Class.

Working class, innit.

Beans innit?

Supermarket own brand = Working.
Heinz = Middle
None = Upper.

Maybe, but I always thought is was interesting at school how the middle class kids wore fewer overly expensive branded goods vs the aspirational. FWIW, there's no denying it, I'm now middle class although only non-branded beans in my cupboard.

bravohotel9er
My butler is typing this on my behalf.

You heathen oik. My butler summoned for the Estate Secretary, as correspondence with the great unwashed falls within her bailiwick.

Privately educated, good degree from good university, professionally qualified, own several houses, kids go to private school. Rather enjoy cous, can't stand soap opera.

BUT…father was a miner, would walk on broken glass before voting Tory, no fan of opera or ballet, still love punk, hate wearing suits, can't stand the monarchy.

Probably still working class, just.

Are we all picking sides now for the next battle in the Class War ? Can I be a Conscientious Objector please ?

Bob Crow vs Boris Johnson on the sunday politics programme yesterday morning was the first shot across the bows I believe, heavy artillery fire due from Manchester later today.

Well some say it's the language you use – if you use a toilet or eat dessert you ain't never gonna be upper class no matter how rich you is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English

My father's parents were the end of my family being part of the aristocracy with a curious hangover being that I'm listed in Burke's don't you know….

sorry Nickf, this isn't the 13th century any more, your class isn't defined by your parents.

you're middle class.

Nick, your mining father sent you to private school? Did he own his own mine or something?

Nickf – you are middle class thru and thru I am afraid!

The thing with class its very hard to define – and I know of at least 3 different ways of defining class.

Marxist – its all about your relationship to the means of production IIRC ( Ernie correct me please) So you have the bourgeoisie who own the means of production, the proletariat who only have their labour to sell.

Then the socioeconomic classes a b c1 c2 d e

Then you have the social classes of upper class, middle class ( split into 3 – upper, middle and lower) and working class.

Me – university educated, white collar job, university educated parents. Middle middle class. However go back 3 generations and my family are illiterate peasants and my grandmother was effectively sold as a servant at a hirings fair. Wroking class as they come.

Upper class you have to be born into.

Julian, we all managed to get scholarships, and my father got out of the mines by 23, having started down them at 15.

Overall, I'd suggest that class is pretty much self-defined. It's an attitude rather than anything else; whilst my class is not defined by my parents, my upbringing has certainly influenced me massively.

Ironically, my father (as working class as you could imagine) displayed great social mobility, ending up as a university lecturer. He'd have been shocked to be called working class.

I reckon that privately educated / grammar / comp are probably still the biggest social divides. Not in terms of who you're friends with etc. but in terms of the life you're likely to end up having.

Anyone who thinks class is nothing to do with your parents is fairly misguided. Statistically, your parents class has a huge amount of influence on how well you fare in education. And education has a big influence on hwo you get on in life.

Privately educated, good degree from good university, professionally qualified, own several houses, kids go to private school. Rather enjoy cous, can't stand soap opera.

BUT…father was a miner, would walk on broken glass before voting Tory, no fan of opera or ballet, still love punk, hate wearing suits, can't stand the monarchy.

Probably still working class, just.

😆

I'm off to work now, but if ernie shows up at anytime, could he please clarify his 'class traitor' comment? I know its pathetic, but it hit home, and to be frank, felt like a bit of a c***y thing to say. My post was supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek, but then again, I dont know if ernie's reply to it was – that's the trouble with web forums, you cant see the people youre chatting with, therefore you are unable to clarify the expression and tone of the conversation, etc. As far as class goes, I was brought up in what used to be called a 'working class' environment, but in terms of my current profession / circumstances / expectations, I suppose I'd be called middle class now. I dont see anything wrong in trying to improve your circumstances, it doesnt have to be done in a Thatcherite, sod everybody else way, and to be honest, I've been skint and felt hopeless, and I'm not going back there again.

rOckeTdOg = class-ic

barnsleymitch – ain't nothing wrong with being middle class! Now that I know you're not part of the filthy proletariat I'll extend a suede clad hug to you anyday!

FWIW I think ernie was probably joking.

barnsleymitch – perhaps it was marrying a 'posh bird' that is wrong in his opinion? Who cares what he thinks anyway?!

barnsleymitch – Member
I'm off to work now, but if ernie shows up at anytime, could he please clarify his 'class traitor' comment?

So you're getting upset because someone posted what might be a tongue in cheek response to your slightly tongue in cheek post. Get a grip fella!

judging by the rest of your post it seems like you might be feeling a little guilty for being a 'class traitor'.

