MIDLIFE WRITER

Petton Hall is situated in the tiny hamlet of Petton approximately half an hour drive from the country town of Shrewsbury and 20 minutes from Ellesmere. Petton Hall has not always residential properties, and through the years the estate has passed through many hands since . The earliest documented evidence of Petton is in the Doomsday Book. Emma Florence Cunliffe, daughter of John Sparling inherited the Old Petton Hall at the age of 19 in 1867. A strong woman who ruled like a monarch on the estate, her word was law because usually people's livelihoods depended on her. Mrs Cunliffe was to arrange for the old Hall to be pulled down to make way for her more imposing new house in around 1892, which was positioned close to the original Hall. The access approach, the drive and gardens were all rearranged. The Kitchen gardens and vineries were extensive and highly productive at this time. The estate had its own out door swimming pool, yet it is unknown when that was installed as later on

ITS RAINING AGAIN We're all staying indoors today  As autumn rains fall from the sky In a dull pallet of grey upon grey  Casting dark shadows on this day  Rain on autumn and winter days  Fast overflowing from the drains Flooding in country village lanes Each time the sky sheds its tears  Schools indoors wet play today  In the classroom kids must stay Sending kids and teachers crazy  Wishing it stops, so to go out to play  Feeling fine, although stuck inside  All those inside jobs now getting done  Whilst some don't get to have a choice  Brave is the man, who has to work outside  It raining, grab the washing from the line  Put it out again when the weather is fine  Muddy dogs come bounding into the house  And across wet floors we acrobatically glide Rain casting down from autumn skies  Down onto the ground creating puddles  As cars go by and carelessly splashes Wetting us that walk along the pavements Rain coming down, but never goes up Hammering it down upon the roof top Relent