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  • Good morning, and welcome to Apsley House. My name is Matilda Cross and I am the housekeeper.

  • You may call me Matilda.

  • I do have a number of very important tasks to complete this morning so I can't dally

  • for too long. I understand some of you children have some questions for me though.

  • Come on, don’t be shy, speak up.

  • Hello, I’m Aden and I’m 10 years old.

  • How do you do. What’s your question?

  • What does a housekeeper do?

  • I work behind the scenes of the house, keeping everything clean and tidy for his Grace, the Duke of Wellington.

  • I manage the household staff, make sure the house is very clean and keep

  • the kitchen well stocked for the chef.

  • I rarely do any of the cleaning myself but I manage all of the staff that do.

  • Including 4 housemaids and a head housemaid.

  • Today we are preparing for a banquet so everyone is very busy.

  • I mostly work in the service area of the house away from where his Grace and family live and entertain their guests.

  • I will meet with the Duchess to discuss what needs to ordered and to see if she has any special instructions for me.

  • I also manage the household budget to ensure we have the food for the grand banquet

  • as well as the normal weekly meals.

  • This can be quite a challenge since the banquets require a significant amount of unusual food.

  • More about that later.

  • I haven't been in the employment of his Grace for very long, so I need to make sure everything is absolutely perfect.

  • Thank you Matilda.

  • You're welcome child. Do you have another question?

  • Hello, I’m Karmjeet and I am 8 years old.

  • Very nice to meet you. What's your question?

  • Who owns this house?

  • His Grace The Duke of Wellington has owned the house ever since 1817.

  • Since then his Grace has done extensive refurbishment work including the dining room

  • which can seat up to 45 people.

  • His Grace’s success at the Battle of Waterloo where he lead our troops to victory against Napoleon

  • was so significant that every year we hold a grand banquet to celebrate

  • on the evening of the 18th of June.

  • Thank you, Matilda.

  • You're welcome child. Now I must be about my duties. I’ll meet you at the stairs.

  • Ah, do you have another question for me?

  • Hello, I’m Laaibah and I’m 9 years old.

  • Good day. What’s your question?

  • What is a banquet, and how many people come?

  • A banquet is a very large, formal meal.

  • Guests will normally attend in their finest clothes. and make speeches themselves

  • or invite people to do so for them.

  • His Grace, the Duke of Wellington, holds a banquet every year to celebrate his victory at the Battle of Waterloo.

  • There can be up to 45 people at the banquet.

  • Fortunately his Grace has plenty of space to seat all of the gentlemen who attend.

  • There’s often little room to spare once everyone is present.

  • The banquets are attended by military colleagues of his Grace, politicians of high regard and royalty.

  • It’s very busy for the serving the staff, such as the butler and the housemaids and I rarely get a break.

  • Thank you Matilda.

  • Shall we go to the dining room?

  • Oh. Good day to you.

  • Hello, my name is Khalaf and I am 9 years old.

  • What's your question?

  • What is the Duke of Wellington’s favourite food?

  • His Grace the Duke of Wellington has very plain tastes like mutton and potatoes from years on campaign.

  • As a soldier, his Grace would take bread and a hard-boiled egg.

  • But his Grace loves to entertain and so was expected to host fashionable dinners.

  • It requires a very special chef to make all of these dishes and we have a gentleman all the way from France.

  • Mr Louis Auvrery makes wonderful meals for his Grace’s guests.

  • Everything is served a la Françoise, which means that various sweet and savoury dishes are

  • brought to the table at the same time so that guests can help themselves

  • and eat at their leisure.

  • To serve in such a manner means everyone, from those in the kitchen to the serving staff are constantly working.

  • His Grace enjoys everything that the chef serves but the particular favourite is

  • Parmesan ice cream.

  • I’m not sure that I’d enjoy it but then perhaps my tastes aren’t that adventurous.

  • Thank you Matilda.

  • Speaking of his Grace, there is a lot of work to do before the banquet this evening

  • and I'd better be on my way.

  • Goodbye.

Good morning, and welcome to Apsley House. My name is Matilda Cross and I am the housekeeper.

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Homes Through History | Episode 6: Meet the Housekeeper at Apsley House

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    Summer 發佈於 2021 年 12 月 13 日
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