my family home and where I grew up as a teenager in Staffordshire, England. Please subscribe to my channel ua-cam.com/users/GrowingUpInAStatelyHome and ask any questions in the comments section below as I'm in the process of making a whole series of videos covering my life growing up at the hall. These are all are...
Thanks for the video Viv. Recently visited the house/spa and they've just added another new spa area, which consists of 3 outdoor jacuzzis and a sauna on top of the garden area which is above what was the previous new edition to the spa from about 15 years ago.
I was at a charity quiz held in the library last night when I heard about this series of your videos. Thank you for doing them. I am fortunate to be a member here and also interested in local history and so for me it’s fab!
Looks like a white Wylex clock connector to the left of the lamp at 2:48. Maybe it was used for a radio (wireless) at one time
View the full house tour here! ua-cam.com/video/FRrBTzCArqs/v-deo.html
Join me on a tour of Hoar Cross Hall, a 70 roomed haunted mansion that used to be my family home and where I grew up as a teenager in Staffordshire, England. These are all are based on my original diaries that you can also read in my blog growingupinastatelyhome.uk/ where you can find all about what went on behind the scenes, along with a few true ghost stories! Please subscribe to my channel and ask any questions you might have in the comments or suggestions for future vi,deos as I'm in the process of making a series of videos covering my life growing up at the hall.
Congratulations you and your family have no more heating bills , ridiculous maintenance, staff with high payroll and theft to deal with . things have only slightly gotten better for these house in the past 20 years , from the 1860s to the 1980s it was a miserable time and those bad times can return and stay for another 100 years !!!! In short from the late 90s to 2016 it was a revival for these houses but hard times are coming back . FYI from Anglo-Saxon times the land was the real prize ( income producer ) the manor/ castle was to house and protect that income and its family . Somewhere around tudor times ppl started treating the house ( a liability expense wise ) as the true asset and the land as disposable !!!! So families would sell 1000s of acres of land to pay for the upkeep of the house ! With a flawed understanding of economics no wonder these families have almost completely disappeared. If you have 10,000 acres of land you are rich even if you are living in a small flat , if you have a 100,000 square feet palace with no income producing assets you are poor and getting poorer by the minute.
Why did your family sell this house?
Hi Letty - unfortunately my parents got divorced and my dad had to leave his dream home. A few years later my mother retired and sold the house. If you haven't read my blogs on the whole incredible story please go to my website: growingupinastatelyhome.uk/ :)
And please subscribe as I'm about to start post many new videos soon!
@@StatelyHomeGirl ahh thank you so much, no I haven’t read the back story so thanks again! A great bedtime read x
@@StatelyHomeGirl done! I love stuff like this. I live near Chatsworth and when I was a young girl I remember my dad driving us away after a lovely day out, and I looked back and thought “one day I’ll own this”😂😂 sadly this hasn’t happened I’m now 41 but I’m still passionate about castles and countryside and country houses and their history! I’m just rewatching Ruth Watsons country house rescue. Unfortunately there aren’t that many episodes with Ruth! So thank you for posting alternative and more country house history and stories ❤
This is amazing! I go to Hoar Cross pretty much every week to deliver wedding and event flowers. I did a beautiful set up in the library yesterday evening full of red roses after watching this video and I opened the secret door. I’m going to get the book to find out more, especially about the ghost 👻 haha. When I next stay there I shall look out for her and definitely go round the gardens xx
Thanks Jems Florals - that made me giggle thinking of you sneaking through the secret door! Hope you enjoy the book and the gardens!
I’m visiting here tommorow I’m worried about the ghosts now 🤣😭
Hope you didn't encounter too many spooks and you had a nice visit!
no one care LOL
Cretin.
Fabulous book Vivienne. What a story - it's a wonder you aren't writing from a funny farm somewhere! Will we be seeing more from you now your main mission has been accomplished? I'd like some fill-in on how you made peace with your Mum. What happened to your Dad? Maybe a series of vlogs updating the house, the village, and all the changes. An interesting sidebar: I'm a Canadian (born in the UK) and your book arrived within 48 hours and was apparently printed in Bolton, a town on the outskirts of Toronto! You couldn't have expected such technology in the 1970s!
