HOW IT ALL BEGAN! | Nesfeildscrown

INTRODUCTION

The minibus turned left into a bottle neck shaped entrance to a driveway lined on each side by trees. At the wheel was Mr Ward, a Teacher and one of three Christian Fellowship Leaders at our School.

The battered red Ford minibus carried pupils from the school who were members of the Christian Fellowship Group from the school.

As the minibus rattled across a cattle grid as it came to the end of the wooded drive and out into farmland, Mr Ward stopped the minibus and pointed to a run-down wooden building sitting in the middle of the field to the right.

‘The boys will be staying there.’ He said to the passengers.

The minibus started off again and after about half a mile they came to a Cross Roads. Mr Ward pointed to another wooden pavilion to the left and said: -

‘The Girls will be staying there.’

He turned the minibus to the right and this amazing building with high ornamental wrought iron railings guarding her came into view.

‘Miss Eaves, Mr Frith and I will be staying here.’

As the minibus got nearer, more of this impressive building came into view. The minibus rattled over another cattle grid in the gateway to the car park.

‘You have been so good on the journey down

You can all stay here’

And so, my introduction to Kinmel Hall was made and what an introduction!

My response to this last statement from the front seat of that minibus was: -

‘We’re staying WHERE Sir?!’

For a 12-year-old boy from a 3 bedroomed house in Formby near Liverpool, the sight of this MASSIVE, impressive building was not something you saw every day!

At this point in my life my interest in History was centred on the Royal Air Force and World War Two because of my Father who had been in the RAF as part of his National Service.

Seeing Kinmel Hall for the first time changed all of that. I just did not realise how much she would change my life in the future.

We spent an amazing weekend at Kinmel and when we had free time I went exploring. The Hall has 21 acres of both landscaped and wooded grounds which to me was an adventure waiting to happen.

For the next 9 years I accompanied the Christian Fellowship on their annual weekends away – even after I left school. With a couple of exceptions, we stayed at Kinmel Hall which gave me more opportunities to explore both the Hall and the Gardens.

In September 1986 I started a College course at Southport Technical College. During one of the lessons in that first Month the tutor gave us an assignment to do as homework.

‘Choose a building of Architectural interest and write about her’

Now, Southport has more than its fair share of historic buildings and as some of the students were from Liverpool that cities historic buildings are known around the world, but, I had no intention of looking at any of these.

I asked the Tutor how long did I have to do the assignment. He told me four weeks like everyone else. When I explained to him that I would be staying in the building I intended writing about the following February he changed his mind.

‘The external moderators are due in June, so long as I have the assignment before they visit you can have the year to complete it.’

I handed it in two days before the moderators were due to visit!

The research I did for that assignment however did not stop when I handed the assignment in – it continued for the next 34 years and it looks as though it has not finished yet!

In 1994, I offered to help out with groups at the Hall. This led to my Mother offering to help which led to us being given responsibility for running the SHOP which by then had moved from the Front Office to the former Billiard Room next to the lift.

This led to me being invited to live at Kinmel Hall as one of the Caretakers whilst working locally. On my days off and my free time was due to be spent helping around the Hall and with the groups we were to have. This did not work out exactly as planned due to unforeseen circumstances.

My interest in the Hall did not stop there and in 2011 I was asked to be the guide for prospective buyers when the Hall came up for auction.