Below Stairs

The Classic Kitchen Maid’s Memoir That Inspired 'Upstairs, Downstairs' and 'Downton Abbey'

By: Margaret Powell

Narrated by: Mary Wells

Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants portrayed in Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, Margaret Powell’s classic memoir of her time in service, Below Stairs, is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high. Powell first arrived at the servants' entrance of one of those great houses in the 1920s. As a kitchen maid - the lowest of the low - she entered an entirely new world; one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5:30 am and went on until after dark. It was a far cry from her childhood on the beaches of Hove, where money and food were scarce, but warmth and laughter never were. Yet from the gentleman with a penchant for stroking the housemaids’ curlers, to raucous tea-dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlormaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress’s nephew, Margaret’s tales of her time in service are told with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye for the prejudices of her situation. Margaret Powell's true story of a life spent in service is a fascinating "downstairs" portrait of the glittering, long-gone worlds behind the closed doors of Downton Abbey and 165 Eaton Place.

©1968 Margaret Powell and Leigh Crutchley (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Very Good, cook! ;)

So interesting that I Googled the characters she wrote about, thus reaping a twofold benifit.

Entertaining and Informative

I loved this book! Some parts had me laughing out loud. It's informative and extremely entertaining.

well worth hearing

very well written. Very well performed - but why have a notherner read a book by and about life on the south coast and in London?

Interesting Look into a Kitchen Maid's Real LIfe

What did you love best about Below Stairs?

I liked that the author had several different positions and therefore several different experiences which meant that her bosses were neither all bad or all good (in the eyes of those that worked for them). It also meant that she came across alot of different characters that worked in service who reflect different personalities and outlooks on their work.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Below Stairs?

The amount of work a scullery maid had to do with unpleasant products (no nice cleaning products back then!) and the taunting she received when cleaning the outside doorstep and how men were less likely to date her if they knew she was in service.

Which character – as performed by Mary Wells – was your favorite?

The author

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, but I enjoyed it.

Any additional comments?

I am not sure if there is a photo section in this book. But I am always hesitant to purchase biographies or memoirs on audible in case the hard copy of the book has photos & drawings as I think they add a lot the story being told and I enjoy them. I would like it if audible included a download of any images included in a hard copy for reference.

A delightful afternoon read

Mary Wells really gives the story a unique character. If you've seen Upstairs Downstairs or Downtown Abbey, you'll be able to detect bits of those characters in Margaret Powell's own experiences. Powell's story, while sometimes grim, is not embittered: she manages to tell the good and the bad all while maintaining a light and warmhearted tone.

ENLIGHTENING!

A true ensight of domestic service, servitude; just as sad as slavery, the caste social system as well as a indigenous life. I'm glad this was shared.

Enjoyable Listen

Right from the start I liked this book. Liked the story and liked the narrator. I would recommend - no cursing - no smut - but not a schmaltzy romance type book.

Less than I was expecting...

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, be warned: this memoir is nothing like them. Nor is it particularly well written. I almost couldn't get through the first seven chapters because of the constant reiteration of the phrases "back then" "back in those days" and "back in the old days." It's relentless, kind of verbal Chinese water torture. Eventually, it either lessened or I got used to it.

As to content, this isn't a novel or an expose of any kind. There isn't much that struck me as shocking as the author seemed to expect (for example, some servants liked to read) , but that may be because I am an American reading this in the twenty-first century. Or that "them upstairs" expected those below to be grateful to them. There was some interesting detail about the mechanics of housekeeping and how Margaret learned to cook. The news that fresh food made from scratch tastes way better than what we have today just didn't strike me as amazing news.

Since this was an impulse download done at a time I was trying to distract myself, the book really didn't suit my purposes. I wish I'd kept searching, but not terrible. Just terribly bland.

Entertaining

I enjoyed it. The memoirs of a young woman who wants to become a cook. Be warned, the Servant's hall book contains a lot of similar content to this, so if you buy this one, be careful the sequel has lots of the same material.

Overall, liked it. well narrated, good listen..

Disappointing

This was just ok. Not a bad read, narrator was fun to listen to, but the story was very anticlimactic.