James, it's an Oxford, or possibly Oxbridge, term: a scout is/was a college-employed factotum who would act as servant to a number of students - cleaning their rooms and so on. Perhaps in years gone by the scout was also responsible for the sort of thing a butler and/or valet would have done; the quote appears to suggest this. I think scouts were also exclusively male. However, a quick Google search turned up
this page , which offers some further insight:
Students typically 'live in' during their first and final years, often occupying rooms which are centuries old and have facilities to match. Rooms are tended every morning by a scout. The duties of a scout are these days limited to cleaning, changing linen and, above all, exercising discretion! However, in days gone by a scout was originally a student's manservant, acting as butler in their home from home.
And then see
here , where there is reference to female scouts.
The old universities vary in their terminology; I went to Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1692, and there the women who cleaned student rooms (the very grand rooms within College itself) were called 'skips'. I have no idea why, and it's almost an offensive term... but that's what they were/are called.
Oh, and incidentally, 'plonk' is wine.
Wendy
