Continuing the theme of the last post (and no, I'm not working for the local tourist board), we stayed local and ventured down the road to Ormesby Hall when the littlest and his mother paid a visit.
This is as close to a stately home as we get here. Much grander properties, the homes of the town's founding ironmasters, have long since been demolished and our sole remaining Grade 1 listed building is now a boutique hotel, with a strange Ikea meets House of Fraser vibe.
Ormesby Hall is not that big a property (it's an 18th century mansion house), but I suppose we should be grateful (we are) it's still standing. The stable block used to house the horses of Cleveland Police's Mounted Division but their upkeep became too costly after a raft of controversial compensation (nothing to do with badly behaved gee-gees, I hasten to add) and senior officer pension payouts.
I once met the last owner, Mrs Pennyman (the house was owned continuously by various members of the Pennyman family until 1983). I'd heard of her from Aunty M, who used to walk in the lane near the Hall on Sundays with her friend, Mrs. Bell, both hoping to bump into Mrs P and be invited back for tea. It never happened.
At the time we were members of the Sunday Times Wine Club which organised a wine tasting soiree in the Hall. The event attracted members from far and wide (decent wines were not so easy to purchase in those days) but, luckily, we were living in our first house which was (still is) literally over the road (we used to regularly walk the dog in the grounds of the Hall). It was all very tasteful (and tasty), with wedges of Brie, posh crackers and grapes to accompany the wine selection. Mrs. Pennyman joined us for the tasting bit and clearly had difficulty staying upright by the time the evening drew to a close. I relished telling Aunty M about the company I'd been keeping.
The National Trust, the current owners, had organised a children's literature treasure hunt this particular weekend and the littlest immediately got stuck in, hunting down the characters in various rooms and helpfully tucking in Mummy Bear as he followed the route.
I enjoyed a good old mooch below stairs (I know my place).
Finally, we had a wander through the grounds and a game of croquet on the lawn before heading off to find an appropriately children's book related lunch spot.