Poshness
Well, I do my best not to appear too posh, but at times really cannot help it. I deplore people who put on fake estuary / scally accents (why bother? usually so unpleasant to listen to in those trying to eumlate a "gansgta" image...duh!), but my own voice wanders at times from RP to Oxford local via South London (depending entirely on how pissed I am, and who I'm with, I'm afraid...having so many different friends in different circumstances (but mostly in London) does this to you (or at least to me)...I work occasionally in staging and sound systems and the like, usually in poorer, less well off areas of either London or generally the whole country...

As for my family - apparently one branch of my paternal gran's family was related to Nelson, of Trafalgar fame. Although, considering how popular a chap he was, I'm sure loads of desperate families claimed that. Same branch of that family (the Walpoles) were also huge landowners in Ireland (mostly in Kilkenny).

On the other side, mum's family are mostly incredibely posh - great grandfather was an artist in Paris during the roaring twenties, knew many many writers and other bohemian types (the rakish writer John Collier was a frequent visitor to his house), and his sons, daughters and their offspring have since become actors, high standing lawyers etc etc. And the send all their kids to v. posh public schools (mostly the Dragon in Oxford).

And I have a large house in the middle of nowhere (which for this part Oxfordshire is quite unusual). And I'm now studying at Cambridge, where I do in fact dine with Professors and such (although I was educated at the local comp, where I wasn't even allowed to run for head boy - was considered too subversive and dangerous - yay!).

Cor...reading all that back sounds fucking dreadful (and too much like an unfunny blog)...I think there's more a feeling of faded nobility with my family, rather than out and out poshness, which in my book is more defined by pretension and obsession with money...urm, maybe. Alright, fuck it, I'm posh ;)
( alcuin, Fri 16 Sep 2005, 13:09, Reply)