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Original poster

Is ‘shunter for British Rail’ a working class job?

283 replies

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:15

Been dating a man for 7 months. He was born 1970 just FYI. His parents were both born in 1927 just for context and both long gone from this world.

I know his mum worked in a care home - but I really don’t know her level of seniority- could’ve bern a manager - could’ve had a more routine job - I haven’t asked.

Anyway - I know he was close to his Dad and seemed to be a happy family but had no clue what his Dad did for a living so asked him over the weekend and he said

‘Shunter for British Rail.

AIBU to ask if you’d class it as a working class job?

OP posts:
EmeraldRoulette · 28/05/2025 08:59

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:44

Yeah I suppose

i had a shit upbringing and I’m desperate trying to overcome it and not be like my parents

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Finding out people 's opinions on his father's work won't have any relevance here.

also wondering what age you are. No one is doomed to repeat parental mistakes.

WheresMyPlanetGone · 28/05/2025 08:57

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:44

Yeah I suppose

i had a shit upbringing and I’m desperate trying to overcome it and not be like my parents

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How will knowing how much your boyfriend’s dad earned help you to break this cycle though?

YouWhatNowHuh · 28/05/2025 08:55

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:44

Yeah I suppose

i had a shit upbringing and I’m desperate trying to overcome it and not be like my parents

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I don't think you can tell if he had a shit upbringing or not from what jobs his parents did. You can have a shit upbringing regardless of class.

Coffeeishot · 28/05/2025 08:55

My mum is 1 of 8 surving children, and my grandfather wasn't even in the war because he was exempt, so the babies just kept on coming!

luckylavender · 28/05/2025 08:55

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:15

Been dating a man for 7 months. He was born 1970 just FYI. His parents were both born in 1927 just for context and both long gone from this world.

I know his mum worked in a care home - but I really don’t know her level of seniority- could’ve bern a manager - could’ve had a more routine job - I haven’t asked.

Anyway - I know he was close to his Dad and seemed to be a happy family but had no clue what his Dad did for a living so asked him over the weekend and he said

‘Shunter for British Rail.

AIBU to ask if you’d class it as a working class job?

What a vile thread you’ve started. Dump him, he deserves better.

corlan · 28/05/2025 08:54

This reminds me of The Wheel Tappers and Shunters Social Club which was regularly on TV in the 70s - definitely working class .

Original poster
Correction · 28/05/2025 08:53

ForZanyAquaViewer · 28/05/2025 08:48

You are really just interested in whether your new partner’s dead parents were middle of working class and what they earned? To the extent that you’re googling stuff and starting threads about it? Do you think that’s rational behaviour?

How do you think he’d feel about this? How would you feel if he were doing it to/about your parents?

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wouldn’t care If he was doing it about mine

OP posts:
kary42 · 28/05/2025 08:52

heavenisaplaceonearth · 28/05/2025 08:28

Lots of working class jobs are well paid. Class isn’t to do with money. It’s not a “professional” job in the way Dr, accountant etc is. Did you think all working class people were poor???

His mother must have had him extraordinarily late for the time.

My grandma had children over a 20 year plus period. Lots of people had children from their 20s to early 40s with very big families.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 28/05/2025 08:52

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:25

Ok because shunter sounds like a working class job but I’ve looked online and it’s well paid

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Many working class jobs are fairly well paid!

especially those in skilled trades and or employed by the government.

but why does it matter?

YourAzureEagle · 28/05/2025 08:51

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:29

You’ve basically answered the question yourself as to why I’ve asked -

it sound like a working class job but is well paid when I looked online

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Pay and class of job are not inherently related. I'm 45, an electrician who specialises in industrial control systems and am self employed, earn over £100k - but it's still a working class job, I'm still blue collar.

However I come from an upper class family and went to public school, but I prefer massively the type of people I work with, mix with and have married into.

1AngelicFruitCake · 28/05/2025 08:51

I know both of my in laws had low paid jobs. I admire my husband all the more for studying to make sure he was better paid and better educated.

