The Footman
The peacocks among domestics, footmen were blatantly employed for their good looks and suave manners. It even went so far as you received
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Magazine
Friends of Repton Parish Church
A Friends society is being formed to support the future of St Wystan’s in Repton. It is a great survivor having seen the
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The Ladies Maid
The mistress of any large, wealthy household needed to maintain an immaculate appearance and she needed help to do this.[1] For a start,
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Kidology 2 – covid false positives
Readers who are still puzzled by the implications of Covid-19 PCR test false-positives after reading my recent post Covid Kidology might like to
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Covid Kidology
In the Ticknall Life newsletter sent last weekend to registered users and subscribers, I glibly questioned the validity of the argument leading to
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The Governess
The Governess was almost always a well-educated, middle-class young lady. I would stick my neck out here and say that almost no middle-class
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The Housekeeper
If the Butler was the outward sign of a house organised and well run, the Housekeeper was the engine who kept everything running.
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The Butler
Becoming a Butler was the pinnacle of a man’s career in service. Generally, it was the highest-paid role (although Calke demonstrates that was
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Ticknall Garden Club Update
There was so much to look forward to in the gardening calendar which has been swept away by a cruel pandemic. While our
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We are Social!
You will, I hope, be as excited as we are that Ticknall Life is now not just an online magazine but an online
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The Servant Hierarchy
In Victorian times, if you chose a life of service you accepted a regular wage, hard work, and a place within a strict
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Who lived at Calke Abbey?
Who lived at Calke Abbey? Were they Harpurs, Crewes, or Harpur-Crewes? The truth is, they all did. Over almost 500 years, from 1622
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Barbara Bagley and an image of Ticknall
After a very brief period as a primary school teacher, Barbara Bagley went back to her true passion, to paint full time. She
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Latest Coronavirus data
Covid-19 cases in South Derbyshire According to the Govt. website, it’s twenty-seven new cases today (Saturday). The number includes cases added to earlier
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Village Hall Closure
Following a meeting of our trustees today we have taken the step to close the Village Hall in line with advice given by
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Wonderful Agapanthus
There was a packed audience in Ticknall Village Hall on March 10th when Steve Hickman came to talk about The World of Agapanthus.
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Garden Club Calendar Suspended
It will come as no surprise to you to hear that Ticknall Garden Club is suspending all its activities for the next three
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TPHS Programme Cancelled
The committee has been carefully monitoring the Corona Virus Pandemic. Having been informed of the deteriorating situation and potential government recommendations on self-isolation
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Calke Abbey, Tale of Ten Baronets
Just like many large houses in England, one family governed the lives of the residents in that house, and often that of the
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Garden Club: Programme 2019/20 Suspended
Knowledgeable speakers cover a wide variety of topics of interest to experienced and not-so-experienced gardeners! Talks are held in the Ticknall Village Hall
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The Lives of the Servants
Why is it that we are so interested in the lives of servants? Quite a high percentage of visitors to Calke Abbey have
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Ticknall Water Spouts
Visitors to Ticknall often ask about the cast iron water spouts that are seen in various places in the village. They were part
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Henry Harpur, First Baronet of Calke Abbey
Henry Harpur was born in 1579, the third son of Sir John Harpur and his wife Isabella Pierpont, at Swarkestone Hall. Henry was
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