Tiaras and Tantrums

Kedleston Hall, situated four miles north-west of Derby, stands in 800 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland. An outstanding example of the neo-classical style, the Hall was designed and built in the third quarter of the 18th century as a great showpiece for the Curzon family. The north façade, 107 metres long, is arguably one of the grandest of its kind in Britain.
In the early 1960s Roy Adams arrived at the imposing entrance of Kedleston Hall to take up the position of houseman. His duties included stoking the boilers twice a day and ensuring that fires were laid and lit in all rooms. Roy eventually progressed to the position of butler and went on to work for the Scarsdale family at Kedleston Hall for the next 25 years. 
Tiaras and Tantrums: Twenty-five years in service at Kedleston Hall is a response to requests and urgings from family and friends to recount his memories from his time at the Hall. By the time of his retirement, Roy had nursed the sick, changed babies’ nappies, placated irate cooks, dealt with amorous intrigues, buried family pets, acted as chauffeur and had been expected to know the answer to everything – even to crossword clues! Sadly, Roy died in Cheltenham in 2008, aged 86, so his wife has shaped his memoir into the pages of  Tiaras and Tantrums: Twenty-five years in service at Kedleston Hall. This book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at society life in Kedleston Hall.

Roy Adams came to Kedleston in 1962 at the age of 40. Behind him he had five years’ war service in the Royal Navy and five post-war years as a painter and decorator in Northern Ireland, before moving with his family to Burton upon Trent. The skills he acquired in various occupations over the years stood him in good stead for his work at Kedleston, firstly as houseman and later as butler. He was interested in all aspects of the arts and was an accomplished saxophonist, wood carver and furniture restorer. The all-consuming work at the Hall left him little time for these pursuits until his retirement in 1987, when he also compiled his memoirs. He spent the last two years of his life in Gloucestershire.