Few of us … OK, none of us … have a Mr. Carson (yes, “Downton Abbey”) to keep our lives in order. But a few tips from longtime English butler Stanley Ager wouldn’t hurt.
Ager’s classic handbook, “The Butler’s Guide to Running the Home and Other Graces,” has just been re-released.
Some of the advice is not really applicable (“The cardinal rule is never to tell your staff that you’re entertaining royalty until just before the event”).
Still, we can all benefit from Ager’s tips for setting a table, caring for shoes and packing clothes so they won’t wrinkle.
He’ll even teach you how to iron a newspaper, should a journalist ever come round to tea.
“The Butler’s Guide” sells for $21.99 in hardcover.
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