The large terraces which comprised Brunswick Town, Palmeira Square and Adelaide Crescent required a formidable workforce.  For the wealthy to live in style took a huge amount of manpower but grand housing developments were built, secure in the knowledge that there was a large pool of labour available to run them. Most of the residents living there employed a large staff. There was the butler, housekeeper, nanny (if there were children), chambermaid, parlour maid, cook and the scullery maid, who was considered to be the lowest of them all.

Like the rest of Victorian society, the servants were part of a strict hierarchy. Their work was very regimented and hard. Working hours were long and time-off very rare. Discipline was strict and breaking the rules could mean instant dismissal without a reference.

I left school when I was thirteen years old and carried on working full-time for W Miles and Company. At one time my job was to go into rich people’s houses to tend all their plants, flowers and plumes that were in halls, dining rooms and lounges. This meant watering and replacing many plants and flowers. The leaves of the palms used to get dusty and had to be sponged.

One of the houses was in King’s Gardens, the residence of Sir David Sassoon. King Edward at one time stayed there. You cannot imagine what it was like for a poor lad like me going into one of these houses. It was like going into a palace, everything around was so rich and beautiful. But what was strange was that the front doors were always unlocked. I used to walk in and carry out my duties and often never even saw a servant or butler. I did once go downstairs and in a small room lined with green baize met a footman cleaning a mass of silver.  Such a house today would have to have an armed guard at the door!

Following the pavement or steps at the bottom of Adelaide Crescent we come to Kingsway opposite Hove Lawns. Walk East and cross at the first set of traffic lights to Hove Lawns and on to the promenade watching out for cyclists. Stopping directly opposite Brunswick Square notice how little the area has changed since the architectural image by Dubourg & Wilds.