Edwardian England was the heyday of the country house. For the aristocracy it was a life of extravagance and luxury. But for those who kept these grand estates running, it was a very different world. Life below stairs meant 17-hour days, endless drudgery, and always knowing your place. This presentation lets the audience experience what it was really like to work ‘in service’ on country estates, including Highclere Castle, the setting for period drama ‘Downton Abbey’. It also draws from the pages of the classic ‘Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management’, first published in 1861.