Spring Cleaning at Wickham Place
Wickham Place is the London home of Lord and Lady Southgate, their children and staff. Located in fashionable Belgravia it is a fine Georgian terrace house.
Today we are below stairs in the Wickham Place kitchen. Lower maids Sarah and Tilly, and scullery maid Agnes have been sent back to London from the Southgate’s family estate in Buckinghamshire, ahead of all the other staff, to give the terrace a good spring clean before the family return for the commencement of the London Season. The boy from Mr. Willson the high-end Mayfair grocer has just delivered Mrs. Bradley’s order of groceries, telephoned through from Buckinghamshire and Agnes is charged with the job of readying the pantry and cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom in readiness for Cook’s return. Mrs. Blackheath the Housekeeper has hired some London girls to come and help Sarah and Tilly, as well as a char woman from Whitechapel to do some of the heavier work and Mrs Nelsong* the chimney sweep to clean the flues. Between them all they will make spick where speck was and span where squalor. On and around Cook’s deal table stand the all the paraphernalia that will be required to give Wickham Place a good spring clean.
“Agnes, put the kettle on whilst we wait for the hired girls to arrive.” Sarah says as she settles down onto a chair. “Might be our only time before lunchtime to have a nice cup.”
“Haven’t you got two hands?” mutters Agnes with unsuspected pluck that takes the two maids aback. “I’ve got Mr. Willson’s delivery to unpack! Two big boxes of dry and tinned goods, not to mention the baskets of vegetables by the door.”
“Oh please Agnes!” Tilly pleads. “Anyway, you’re the scullery maid, so you’re supposed to do for us.”
“You can do for yourselves.” Agnes sulks. “Anyway, I haven’t any milk for tea yet. The milk float hasn’t been through the square yet.”
“I hate spring cleaning,” mutters Sarah.
“Me too!” groans Tilly. “Why do we always get lumped with the hard graft?”
“What are you two complaining for? Mrs. Blackheath has hired local skivvies to help you, and no doubt for you to boss around. I get no-one to help me, and I have to black lead the whole range before Mrs. Bradley gets here on Thursday.”
“The girls will need bossing without Mrs. Blackheath here to keep them in line. Remember the skivvies we had last year Sarah?”
“Do I ever Tilly! Laziest skivvies I’ve ever seen.”
“They’d have to be, to outdo you on that score,” mutters Agnes quietly under her breath.
“What was that Agnes?” pipes up Sarah, jumping up from her seat.
“I was just saying that you two had better make a start then,” Agnes replies, thinking quickly. “If they are going to be lazy.
“I hate to say it Sarah, but she’s right,” says Tilly. “Come on. The sooner we start the sooner we can finish.”
“Right-oh Tilly. Let’s go.”
The two maids start gathering up the mop, broom, tin buckets and cleaning agents to start their spring clean.
The Wickham Place kitchens are situated on the ground floor of Wickham Place, adjoining the Butler’s Pantry. It is dominated by big black leaded range that Agnes has to clean, and next to it stands a heavy dark wood dresser that has been there for as long as anyone can remember. There is a white enamelled sink to one side with deep cupboards to house the necessary cleaning agents the scullery maid needs to keep the kitchen clean for the cook. In the middle of the kitchen stands Cook’s preserve, the pine deal table on which she does most of her preparation for both the meals served to the family upstairs and those for the downstairs staff.
*Mrs May Nelsong was a real person. With her name often mistakenly spelt as ‘Nelson’, Mrs. Nelsong was the only female chimney sweep in London. She lived in East Clapham and cleaned chimneys throughout London before the Second World War. She was so famous she even featured in Churchman’s ‘In Town Tonight’ cigarette card series.
This year the FFF+ Group have decided to have a weekly challenge called “Snap Happy”. A different theme chosen by a member of the group each week, and the image is to be posted on the Monday of the week.
This week the theme, “spring” was chosen by Gary, Gazman_AU.