Hi John - sorry for the late reply but I've been having a few technical issues with this site! Glad you enjoyed the book and thanks for buying it. I will be writing another book on further stories after leaving the Hall plus more historical stuff on the family. I have done a video on the outdoor buildings around the house but haven't got that up yet. I made peace with my mum after leaving the Hall and getting married. When our son was born we spent more time together and actually got on really well - she was always very supportive of everything we did and often visited to see the grandchildren. My dad carried on buying and selling antiques until he got dementia and had to go in a home. My mum sadly got Alzheimer's and they both died within 8 months of each other in 2008/09. If you could leave a review on Amazon for me that would be greatly appreciated and if you require any further info just email me. Thanks!
@@StatelyHomeGirl Will do Vivienne. What a life you've led and I'm so glad you decided to share it with all of us. Ignore the inevitable trolls. You have a natural way of telling your story and the camera loves you. Looking forward to regular postings. John, Ontario, Canada
I'm a retired graphic artist and writer and ex-pat Brit doing research on British stately homes for a fictional project, and this vlog has been so helpful. My fictional characters will inhabit a manor house belonging to a minor aristocrat, so I need to gain a broad idea of the age, origins, and value. My advanced age and this dammed pandemic means I can't possibly return to the UK any time soon, so this sort of background information is brilliant stuff. May I please piggyback on your site and ask your followers if they have any recommendations? I will subscribe to your site and hope to follow you in the coming months. I love the way you present all this: informal (love the colour choice in your clothing!) and yet personal, with a ton of information buried distreetly as you go. Secret doors yet! - you have me wondering - hmmmmmm - my murderer could get away swiftly and silently? Thanks for this. John, Ontario, Canada
Thanks John - I look forward to reading your story!
I worked for Mr Joynes when he first opened Hoar Cross Hall in about 1990?? (I forget the exact year now) as the marketing person. I sat at a large ornate desk in the long gallery. I used to have such a lovely peaceful drive through the beautiful Staffordshire countryside every morning from Ashbourne, where I lived. How I wish that I still lived around there! I woke this morning, in Spain, and wondered if there was something lovely from my past that I could enjoy! Your video is absolutely the tonic that I needed! Ps. I think your mothers bedroom might have been the one that I used to love showing to visitors! The separate spa wasn’t there when I worked there! Lots of changes inside but the gardens remain the same! Gorgeous! Thank you for reminding me of my happy days at Hoar Cross Hall
Aww you're very welcome Kay - I also write a blog about my time there if you look up my website 'Growing up in a stately Home' it's all on there! :)
@@StatelyHomeGirl ah I’ll go and look for it now thanks you x
How come it’s no longer in your family
Sadly my parents divorced so my father had to leave - 10 yrs later my mother sold it so she could retire.
@@StatelyHomeGirl such a beautiful home, must have been wonderful to grow up in x
I would love to hear more about the ghosts!
If you read my blog all the stories are in there - growingupinastatelyhome.uk/blog/perma/1539544020/article/my-dad-bought-a-mansion-1.html
loved the video, beautiful home! you look lovely :)
Thanks Dani - that's really kind! Please share with your friends :)
Really nice to see inside a stately home, with a presenter who used to live there.
Thank you and sorry for the late reply!
não gosto de ver bicho morto empalhado maldade 😭
They're not real!
Bring that samurai back to his country please. 😣
Ha ha I wish I could but he's no longer there!
Yeah I agree
What kind of house do you live in now? Do you eat "high tea" with biscuits, cakes and cucumber or prawn sandwiches? If i wanted to buy this house what do you think is the value? 20 million quid or more ?
That's a decent estimation, considering where it is located and the size of the grounds, as well as the state this home is in. But don't take my word for it.
Sadly just a normal house! This was my parents house and they are both long gone now - living in a house like this was just one of those one-off, unusual experiences that don't come along every day! I only have 'high tea' now on special occasions and yes your valuation is probably right! Glad you enjoyed the video - please read my blog which tells you all the funny stories that happened in this house :)
@@StatelyHomeGirl who needs Sandringham or Balmoral when u have this house !
Hoar!
I used to work here as a therapist 🥰
Oh wow how amazing! Was it nice to hear all the family stories? Did you see the ghost? ha ha
So disappointing to lose 47000 views! I'm so blessed to have been in this home before. It is even more spectacular in person!
Thank you Teel - it is amazing in real life! Please share with your friends :)