by Richard Spence on Sunday, 25 April 2010 at 23:25 ·
I'm back looking after the Duke in Suffolk. A job where perfection is not really good enough and the gossip behind the scenes is so rampant you have to be an acrobat to avoid the scathing looks and remarks of those who have been long established in this amazing window into the way things used to be.
The job itself is fairly easy only made difficult by the incredible angst of the Duchess and therefore everyone else. One small mistake and you fall instantly from grace to the doldrums of incompetence and have to crawl back up to even being acknowledged. You are only ever as good as your last shift and will curry no favours. Here being regarded as the ” underling” is the norm and a smile is a priceless gift.
His Grace is 91, has had both legs amputated and is deaf in both ears so wears hearing aids. He drifts in and out of reality asking after his dogs or asking when the next train is leaving and asking me to pack his things for the journey. He is delightfull and a real gentleman. He has not grumbled or complained once but is often uncomfortable.
Her Grace is impossible to predict. One minute she is charming and engages in conversation the next you are made to feel usless because you don’t see What has to be done even though what has to be done changes at the drop of a hat.
The other day i had to take both of them to one of their three daughters who we must address as 'Lady', at the last minute Her Grace informed me tho follow in the green Pagero as she was to go on to an apointment and i would have to collect His Grace and bring him home later after he had finished his lunch. I went over to the Pagero and got in. It wouldn’t start! Bugger i thought as i had ten minutes to sort something out as they were going for a quick drive around the estate. I tried the walkie talkie, of course no response. Bugger it I thought again. I ran in and called Peter the chap responsible for running the estate who said he would jump start it later. Later, what good is later I muttered to myself? The clock was ticking and I needed a solution now! With no time to spare I ran to meet His and Her Grace under the arch at the end of the driveway and all I could think of was to offer the carers car, also a Pagero. Brilliant I thought, problem solved although up to this point I had not been in the carers car so I thought it was also an automatic. It was manual and it was filthy. Oh well i’m sure she can drive a manual. I later found out from her daughter much to her amusement (thank God) that she had driven all the way to her appointment and back to the Hall in first gear!
There are three floors to the Hall all covered in priceless paintings mostly of ancestors long since deceased in the mid 17Th century. One of my favourite ornaments is Lord Nelson’s telescope hanging by the front door. There are a few paintings by G Stubbs the famous horse painter one of which is worth about five million pounds.
I have just served tea at 4.30 and then brought the tray in to wash up. As I put the tray down on the sideboard I set the alarm off. Luckily Her Grace did not react and as yet as decided not to mention it. Phew!
What challenges are still to come.........?
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