There are 25,000 'Room Stewards' in Britain, most of them women, who man the rooms of stately homes and open houses, answering visitors' questions, guarding valuable treasures and acting as story-tellers to the captive audience who troop through each year.
They have in the past been caricatured as self-elected, twin-set-and-pearl-wearing 'Queens of the Realm', but the service they provide is finally being recognised in projects like 'Visit Britain' which was launched this summer to encourage tourism at home.
Victoria Shepherd goes behind the scenes to report on how the stewards bring Britain's historic houses to life - and why the job has a special appeal for women.
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