Mary Killen Mary Killen

When a footman’s home is his castle

In the 1970s, Gillies Macbain served as a sort of Jeeves to the remnants of the Anglo-Irish ascendancy — and wound up with a castle of his own

issue 21 December 2019

My own love for this memoir may be all to do with snobbery and self-identification. Moreover, I’ve always thought a life downstairs is an underrated career opportunity, offering access to all the aesthetic pleasures of the big house while bypassing the nuisance of admin and the financial burdens of its upkeep.

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