The people's flag is eau de nil

I still think the only way to think of households is by income, or possibly education level because within every income or education level you will find all kinds of spending patterns and life style choices.

I am fortunate to live in a village. In villages housing and people from all levels of income, all types of job and a wide range of lifestyles all live in a happy jumble, with small 19th century terrace houses next to large period properties. We mix, we make friends and at times employ our neighbours. We all shop at the village Co-op and go to the supermarkets in the nearest town. None of us go round inspecting each others lifestyle to decide what class we are.

When meritocracy came in, class went out. As far as I am concerned anyone who talks seriously about class in the 21st century is a loser.

In my dining room I have a DADO RAIL , the top half is magnolia , lower half eau de nil , rather smart it looks too !

My whole house(inside) is Eau de nil. Nowhere near the Cotswolds ,nearer Sunderland.

My external paintwork needs refreshing. I was going to have County Cream again but Eau de Nil sounds rather fetching...

More sarcasm than irony.

It is taking the mick out of what he sees as the middle class. Smacks of hidden envy perhaps.

Not sure where you saw the chip Jings It is meant to be ironic. You can hear the echoes of the communist Internationale in it ("The country's flag is coloured red, with the blood our fathers shed . . . .We'll sing the Red Flag once a year")

Sorry to be didactic - I do know that the best way to spoil a joke is to explain it.

BTW at Christmas we were listening to the Tannenbaum song, and I mentioned The Red Flag. None of my family had heard of it.

I like the door colour. The poem is too chip-on-the-shoulder-ish.

PS Really like the verse, Bags, thank you!

You see some lovely combinations and contrasts of house paints as you travel around, particularly in seaside towns. I wonder if people discuss their choices before they buy the paint? I know some areas have restrictions because of listed buildings.

Jings what do you like? the amusing verse or the colour eau de nil ? As a matter of fact, I like them both!But not because of the Cotswolds thing [ we live 8 miles from the Cotswolds 'proper'] and there is so much of it [and I like to be different] there is also another popular colour hereabouts called Cotswold Cream, a kind of very dark cream. Are there other regions that have colour preferences I wonder [Newcastle Brown?!]We could have a whole thread on that alone.

I like it!

Oh yes of course! My daughter included! (to rosesarered)

The middle classes are the only biggest contributors of this countries wealth because they earn more. Do not forget that it was the generally poor labouring classes who worked often in appalling conditions in those industries for the benefit and production of the thriving middle classes in the 18th & 19 centuries. The increasingly rich mine and mill owners, and their like.

Think about those particular cities who made people rich by the slave trade.

With sounding a total communist much of the UK's prosperity was built on the back of the working poor. It was only in the 20th century when trade union action did a lot to improve the conditions of the working poor.
They get a bit out of hand but they made this country very much more equal.
Then there were the 1944/ 45 reforms and the welfare state. this is what gave the educational opportunity that our generation has fully benefited from.
Our concept of middle class to is very different from what it was in the 1950s. Class seems now much more focused on income and lifestyle than good breeding and what jobs people do.

E M Forster Howards End. A novel with an Edwardian analysis of social class and the problems. A good film as well.

FlicketyB Spot on with the class bit. Even party planners can now marry royalty.

Just off to repaint my [white] garage door in a tasteful eau de nil. Why doesn't water of the Nile sound as nice?I have seen the Nile and it is mud coloured although the river Jordan really IS green.

And talking of Waitrose..... in the good foods thread somebody said that Waitrose organic marmalade, and the seafood pasta ready meal were fantastic; so I made a special trip there [too pricey to go there often] and bought these items, and wow yes, they are both lovely will go there and get them again another time [oh dear sounding SOOOOO middle class now!!!]

funny verse Jings the eau de nil colour is the colour everyone in the Cotswolds paints their doors, window frames etc, very pale green.Anything else would be brash you see! The Chipping Norton set and all that.

Yes. You get some odd bods with strange ideas on Twitter!

Prep schools and the middle class? Since when have these been linked ?

Can someone explain the "eau de nil" thing to this thicko?

(Yes - I know it's a nice shade of green)

Do you know, I think there's a lot of truth in what he said in the Telegraph

What most people think of as the middle class today are the backbone of this country. They are the hard workers and the payers of the taxes. They are probably the ones who take the least from the State during their working lives. Their standard of living doesneed to be taken into consideration. They are the ones who will be re-building the economy from the ground up.

Yes. I think Ed Milliband as a very good point.

The only people who still talk about class are those who are afraid of loosing something they never earned. The rest of us just get on with life.

If you want to divide society into three do it by income, the bottom third are poor, the middle third, middle income and the top third wealthy.

The life style implied by the above rhyme is that of the wealthy, not those in the middle band.

Nice one, Bags.

If he keeps Ed Balls off radio and tv altogether I'll vote for him (whoever he is...)