While the family upstairs feasts and toasts, who’s stoking the fires, serving the supper and sweeping up the pine needles? This episode heads below stairs to explore how servants in historic country houses really spent Christmas. 

Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage expert Dr Andrew Hann and writer Sian Evans to uncover the season of hard work and stolen play. Not to mention vast quantities of beef, balls, baffling numbers of eggs and moments when the social order relaxed just a little! 

Drawing on diaries, documents and oral histories, we meet cooks, gardeners and housekeepers who found ways to celebrate despite the workload and discover why Boxing Day often mattered more than Christmas Day for those in service. 

Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.   

Join English Heritage: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/⁠   

Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.*  

Support our work: ⁠https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/⁠   

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales.  

*Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices