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Nestor: What are his duties?

Briony Coote
Member
#1 · Posted: 1 Jan 2009 07:13
Has anyone noticed that only Nestor seems to be working at Marlinspike Hall? Surely the hall is way too big for one man to maintain. What's more, Nestor appears to be a butler, but chores such as dusting and raking leaves are not supposed to be a butler's job. Shouldn't there be other staff helping to maintain Marlinspike, such as maids, cooks, housekeepers and gardeners?
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#2 · Posted: 2 Jan 2009 00:34
I believe the Captain mentions a gardener when he Tintin return to Marlinspike after The Red Sea Sharks. It turns out to be Calculus's motorised roller skates.

Anyway, I'm not sure why there would really need to be maids, cooks, and housekeepers seeing as only Haddock and Calculus (and later Tintin) live there. Surely Nestor could handle most of the chores?
Briony Coote
Member
#3 · Posted: 2 Jan 2009 02:01
What if Nestor is sick or needs time off?
Karaboudjan
Member
#4 · Posted: 31 Jan 2009 23:46
I was always under the impression the Prof did much of the gardening. Though it could be he only took it up to create the Bianca rose.
bomberswarm2
Member
#5 · Posted: 1 Dec 2017 13:34
22 Jun 2021 12:54 - Merged topic:
Nestor: What are his duties?

What does Nestor do and how does he get paid while Tintin and Haddock are away, for example during Destination Moon and Prisoners of the Sun?
In Prisoners, the trip takes weeks, and they are held prisoner for a month, overall they could have been gone for 6 months, and there is no way for Nestor to know if they are even alive.

In Destination Moon, they appear to be in Syldavia for over a year.
So what is Nestor doing? Is he on long term leave? How is he getting paid?
jock123
Moderator
#6 · Posted: 2 Dec 2017 11:26
Good questions!

While the likes of you and I probably don't have the problem of owning a large country estate, and traveling extensively fro extended periods of time (I may be making an unwarranted assumption here - you might be the Duke of Marlinshire for all I know, and spend your life globe-trotting with the jet-set... ;-)), many wealthy people have homes (even more than one) in which they don't live for much of the year.

In those circumstances it is not unusual to have a person that is employed to run the house in their absence - an estate manager, a major-domo or butler is often the sort title used.

Nestor will look after the cleaning and upkeep of the house, and be responsible for the activities of any staff or tradesman who are needed (we know that there is a gardener involved in looking after the grounds, for example, so Nestor will undoubtedly coordinate with them about what is to be done).

He will have bills to pay, correspondence to write - both to the suppliers of goods and services, and to the Captain to keep him up-to-date with goings on at the estate - and whatever other paper-work is needed will fall to him. He also forwards the post to the Captain and Tintin on their travels (Haddock tells us so in Tintin in Tibet).

Presumably his wages are paid directly into a bank account by the Captain, using a direct-debit type arrangement; if not, then perhaps the Captain has his solicitor pay Nestor, which might be useful if Nestor has to undertake any work on the house which needs legal consultation, or for which the cost is very high.

The duties are maybe not onerous by some standards, but there is a full-time occupation there, even if at the very least it's just just in keeping an eye on the property, making sure that nothing goes wrong, and making it less of a target for thieves.

By some standards, Nestor is doing a lot just by being on his own.

I remember listening to a radio programme about an American lady living in New York, who had inherited a lot of money and property when she was very young.
She had a fully stocked mansion in Los Angeles, which had belonged to her father, with staff, who kept the house prepared – decorated with fresh flowers, polished, kitchens at the ready, etc. – so that she could arrive at any moment...
...and she never went there. She grew up, grew old, and died, without having set foot in it.
Roby
Member
#7 · Posted: 4 Dec 2017 05:15
This thread makes me wish that Herge had lived longer, and did a full adventure where Nestor and his life take centre stage. Or maybe even one where we jump between Nestor alone at Marlinspike and Tintin/Captain in a far away land, where two stories take place consequently.

The world of Tintin is full of potential for a thousand stories, but sadly it's all over.

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