To hope that in this day and age in the UK, servants no longer exist?

[angelos02]

I know the aristocracy will have chefs and cleaners etc but I hope that servants as they used to exist, don't any longer. I'm thinking of people sat eating at a table while their minions stand waiting behind them to cater for their every whim? Surely not anymore? Who in their right mind would bow and scrape to another human being, day in, day out?

I have two friends who have permanent full time household staff

servant isn't a word they would use

Ds had a couple of nanny's. I didn't see them as a servant, more of a life saver. I'm about to get a gardener as I can't do it myself (black fingers as opposed to green), possibly a cleaner if I can find one, I use a window cleaner, a chimney sweep, a gas maintenance man, my food gets delivered, my bin gets washed, I even have a chauffeur (the bus driver ). These are all things I can't or don't have time to do myself. They are not servants, they probably earn more an hour than I do.

My mil is a housekeeper. She loves it as she is so bossy and not at all downtrodden-her employers couldn't manage without her. Win win surely.

I've read that trained butlers earn £50k+...

I have just finished reading Longbourne - the life of servants has come a long way in 200 years.

I'd never thought about it before. Imagine doing a full household load of regency clothes washing + bed and kitchen linen, with no electricity, in winter when it's raining. And washing other women's post-menstrual rags. In fact, doing any servantile-drudgery without electricity.

And you were completely at the whim of your employer. If they moved, you moved, regardless of any friendships, relationships or bonds you might have formed with people where you currently lived. And you'd likely never see those people evee again, because no telephones, and no transport beyond your employers' horse and cart.

We don't know we're born...

One of the Pope's titles is Servant.

Was walking through a posh but of london a few years back, trying to find the hotel for my sister's wedding. Stopped on the pavement to look at the map, the door behind us opened and there was a rather elderly butler. Oh he did look smart!

Oh and my Mum's goddaughter is married to a butler. So yes, they do exist.

I have a retired couple that look after my holiday home for me. They live rent free on the guest cottage on the property, I pay electricity and gas. I'm only there a few months of the year at most, and when I'm not there they keep the grass mowed and the gardens tidied, take the car for a quick drive every couple of weeks and the wife likes to open up my house on nice sunny days to let it air out. Just before I arrive she puts some basic food staples and a casserole or something in the fridge (the flight doesn't land until later in the evening when all the shops are closed) and they drop my car at the airport for me. All in all a nice relationship - they get to live rent free in a lovely cottage with ocean views, I get someone keeping an eye on my place and keeping it tidy while I'm away. I'd never call them servants, we're just helping each other out.

There's a big house in my village that the owners only use for 2-3 weeks per year. The house is looked after by a couple who basically live in it this beautiful house (including keeping their horses in the stables) and look after the place. When the family visit they have a bonkers couple of weeks of preparation then a few weeks of effectively running a 5 star hotel (though they do bring extra staff in to help for those weeks) then back to normal. And they are paid very well and have worked for their current employer in various properties for over 30 years. I think it is the modern equivalent of the loyal staff of the pre WW2 period.
And the general consensus in the village is that they have just about the best job on earth!

Japanese when we lived in An African country we employed a housekeeper who had worked for families with no washing machine previous to us. She handwashed all bedlinen etc. For them. They could afford a washing machine but didn't think they needed one.

On my current posting, while waiting for our container to arrive, our housekeeper brought a lady in to do all the handwashing. She asked for 1 pound 50 pence for the day. (Don't worry I paid her more).

Obviously our economy is strong enough to ensure a fair salary for everyone, I'm guessing it wad different pre WW2.

Unfortunately not true of other countries.

I have a stream of people now because I can't turn anyone away.

It is such a headache managing everyone and I am constantly surrounded in my own house! I was not born in to this! Now they have two days a week off, still paid, just so I can walk around in my own house in privacy.

Sorry, probably picked wrong thread to rant, as this was about the UK after all.

Think what I'm trying to day is that if you were not brought up that way then having staff is harder than not having any.

LOL, well they wouldn't, would they!

OP I think you'd like the series 'Chatsworth' if you can catch it on iplayer.

It followed the Duke of Devonshire and the running of his estate.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the aristocracy are in this day and age it is clear his staff really liked him and were happy in their jobs. I was struck by how low staff turnover was. Many staff had 20+ years.

As a maternity nurse I often work in households that are fully staffed. I am often served by the other staff eg meals prepared by chef and served to me at table, all washing done for me plus all cleaning, bathroom cleaned every day if not twice very much five star service. Overall, most staff are happy but the happiest ones are where the employers:

1. respect the employee and pay them fairly
2. speak to them nicely but not as friends (this can be hard to get a good balance)
3. only ask staff to do things which they would/could do themselves. Often they can't do it themselves because they are busy with work or other commitments or not really the done thing having a Princess cleaning the swimming pool although I've seen one doing this before.

I've learnt plenty over the past twenty years working in staffed homes and sometimes it's hard to get the balance. I stuggle mostly with the people who have only just come into money (unless they earnt it themselves) - the heriditary money is usually the best to work for and also they don't splash it around either.

They get paid for it ! Probably more grab we do in our everyday jobs ; I would do the same if the price was right.

I wouldn't say a nanny etc is a servant tbh...I am a nanny and I'm nobody's servant!

Saying that, I'm so utterly desperate for a job that I'd be a servant no problem...quite frankly I'll lick your toilets clean right now!

I know what you're saying op and I don't like the idea either. It's a personal thing though and I think most on here have kind of missed the point (dons flame suit lol).

A friend of mine who is also Chinese, but has immigrated here had the kind of servants you're describing. When he eventually goes back he talks about how many he will have to do xyz. It's a status thing in HK, Singapore etc.

I have to say I loathe the idea of live in servants. This is much different to having a visiting cleaner or child minder imho.

My neighbour's landlord and his wife rent out their house and work as live-in servants in France, looking after the property often while the owners are away; but I think they are often around when the owners are home too.

My divorced Aunt does work as a live-in cook (she's been fired a couple of times so I'm not sure she's that good bless her...).

I love reading the lady as you see all the adverts for servants. A by gone era but if paid well. I don't see the problem

I have just looked at the lady online yep definitely servant jobs around how the other half live

Over the years I've had nannies, au pairs, housekeepers, gardeners, dog-walkers, drivers, fixers, cleaners (and for one period a Close Protection Officer). I have never used the word servant - they are just people who get paid to do a job, as I get paid to do a job. And certainly, most of them were better at their jobs than I would have been in the same role. A couple of my drivers got me out of really tight spots. (I felt a bit "feudal" when I offered outgrown baby-clothes to my housekeeper - but that was idiotic of me, and she was really pleased with them.)