Below stairs: the classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired "Upstairs, downstairs" and "Downton Abbey"

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Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants portrayed inDownton 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 5.30am 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.

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ISBN:
9781250005441
9781410458919
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Grouped Work ID6a674c61-ca45-36ea-8a5e-47666774d93a
Grouping Titlebelow stairs the classic kitchen maids memoir that inspired upstairs downstairs and downton abbey
Grouping Authormargaret powell
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2023-09-14 04:01:58AM
Last Indexed2023-09-29 04:14:12AM

Solr Fields

accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Powell, Margaret, 1907-1984
author_display
Powell, Margaret
available_at_addison
Addison Public Library
collection_addison
Adults
detailed_location_addison
2nd Floor- Adult Books
display_description
"A kitchen-maid's through-the-key hole memoir of life in the great houses of England--now a bestseller in the UK. At fifteen, she arrived at the servants' entrance to begin her life as a kitchen maid in 1920s England. The lowest of the low, her world was one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even bootlaces to be ironed. Work started at 5:30am and went on until after dark. In this captivating memoir, Margaret tells her tales of service with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye. From the gentleman with a penchant for stroking housemaids' curlers, to raucous tea dances with errand boys, to the heartbreaking story of Agnes the pregnant under-parlourmaid, fired for being seduced by her mistress's nephew, Below Stairs brilliantly evokes the longvanished world of masters and servants portrayed in Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs. Rocketing back on to the UK bestseller lists almost fifty years after its initial publication, this is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman, who, though her position was lowly, never stopped aiming high"--Provided by publisher.
format_addison
Book
Large Print
format_category_addison
Books
id
6a674c61-ca45-36ea-8a5e-47666774d93a
isbn
9781250005441
9781410458919
itype_addison
Large Type
Nonfiction
last_indexed
2023-09-29T09:14:12.609Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_addison
942 POW
LT 942 POW
owning_library_addison
Addison Public Library
owning_location_addison
Addison Public Library
primary_isbn
9781250005441
publishDate
2012
2013
publisher
St. Martin's Press
Thorndike Press, a part of Gale Cengage Learning
recordtype
grouped_work
series
Thorndike Press large print biography
series_with_volume
Thorndike Press large print biography|
subject_facet
Cooks -- Great Britain -- Biography
Large print books
Powell, Margaret, -- 1907-1984
Rich people -- Great Britain
Working class women -- Great Britain -- Biography
title_display
Below stairs : the classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired "Upstairs, downstairs" and "Downton Abbey"
title_full
Below stairs : the classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired "Upstairs, downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" / Margaret Powell
Below stairs [LARGE PRINT] : the classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey / Margaret Powell
title_short
Below stairs
title_sub
the classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired "Upstairs, downstairs" and "Downton Abbey"
topic_facet
Cooks
Powell, Margaret
Rich people
Working class women

Solr Details Tables

item_details

Bib IdItem IdShelf LocCall NumFormatFormat CategoryNum CopiesIs Order ItemIs eContenteContent SourceeContent URLDetailed StatusLast CheckinLocation
ils:.b12367242.i129234612nd Floor- Adult BooksLT 942 POW1falsefalseDue Oct 11, 2023Apr 24, 2022anf
ils:.b12159098.i126321812nd Floor- Adult Books942 POW1falsefalseCheck ShelfApr 24, 2022anf

record_details

Bib IdFormatFormat CategoryEditionLanguagePublisherPublication DatePhysical DescriptionAbridged
ils:.b12367242Large PrintBooksLarge print editionEnglishThorndike Press, a part of Gale Cengage Learning2013279 pages (large print) ; 23 cm.
ils:.b12159098BookBooks1st U.S. edEnglishSt. Martin's Press2012212 p. ; 22 cm.

scoping_details_addison

Bib IdItem IdGrouped StatusStatusLocally OwnedAvailableHoldableBookableIn Library Use OnlyLibrary OwnedHoldable PTypesBookable PTypesLocal Url
ils:.b12367242.i12923461Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsetrue0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 20, 21
ils:.b12159098.i12632181On ShelfCheck Shelffalsetruetruefalsefalsetrue0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 20, 21