Margaret Powell - Below Stairs

Review by Maggie Perkovic on show 29th Sept 2011
WITH DOWNTON ABBEY ALL THE RAGE AT THE MOMENT, THIS IS AN INTERESTING LOOK AT THE
REAL LIFE CHARACTERS THAT ARE BELOW STAIRS. MARGARET POWELL WAS BORN IN 1907 IN HOVE
AND LEFT SCHOOL AT 13 TO START WORK IN AN HOTEL LAUDRY ROOM, A YEAR LATER SHE
STARTED WORK IN SERVICE AS A KITCHEN MAID,EVENTUALLY BECOMING THE COOK BEFORE
MARRYING ALBERT A MILKMAN.
HER FATHER WAS A HANDY MAN PAINTER/DECORATOR MOSTLY UNEMPLOYED, HER MOTHER WOULD GO OUT CHARRING FROM EIGHT IN THE MORNING TILL SIX AT NIGHT TO KEEP THE
FAMILY TOGETHER BUT IT WAS A LOVING AND LOVELY FAMILY AND HER CHILDHOOD WAS FULL OF
LOVE AND LAUGHTER AS SHE PUTS IT.
HER STORIES OF LIFE BELOW STAIRS IS BOTH AMUSING AND HEARTBREAKING, AND SHE WAS TO
LEARN THAT SHE WAS INDEED THE LOWEST OF THE LOW AS REGARDS THE UPPER CLASSES.
ONE INCIDENT REALLY HURT HER BADLY. THE LADY OF THE HOUSE HAD RECEIVED HER
LETTERS BUT WHEN MARGARET WENT TO PASS THEM TO HER, SHE WAS TOLD IN NO UNCERTAIN
TERMS TO USE THE LETTER GRIP RATHER THAN PASS THEM WITH HER BARE HANDS.
MARGARET SAID HOW INSULTED SHE WAS TO BE THOUGHT TOO LOW TO USE HER OWN FAIR MITTS.
OTHER INCIDENTS MADE HER REALISE HOW UNFAIR THE CLASS SYSTEM WAS, BUT AFTER HER
MARRIAGE AND BIRTH OF HER FAMILY SHE STARTED TO GO TO EVENING CLASS AND
STUDYING ALL SORTS OF CLASSES AND FOUND SHE HAD QUITE A BRAIN AND AN APTITUDE FOR LEARNING. SHE WROTE OTHER BOOKS BESIDES THIS ONE AND AS SHE SAYS AS HER KNOWLEDGE INCREASES AND HER READING WIDENS SHE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A HAPPY FUTURE. THIS BOOK WAS FIRST PRINTED IN 1968 SO OF COURS, MARGARET POWELL IS LONG SINCE DECEASED BUT IT IS VERY EVOCATIVE OF A LIFE IN SERVICE AND PROBABLY AS TRUTHFUL AS ANYTHING YOU READ NOWADAYS.
A GOOD READ