I know we usually think of flowers and baby birds when spring is mentioned, so I thought I’d try and do something a bit different, so I’ve created another “downstairs” tableaux is made up of part of my 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures collection. Some pieces come from my own childhood like the ladderback chair. Other items I acquired as an adult through specialist online dealers and artisans who specialise in realistic 1:12 size miniatures.
Fun things to look for in this tableaux include:
The feather duster in the bucket made myself using fledgling feathers (very spring) which I picked up off the lawn one day thinking they would come in handy in my miniatures collection sometime. I bound them with thread to the handle which is made from a fancy ended toothpick!
On the table we have box of Sunlight soap, some Conco Vinegar and a package of Borax: cleaning essentials in any Edwardian household. Sunlight Soap was first introduced in 1884. It was produced at Port Sunlight in Wirrel, Merseyside, a model village built by Lever Brothers for the workers of their factories which produced the popular soap brands Lux, Lifebuoy and Sunlight. Although first discovered in the Eighth Century in Tibet, Borax came into common use in the late Nineteenth Century when it was used in Victorian and Edwardian households as an early laundry detergent and whitener. However, it was also useful for getting rid of stains, mould and mildew off walls. Although I can find no listings for the Conco brand of vinegar, vinegar has many uses for cleaning a home.
Behind the box, next to the brass kettle is a box containing a bottle of Buffalo Ammonia. The American Bluing Company established in 1873 and located in Buffalo New York manufactured Buffalo Ammonia. The brand still exists today but is now known as an all-purpose spiritual cleanser which invokes the power of the sacred buffalo of the Native Americans. Interestingly, it has the same label as the original Victorian Buffalo Ammonia.
In front of the box is can of Vim and some Zeebo Grate Polish, also common cleaning agents in any Edwardian household. Vim scouring powder was created by William Hesketh Lever (1st Viscount Leverhulme) and introduced to the market in 1904. It was produced at Port Sunlight in Wirrel, Merseyside, a model village built by Lever Brothers for the workers of their factories which produced the popular soap brands Lux, Lifebuoy and Sunlight. Zebo (or originally Zebra) Grate Polish was a substance launched in 1890 by Reckitts to polish the grate to a gleam using a mixture that consisted of pure black graphite finely ground, carbon black, a binding agent and a solvent to keep it fluid for application with a cloth or more commonly newspaper.
On the brick floor of the kitchen in front of the bucket and green bottle of disinfectant are two tins of polish. Created in the late 1800s by Reckitts, Red Cardinal tile polish is used for stone, clay, cement, unglazed tiles and brickwork to brighten and bring out the red in them. It is still available from specialist suppliers to this day. Mansion Polish was produced by the Chiswick Polish Company from around the turn of the Twentieth Century. Suitable as a floor or furniture wax, it promoted health and hygiene, and it too is still available today from specialist cleaning stockists.
The Edwardians were wonderful advertisers of products. The boxes that the provisions from Mr. Wilson’s grocery have arrived in advertise Sunlight Soap, the origins of which are described above, and Brasso. Brasso Metal Polish is a British all-purpose metal cleaning product introduced to market in 1905 by Reckitt and Sons, who also produced Silvo, which was used specifically for cleaning silver, silver plate and EPNS. Brasso could easily be used by Agnes to keep the copper kettle and other metal items around the kitchen gleaming. Both Brasso and Silvo are still produced today and can be found on supermarket shelves worldwide.
The tin buckets, enamel bowls, mop, scrubbing brush and birchwood broom are all artisan made miniatures that I have acquired in more recent years.
The bottle of purple liquid next to the larger of the tin buckets is the only non-period piece, but I couldn’t resist including it, as I doubt I will ever be able to photograph it as part of any other tableaux. Thus, I hope you will forgive me for this indulgence. It’s a bottle of Gough’s Lavender disinfectant. Gough’s was one of a number of products produced by the Sunshine Bleach Company in Melbourne’s western suburb of Sunshine between 1953 and 1961. The Sunshine Bleach Company was set up by Scottish immigrants Ann and David Gough. The Gough family produced around six cleaning products over their decade of business including Pine Fume disinfectant, Nylozone, Perfectant, Dai-Zone and Gough’s Lavender.