Original poster
Correction · 28/05/2025 08:51

tripleginandtonic · 28/05/2025 08:49

It isn't that well paid, less then £40000

Erm … I was on £23k in 2018 - to me it’s well paid !!!!

OP posts:
Mulledjuice · 28/05/2025 08:51

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:25

Ok because shunter sounds like a working class job but I’ve looked online and it’s well paid

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If you care about class then surely you understand that it's not just about money.

Read some Nancy Mitford? (Or some Jilly Cooper)

BristolDolly22 · 28/05/2025 08:50

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:22

To be fair I was just stating the facts - I didn’t say I cared and I honestly don’t care !!

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You cared enough to start a thread specifically asking what “class” of job it was though?

tripleginandtonic · 28/05/2025 08:49

It isn't that well paid, less then £40000

TheyreLikeUsButRichAndThin · 28/05/2025 08:48

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:29

You’ve basically answered the question yourself as to why I’ve asked -

it sound like a working class job but is well paid when I looked online

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I think you’re confusing class with wage though? We all known plumbers, builders, train drivers etc are very well paid and that’s surely ‘working class’ ? Who cares?

Also why did you look online to find out how much your boyfriend’s dead dad made 50 years ago? 😂

ForZanyAquaViewer · 28/05/2025 08:48

Correction · 28/05/2025 08:42

Dunno really just am!

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You are really just interested in whether your new partner’s dead parents were middle of working class and what they earned? To the extent that you’re googling stuff and starting threads about it? Do you think that’s rational behaviour?

How do you think he’d feel about this? How would you feel if he were doing it to/about your parents?

Jackiepumpkinhead · 28/05/2025 08:48

Baffling

Original poster
Correction · 28/05/2025 08:47

Coffeeishot · 28/05/2025 08:44

Yes my mums family had a 20+ age difference between siblings I don't think it was unusual for the last baby to born to a women in her 40s,

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My great gran had

5 babies over 40 - last at 47! 💪🙌

OP posts:
Squarepuffin · 28/05/2025 08:47

Coffeeishot · 28/05/2025 08:44

Yes my mums family had a 20+ age difference between siblings I don't think it was unusual for the last baby to born to a women in her 40s,

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Hmm. It wasn't unusual for unmarried daughters to have their babies raised by their mothers... My Dad has a big age gap between his oldest and youngest siblings too, with the last baby being born when his mother was 47...

Original poster
Correction · 28/05/2025 08:46

FloppySarnie · 28/05/2025 08:42

Lots of women had children in their early 40s - no contraception. My family tree is filled with kids born to mums this age.

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My great gran was having kids uo to late 40s so understandably I don’t think 43 is old to have a baby

OP posts:
ForZanyAquaViewer · 28/05/2025 08:45

Coffeeishot · 28/05/2025 08:40

Well it depends on the job doesn't it? My dh is in a working class job which has a paygrade.

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That doesn’t make it applicable to ‘working class jobs’, just your DH’s specific job. Lots of them have no such thing.

It’s like saying ‘working class jobs have uniforms’ because yours does. No. Some do, some do not.

Squarepuffin · 28/05/2025 08:45

FloppySarnie · 28/05/2025 08:42

Lots of women had children in their early 40s - no contraception. My family tree is filled with kids born to mums this age.

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A lot of them were teenage daughters' kids....

WheresMyPlanetGone · 28/05/2025 08:45

FloppySarnie · 28/05/2025 08:42

Lots of women had children in their early 40s - no contraception. My family tree is filled with kids born to mums this age.

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My dad was born in 1957 to his 43 year old mum!

Coffeeishot · 28/05/2025 08:44

FloppySarnie · 28/05/2025 08:42

Lots of women had children in their early 40s - no contraception. My family tree is filled with kids born to mums this age.

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Yes my mums family had a 20+ age difference between siblings I don't think it was unusual for the last baby to born to a women in her 40s,

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