On Monday 14th December we went to visit Hopetoun House near South Queensferry. We went to learn all about Victorians in a stately home at Christmas time.
We all had the opportunity to dress up as servants. We were butlers, valets, footman, bootboys, house maids, parlour maids, nurse maids and scullery maids. We got to act out the different chores that they would do around the house.
” I was a scullery maid. I had to sleep under the table in the Butlers pantry. I wasn’t important” – Emma MacKay
” I was a nurse maid. I had to act out when I was giving Lady Hopetoun her baby.” – Emma McDougall.
” I was a parlour maid. I had to clean the important rooms in the house” – Carla.
” I was the bootboy. I had to light over 100 fires every morning”-James.
” I was the Butler. I had to make sure all the servants were doing their jobs. I had to wear white gloves and run them across the surfaces to check for dust or dirt” – Jason.
In the afternoon we made our own butter. We had a tub of double cream and an equal amount of gold top milk. We then had to churn the mixture until butter had been produced. It was very tasty when we tried it the next day.
We also did some quilling. We used a pheasants feather and dipped it into ink and wrote letters home.
It was amazing and we would all LOVE to go back again. It was the best trip ever.