Spring Cleaning at Wickham Place
Wickham Place is the London home of Lord and Lady Southgate, their children and staff. Located in fashionable Belgravia it is a fine Georgian terrace house.
Today we are below stairs in the Wickham Place kitchen. Lower maids Sarah and Tilly, and scullery maid Agnes have been sent back to London from the Southgate’s family estate in Buckinghamshire, ahead of all the other staff, to give the terrace a good spring clean before the family return for the commencement of the London Season. The boy from Mr. Willson the high-end Mayfair grocer has just delivered Mrs. Bradley’s order of groceries, telephoned through from Buckinghamshire and Agnes is charged with the job of readying the pantry and cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom in readiness for Cook’s return. Mrs. Blackheath the Housekeeper has hired some London girls to come and help Sarah and Tilly, as well as a char woman from Whitechapel to do some of the heavier work and Mrs Nelsong* the chimney sweep to clean the flues. Between them all they will make spick where speck was and span where squalor. On and around Cook’s deal table stand the all the paraphernalia that will be required to give Wickham Place a good spring clean.
“Agnes, put the kettle on whilst we wait for the hired girls to arrive.” Sarah says as she settles down onto a chair. “Might be our only time before lunchtime to have a nice cup.”
“Haven’t you got two hands?” mutters Agnes with unsuspected pluck that takes the two maids aback. “I’ve got Mr. Willson’s delivery to unpack! Two big boxes of dry and tinned goods, not to mention the baskets of vegetables by the door.”
“Oh please Agnes!” Tilly pleads. “Anyway, you’re the scullery maid, so you’re supposed to do for us.”
“You can do for yourselves.” Agnes sulks. “Anyway, I haven’t any milk for tea yet. The milk float hasn’t been through the square yet.”
“I hate spring cleaning,” mutters Sarah.
“Me too!” groans Tilly. “Why do we always get lumped with the hard graft?”
“What are you two complaining for? Mrs. Blackheath has hired local skivvies to help you, and no doubt for you to boss around. I get no-one to help me, and I have to black lead the whole range before Mrs. Bradley gets here on Thursday.”
“The girls will need bossing without Mrs. Blackheath here to keep them in line. Remember the skivvies we had last year Sarah?”
“Do I ever Tilly! Laziest skivvies I’ve ever seen.”
“They’d have to be, to outdo you on that score,” mutters Agnes quietly under her breath.
“What was that Agnes?” pipes up Sarah, jumping up from her seat.
“I was just saying that you two had better make a start then,” Agnes replies, thinking quickly. “If they are going to be lazy.
“I hate to say it Sarah, but she’s right,” says Tilly. “Come on. The sooner we start the sooner we can finish.”
“Right-oh Tilly. Let’s go.”
The two maids start gathering up the mop, broom, tin buckets and cleaning agents to start their spring clean.
The Wickham Place kitchens are situated on the ground floor of Wickham Place, adjoining the Butler’s Pantry. It is dominated by big black leaded range that Agnes has to clean, and next to it stands a heavy dark wood dresser that has been there for as long as anyone can remember. There is a white enamelled sink to one side with deep cupboards to house the necessary cleaning agents the scullery maid needs to keep the kitchen clean for the cook. In the middle of the kitchen stands Cook’s preserve, the pine deal table on which she does most of her preparation for both the meals served to the family upstairs and those for the downstairs staff.
*Mrs May Nelsong was a real person. With her name often mistakenly spelt as ‘Nelson’, Mrs. Nelsong was the only female chimney sweep in London. She lived in East Clapham and cleaned chimneys throughout London before the Second World War. She was so famous she even featured in Churchman’s ‘In Town Tonight’ cigarette card series.
This year the FFF+ Group have decided to have a weekly challenge called “Snap Happy”. A different theme chosen by a member of the group each week, and the image is to be posted on the Monday of the week.
This week the theme, “spring” was chosen by Gary, Gazman_AU.
