Guest, Shimrod wrote: "And don't forget that many people from 'traditional' working class families took advantage of a brief window of opportunity, and increased social mobility, between the mid-60s and the fateful year of 1979 (when Maggie came to power), and became 'middle class' professionals."

Brief is perhaps a keyword there. Since then, social mobility has declined as has the extremes of relative poverty and affluence. What about the people before and after that window?

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this classic from the Frost Report yet.

Cleese: "I look down on him because I am upper class."
Barker: (looking up) "I look up to him because he is upper class," (looking down) "but I look down to him because he is lower class." (looking straight) "I am middle class."
Corbett: "I know my place."
Cleese: (looking down) "I get a feeling of superiority over them."
Barker: (looking up) "I get a feeling of inferiority from him but a (looking down) feeling of superiority over him."
Corbett: (looking up) "I get a pain in the back of my neck."