Britain Paying For Domestic Bliss
THEY were once the exclusive preserve of the very wealthy and the aristocracy, but now it seems that even commoners, apparently too lazy to clean their own house, are hiring domestic staff.
A new survey from Barclays has revealed that one in ten households in the country employs some kind of domestic help with 82 per cent of those who use household staff hiring cleaners, followed by 30 per cent who employ gardeners, 17 per cent who hire nannies and 16 per cent who apparently get someone in to “do the ironing”. (Is “do the ironing” a euphemism for something else? Although a euphemism for what exactly, I have no idea.)
The main reason given for using outside help in running a household is, not surprisingly, a lack of time as long working hours minimise the amount of leisure time available.
Indeed, 70 per cent of the lazy sods who hire domestic staff claim they don’t have time to the housework while 36 per cent admit they simply want to do other things.
A spokesman for Barclays Premier Banking says: “Long gone are the ‘upstairs downstairs’ days of domestic staff which were the preserve of the nobility. In the 21st century we are all trying to cram as much into our lives as possible and will think nothing of taking on the help we need to do this.”
We’re turning into a nation of lazy overweight coach potatoes. Well, at least those of us not employed as ironers are…
June 12th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I have a cleaner. I get up at 6am. Wash and dress myself and my daughter, drop her off at her childminder, cycle three miles to work, put in a full days work, leave at 4.30 if I can get away, cycle home, collect my daughter, give her her tea, play for a couple of hours at whatever she wants, (and it is usually energetic - 2yrd olds arent much into sitting down), then give her a bath, get her into her pyjamas, spend half an hour reading her stories and getting her off to sleep.
I then go and get myself something to eat ad gather up the washing and irnoning that I need to do.
By the time I have done all of this it is normally about 9.30. Time for me to sit down, watch a bit of TV or read a book and have half an hour to myself and then I go to sleep, which will inevitably be broken, because my daughter often wakes during the night.
What is so bad about me getting someone in to do my dusting a couple of times a week? How dare you imply that I am an overweight lazy couch potato?
Anorak, you are a silly bore sometimes….often…well, most of the time actually…in fact…
June 12th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Hope the chappie ironing doesn’t suffer from vertigo, tends to bring me out in a rash at best and complete collapse usually.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Joanne - I am all for getting the help in. Our parton, Old Mr Anorak, swears by his nurse who charges by the half hour…
June 12th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
Anorak, he finds my fees such good value for what I do, patting the bandages, pumping things in and out however are NOT in my remit, I am the nurse, not the matron.
And that uniform, you try wearing it, especially those shoes….
£300 per 30 mins is well worth it, and a Porsche, and my little penthouse, and my island hideaway and my account at Harvey Nicks, but I am changing the hairdresser, his new client is a bit doubtful ,Cherie, I think her name is…..