As I sit down, having just finished the washing up and sticking what may well turn out to be onion-flavoured marzipan on my Christmas cakes (short but sad story), what better than to introduce you to a book about housework. Caroline Davidson’s A Woman’s Work is Never Done: a history of housework in the British Isles 1650-1950, takes us through three centuries of women’s unpaid labour. There are interesting chapters on ‘utilities’ – water, heating and lighting and the impact that the provision of these had on women’s lives. She considers the specifics of cooking, of cleaning and of laundry. There is also a section on servants. Her final chapters, which look at the time spent on housework (more in a day than I spend in the average month – unless of course I have visitors) and women’s attitudes to housework are particularly thought provoking. This book, with over 100 black and white illustrations, is a fascinating read for both men and women. Yet again it is a volume that will provide family historians with crucial context for those often overlooked female ancestors.

Housework really isn’t high on my list of priorities – too many books to read and write – too little time. When I was editing eighty women’s memories for Remember Then, it was no co-incidence that there was little editorial voice in the housework chapter. Despite being serially undomesticated I really enjoyed this book. Sadly it seems to be out of print but you should be able to pick up a cheap second-hand copy.