Do you have friends outside of your social class?

[tolatola]

I hadn’t realised what a bubble I live in. I’m privately educated, come from a very upper middle class family, went to Cambridge, and now work in an ‘elite’ profession. I live in an expensive area of London. Naturally, my friends or social time is spent through people met through work, university, or family members.

I went on holiday recently to a seaside town. We rented a house on the seafront. We went to a local pub and got chatting away to a lovely couple. They were from London, but very very working class. We had a lovely evening chatting. But it made me realise that I live in a real bubble. How many people have friendships that span class boundaries?

There was a specific “rah” group like that at my university yes. It was a fairly toxic mix of very rich/titled people (some nice, some not) and social climbers (all not nice!).

But that group was only a very small portion of the private school people. They were far outnumbered by perfectly nice and normal private school kids. I hung out in a group that was a mix of private, grammar and comp and it really wasn’t obvious which was which, in most cases.

I said earlier, slightly tongue-in-cheek, there's something distasteful about the way OP gauged their class while talking to them. Tinge of the social climber to it, like a Hyacinth Bucket.

Though I find those posts thinking class is just money (especially) and profession distasteful in another way.

Most people I know (about 20) who have been to Oxbridge are so aware of their privilege/ people’s perceptions - that they don’t even mention it. I’d bet my house this is made up rubbish

Oh god mumsnet makes me laugh.
I didn't know any middle class people growing up mainly because I grew up in a deprived area, dirt poor and my entire family were working class.
Now I have a professional job and while I earn an OK wage it's about in line with many family members who are tradesmen and my brother who manages a restaurant for a well known fast food chain.
My best mate is probably lower middle class but has a posh accent. Good mates with a few people in my team who went to private school. I've honestly never met as many vocally middle class people irl who seem to think about it as much as people do on mumsnet.

Working class here and yes I do, never crosses my mind. I feel it's a bigger deal for the higher class to mingle lower than the other way around. I have to say I enjoy the company of people with a similar class to me more. In my experience they are funnier, more down to earth and have had a more interesting life.

I was brought up in a Council house as was my DH. We are now retired and own a modest bungalow so I don't know what 'class' that makes us. We have friends who are refuse collectors, Financial Directors, nurses, firefighters, airline pilots, military pilots/officers, retail workers and one who has just sold his share in company that he founded for mega bucks. We don't really give much thought to what they do or what 'class' they are, just that we like them, get on well and they want to spend time with us.

No idea! I just have friends.

@Ariela "No idea! I just have friends."

Gosh- don't you know anything about them? I've had too many wine fuelled evenings not to know practically everything there is to know mine!

@CurlewKate I'm not that nosey! But I do have friends who would drop everything to help and vice versa.

No.. i sort of float between WC and MC and am not sure what i really am. Probably a more well to do WC.

Anecdotally I think men generally have more class-diverse friends because they socialise through sports, hobbies and work, more superficially and rarely one to one.

Women tend to be cliquey and class aware. Not snobbery - just less likely to have enough activity in common to even get a chance to be friends.

And most people stick to their school/hometown/University/work mates.

Yes, my boyfriend is upper-middle and I'm working class(although my mother likes to pretend she's middle class)

😂