THE new manager at Burgh House has moved job, house and boyfriend to Hampstead after landing her dream job. Kate Streeter took over as general manager on Monday, replacing Helen Wilton, who was in charge of the house and museum for 11 years

Meg Jorsh

THE new manager at Burgh House has moved job, house and boyfriend to Hampstead after landing her dream job.

Kate Streeter took over as general manager on Monday, replacing Helen Wilton, who was in charge of the house and museum for 11 years.

The Cambridge graduate left her job as manager of the Benjamin Franklin House in Charing Cross two weeks ago.

She moved herself and her belongings from Lewisham to Hampstead over the weekend and was behind her desk on Monday.

She said: "I'm hoping it will calm down a little bit now that I am here and have moved into Hampstead.

"I hadn't particularly wanted to leave my previous job but this came up and it really is my dream job. I love Hampstead - it is a village in the heart of London.

"I have a real passion for local collections and Hampstead has such an amazing history - so many artists and interesting people have lived here."

Ms Streeter read archaeology at university and three years ago completed a master's degree in heritage management at University College London.

Before taking up the job, she swotted up on the history of Burgh House.

She was particularly taken by the fact that Rudyard Kipling's daughter lived in the house and it was the last place the writer visited in London before he died.

Ms Streeter's first job was working in the kitchens of Bateman's House in East Sussex - Kipling's country home.

She is now getting to know all the volunteers who help the five staff run Burgh House in New End Square.

"I do have some ideas about things," she said. "I want us to do more on the internet - to let people know what we are about.

"It would be great to get some younger people interested in Burgh House.

"There are so many great things put on at the house - the exhibitions, the Lifelines series of talks that we could do more of and attract new visitors to.

"I am getting to know the Hampstead residents who are involved with the house, finding out their names and background. They have huge knowledge."

Since moving north of the river, Ms Streeter and her fiance have also been swotting up on Hampstead's watering holes and looking forward to enjoying the Heath.

One disappointment is that their wedding plans have already been made - so she won't be getting married at Burgh House.

She said: "It was booked a year ago and will be near my family in Suffolk - so I won't be able to use the music room.

"While it was my dream job, my fiance is studying for a PhD and he is still pretty disbelieving about where we are now."

editorial@hamhigh.co.uk