I know we usually think of flowers and baby birds when spring is mentioned, so I thought I’d try and do something a bit different, so I’ve created another “downstairs” tableaux is made up of part of my 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures collection. Some pieces come from my own childhood like the ladderback chair. Other items I acquired as an adult through specialist online dealers and artisans who specialise in realistic 1:12 size miniatures.
Fun things to look for in this tableaux include:
The feather duster in the bucket made myself using fledgling feathers (very spring) which I picked up off the lawn one day thinking they would come in handy in my miniatures collection sometime. I bound them with thread to the handle which is made from a fancy ended toothpick!
On the table we have box of Sunlight soap, some Conco Vinegar and a package of Borax: cleaning essentials in any Edwardian household. Sunlight Soap was first introduced in 1884. It was produced at Port Sunlight in Wirrel, Merseyside, a model village built by Lever Brothers for the workers of their factories which produced the popular soap brands Lux, Lifebuoy and Sunlight. Although first discovered in the Eighth Century in Tibet, Borax came into common use in the late Nineteenth Century when it was used in Victorian and Edwardian households as an early laundry detergent and whitener. However, it was also useful for getting rid of stains, mould and mildew off walls. Although I can find no listings for the Conco brand of vinegar, vinegar has many uses for cleaning a home.
Behind the box, next to the brass kettle is a box containing a bottle of Buffalo Ammonia. The American Bluing Company established in 1873 and located in Buffalo New York manufactured Buffalo Ammonia. The brand still exists today but is now known as an all-purpose spiritual cleanser which invokes the power of the sacred buffalo of the Native Americans. Interestingly, it has the same label as the original Victorian Buffalo Ammonia.
In front of the box is can of Vim and some Zeebo Grate Polish, also common cleaning agents in any Edwardian household. Vim scouring powder was created by William Hesketh Lever (1st Viscount Leverhulme) and introduced to the market in 1904. It was produced at Port Sunlight in Wirrel, Merseyside, a model village built by Lever Brothers for the workers of their factories which produced the popular soap brands Lux, Lifebuoy and Sunlight. Zebo (or originally Zebra) Grate Polish was a substance launched in 1890 by Reckitts to polish the grate to a gleam using a mixture that consisted of pure black graphite finely ground, carbon black, a binding agent and a solvent to keep it fluid for application with a cloth or more commonly newspaper.
On the brick floor of the kitchen in front of the bucket and green bottle of disinfectant are two tins of polish. Created in the late 1800s by Reckitts, Red Cardinal tile polish is used for stone, clay, cement, unglazed tiles and brickwork to brighten and bring out the red in them. It is still available from specialist suppliers to this day. Mansion Polish was produced by the Chiswick Polish Company from around the turn of the Twentieth Century. Suitable as a floor or furniture wax, it promoted health and hygiene, and it too is still available today from specialist cleaning stockists.
The Edwardians were wonderful advertisers of products. The boxes that the provisions from Mr. Wilson’s grocery have arrived in advertise Sunlight Soap, the origins of which are described above, and Brasso. Brasso Metal Polish is a British all-purpose metal cleaning product introduced to market in 1905 by Reckitt and Sons, who also produced Silvo, which was used specifically for cleaning silver, silver plate and EPNS. Brasso could easily be used by Agnes to keep the copper kettle and other metal items around the kitchen gleaming. Both Brasso and Silvo are still produced today and can be found on supermarket shelves worldwide.
The tin buckets, enamel bowls, mop, scrubbing brush and birchwood broom are all artisan made miniatures that I have acquired in more recent years.
The bottle of purple liquid next to the larger of the tin buckets is the only non-period piece, but I couldn’t resist including it, as I doubt I will ever be able to photograph it as part of any other tableaux. Thus, I hope you will forgive me for this indulgence. It’s a bottle of Gough’s Lavender disinfectant. Gough’s was one of a number of products produced by the Sunshine Bleach Company in Melbourne’s western suburb of Sunshine between 1953 and 1961. The Sunshine Bleach Company was set up by Scottish immigrants Ann and David Gough. The Gough family produced around six cleaning products over their decade of business including Pine Fume disinfectant, Nylozone, Perfectant, Dai-Zone and Gough’s Lavender.