Nickf – you are middle class thru and thru I am afraid!

He's got a father, not a dad. Probably upper middle.

😉

I've got a mam, not a mum or a mother.

Thoroughly middle class here (engineer married to a doctor. Most of our friends are doctors or professionals. We like nice wine and "posh" food. Go on skiing holidays and long-haul destinations. Enjoy looking down on other people 😉 )

I think the bigger issue is "class shame"

I would say most folk on here are probably middle class to some degree or other. The very fact that you are debating class values on an internet site suggests you're a member of the chattering classes.

I don't subscribe to the "class" bollocks as it is a purely divisive concept as demonstrated by some of the comments on here.

As much as you may not want to subscribe to it if you take Boris Johnson and put him in a council estate and he won't fit in.

Rubbish. Are you saying that Boris Johnson is incapable of mixing with people of all walks of life or that people on council estates are somehow not worthy?

Comments like that just prove what a load of bollocks it is.

He can try but it won't be a natural thing which is the point really.

Britain prides it's self on the class system. It's a tourist attraction, the yanks love it. I'm all in favour of it.

I think I'd be upper middle.

And we're back round to basic misunderstandings of human behaviour again…

People associate with people similar to themselves. Strip Boris Johnson of all his cash, and you still have someone who very different to the average social housing tenant. I'm sure he could have a chat with anyone, but ultimately, he's too different to become "in group".

Probably middle class but enjoy the company of people from all classes. In fact working class people are generally more interesting as they don't bother trying too hard.

Middle class social climbers are the most boring people on the entire planet.

I'm amazed that people are still small minded enough to judge others based on this nonsense.

I prefer to choose my friends based on their character.
Still, each to their own, eh? 🙂

Barnsleymitch; don't be too upset. Ernie's an 'orrible **** at the best of times, and I think he might have a bad case of piles atm, 'cos he's been very crotchety lately.

I think 'class' only really matters if you allow yourself to be defined by it. I don't. I don't see anyone as having higher status than myself in any sense, other than if they have worked hard to gain skills/knowledge in a particular area. I probably have other skills/knowledge that they don't, so it all balances out. I'll show respect to a doctor on medical issues, but by the same token I would expect that same respect to be shown me in terms of my unique abilities.

The David Beckham's bike thread yesterday really showed the snobbery and hypocrisy that abounds on here; how dare a mere footballer from east London have so much money??? Yes, how dare someone exceptionally skilled and talented in a particular area take advantage of their market worth, eh?

I've mixed with aristocracy and villains. I'd hate to be trapped by someone else's definition of who they think I am.

Grandparents – upper middle
Parents – middle
Me – Retail worker (but I'm typing this on an iMac so lower middle? – underachieving middle)

I tend to find that the upper classes and the working class get on like a house on fire. It is only the grasping aspirant middle classes who seem to get all excited about these things.

I am not a rich man but my family can be traced back to the Norman conquest and beyond. I have house shared with a Knight but also had a damn good time with travellers. I am the first in my male family line not to go to Cambridge but I do not own the means to produce. What am I?

What am I?

A class traitor.

am the first in my male family line not to go to Cambridge

Stupid relative to the family?

What am I?

A) A slave to your own and others preconceptions, destined to remain unfulfilled due to a self imposed unwillingness to ignore the meaningless platitudes of others?

B) A bit bored at lunchime?

C) Trying not to get drawn into the nonsense being spouted on the 11th September thread?

A class traitor

You may be right, but I was enquiring what class you think I might be a traitor to?

Stupid relative to the family?

Quite possibly, though some of my poshest relatives are dimmer than you could imagine.

I tend to find that the upper classes and the working class get on like a house on fire. It is only the grasping aspirant middle classes who seem to get all excited about these things.

spot on. known as middle class social climbers, always trying to prove something but all they do is show their insecurities about themselves.

tend to find that the upper classes and the working class get on like a house on fire.

As long as the plebs know their place and don't get ideas above their station.

I vomit in your wife's impressive cleavage.

I'm with Ed Byrne in his succinct description (in relation to growing up in Ireland): "I didn't have a horse"

Quite possibly, though some of my poshest relatives are dimmer than you could imagine.

As I understand, that is a product of their (in)breeding? It's common amongst the aristocracy. Just take a look at the Royal Family, horsey faced freaks. 😆

I always thought

Upper – by birth right
Upper Middle – by education (of parents)
Lower Middle – Working + money
Working – by birth right

Working can earn good money and get to Lower Middle, but you need a generation of graduates before their grandchildren could achieve Upper Middle. It takes two generations to breed educate out the working class bit.