Grandpa, Downton and a life of good manners
WhY do I love Tv’s Downton Abbey? Because I was brought up by ‘Anna’ (my mother) and ‘Carson’ (my grandfather). My father was around, too, and much loved by all, but was a busy tradesman. My grandfather was already living with my parents and older siblings when I was born in 1928. Widowed and retired, he had been the butler in a large house in Aberdeenshire for many years. I never saw him other than in a dark grey suit, white shirt with stiffly starched wing collar, black tie and a bowler hat when walking out. I loved him dearly and spent many hours with him in his little sitting room, where we played cards and board games, and he relived the balls, dinner parties and shooting parties over which he presided. he was also a keen salmon fisherman. Though his domain was not nearly as big as Downton, he still had six to eight inside staff and there was a chauffeur, gardeners and estate workers. he always sat at the head of our table and ensured our table manners and speech were impeccable, our use of knife, fork and soup spoon were correct, we didn’t put elbows on the table and always held quiet conversation. his favourite expression to me was: ‘Whisht, lassie!’ I was heartbroken when he died in 1942. My mother was a ladies’ maid to an elderly widow, who split her time between Scotland and Bournemouth, where my parents met. Mother was an accomplished seamstress and made many of the clothes worn by my sister and me. We were brought up as ladies (‘ladylike’ was ever on her lips) with modesty and decorum our watchwords. She continued my grandfather’s legacy as we became adults and eventually married. One of my father’s best gifts to me was an interest in politics and world affairs, which I have maintained to this day. Now a widow of 86, I continue, hopefully, in the ways in which I was brought up and shudder at what I see sometimes in restaurants, on the streets and on Tv. Manners, eating habits and clean speech, how sadly they have deteriorated. No wonder I love Downton Abbey.
MARY Gunn, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.