Downton Abbey - Rules for Household Staff

The household staff of Downton Abbey carries out their duties with effortless dignity, finesse and pride. Yet how do they know how exactly to lay the table, when to leave the room to give Lord and Lady Grantham their privacy, how to care for Lady Mary's furs and which uniform to wear when? This recently recovered and fascinating staff handbook answers all of these questions and more.

Covering all the main positions of the Downton household—footman, lady's maid, housekeeper, groundsman and more—and with a general introduction for new members of staff from Carson the Butler, this book tells you everything you need to know about working below stairs in the grand estate of Downton Abbey.

My opinion.

What a fun little book to have on your shelf! As the "blurb" above says it all, there's not more I can add than a few pictures to win you over. This is, obviously, not a traditional read so I won't be reviewing it as such. I love having this book, I'm glad I bought it and I catch myself using it as my little encyclopedia whenever I'm (re)watching Downton episodes.

If you haven't seen the show yet - seriously, what are you waiting for? This is thé best show ever - but you are interested in the "upstairs downstairs" period in (mostly) English history, this is still a valuable and interesting book to have.

I picked out a few of the many lovely little details/episodes in the book that I really loved and enjoyed:

Downton-fans will recognize this as Mrs. Hughes' keys

the bell board

Chapter on one of the most important members of staff: the butler!
Downton-fans will recognize our very own Mr. Carson!
Other chapters give more detail on the responsibilities of the Valet, House Made,...