The must-read memoir from Kathleen Clifford, a housekeeper who worked in the Spencer family home in the interwar years. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs
‘My favourite gossips were William and Jimmy. I only got the chance to talk to them now and then as I spent most of my time hurtling round the kitchen trying not to upset the cook who was my immediate and terrifying boss. I lost a lot of weight in my time in Spencer House because I was so determined never to get told off or get things wrong – and that meant you had to concentrate all the time.’
An inspirational true story loved by readers:
‘This is a wonderful, although quite sad, read. But it is nice to know these ladies had a life to live and got on with it regardless. Highly recommended.’ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW
‘I’ve always had a fascination with ‘upstairs & downstairs’ life and this book didn’t disappoint. It was really well written and I loved every person mentioned. Such a joy to just sit and read and learn from the stories. ‘ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW
‘Having read many of the ‘below stairs’ type of book, this one is up there with the best I have read.’ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW
—–
Kathleen Clifford was born in 1909. Her family lived in a tiny flat near Paddington Station and her earliest memories were of the smell of horses and the shrill whistle of steam trains. For a girl from the slums there was only really one option once school was over – a life in service.
She started work on 1925 as a lowly kitchen maid in the London home of Lady Diana Spencer’s family. Here she heard tales of the Earl’s propensity for setting fire to himself, as well as enjoying the servants’ gossip about who was sleeping with whom. The Spencers were just the first in a line of eccentric families for whom she worked during a career that lasted more than thirty years and took her from a London palace to remote medieval estates.
But despite long hours, amorous butlers and mad employers, Kathleen always kept her sense of humour and knew how to have fun. On one occasion she was almost caught in bed with her boyfriend who had to jump out of the window and run down the drive in his underwear to escape the local bobby!
This is the story of a life below stairs – a life of a now vanished era.
‘My favourite gossips were William and Jimmy. I only got the chance to talk to them now and then as I spent most of my time hurtling round the kitchen trying not to upset the cook who was my immediate and terrifying boss. I lost a lot of weight in my time in Spencer House because I was so determined never to get told off or get things wrong – and that meant you had to concentrate all the time.’
An inspirational true story loved by readers:
‘This is a wonderful, although quite sad, read. But it is nice to know these ladies had a life to live and got on with it regardless. Highly recommended.’ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW
‘I’ve always had a fascination with ‘upstairs & downstairs’ life and this book didn’t disappoint. It was really well written and I loved every person mentioned. Such a joy to just sit and read and learn from the stories. ‘ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW
‘Having read many of the ‘below stairs’ type of book, this one is up there with the best I have read.’ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW
—–
Kathleen Clifford was born in 1909. Her family lived in a tiny flat near Paddington Station and her earliest memories were of the smell of horses and the shrill whistle of steam trains. For a girl from the slums there was only really one option once school was over – a life in service.
She started work on 1925 as a lowly kitchen maid in the London home of Lady Diana Spencer’s family. Here she heard tales of the Earl’s propensity for setting fire to himself, as well as enjoying the servants’ gossip about who was sleeping with whom. The Spencers were just the first in a line of eccentric families for whom she worked during a career that lasted more than thirty years and took her from a London palace to remote medieval estates.
But despite long hours, amorous butlers and mad employers, Kathleen always kept her sense of humour and knew how to have fun. On one occasion she was almost caught in bed with her boyfriend who had to jump out of the window and run down the drive in his underwear to escape the local bobby!
This is the story of a life below stairs – a life of a now vanished era.
Reviews
Praise for the Lives of Servants
Reading this fascinating book is likely to unleash anyone's inner Bolshevik...!
...a fascinating portrait of the drudgery and servility of a domestic's life.
...captures the subtelties of the English class system to an extraordinary degree.
If the Brothers Grimm had ended Cinderella where she was being forced to clean the house by her stepsisters, they might have accidentally been writing Rose Plummer's biography. The maid's story makes for harsh, heartbreaking, fascinating reading.