There’s a very mumsnet conversation happening on my train…

[UpperLowerMiddleClass]

Two mums discussing their primary school aged children. Distinct frenemy vibes. Of course it goes without saying their initial conversation covered just how well their children are doing academically.

Discussion then moved on to extra curricular activities. Mum A proudly saying what grade piano her daughter is doing, how she’s playing violin in the school orchestra etc, when Mum B pulls out a trump card - her daughter is excelling at the harp! But it’s all such a bother, wouldn’t you know? The logistics of transporting the harp, the cost of replacement strings etc.

Mum A tries to rally with a swerve towards sports and there’s mention of her son making the school hockey team. But I can tell her heart’s not really in it. Deep down she knows she can’t compete with the travails of harp logistics. Mum B has won this round.

And before anyone asks why I’m being so nosy, or why I have nothing better to do: Their conversation is LOUD and PROJECTING. I can’t ignore them. I’d love to be immersed in my book but instead I’m now learning all about the intricacies of harp upkeep and maintenance.

This would be a bugger to get in the boot.

Lol I remember those two mums from Goodness Gracious Me 🤣🤣

This reminds me of what Alan Titchmarsh once said he overheard at the Chelsea Flower Show. One vair posh lady said to another: "Do you have swans on your lake?"

I used to work with a guy whose daughter played the organ, and the harp was her second instrument.

Spent his life either manhandling a harp around or driving his daughter to an organ.

To be fair she is now a professional musician.

Really? We were lucky to get recorders and a triangle at my school in Wales.

Anna Lapwood?

Polo perhaps?

A posh friend lived in a house with its own orchard. Her son once asked another boy 'what do you grow in your orchard?'

gosh, the most interesting overheard convo you get round here is the guy who was telling his mate how he'd been off drugs for a few weeks now, longest he'd gone, and it was all cos he was gonna show some f*cker who'd dissed him. but he wasn't going to his brother's wedding cos the brother didn't approve of his weed use (so presumably off drugs meant hard stuff only!) even tho 4 of the 6 siblings all smoked.

This is becoming the reverse of the four Yorkshireman sketch.

Sad to hear oneupmanship or should that be oneupwomanship.

Life is too short.

Yup, she’s on to a loser unless she can pull something out of the bag like donating organs or maybe her child donating all their Christmas presents to charity this year?

Its not a common instrument to learn, probably due to the headache of transportation etc
But yes, it can be learned in school lessons (like piano) and hired. So not as part of everyday, but affordable.

We are welsh language schools where music is pushed heavily. Lots of eisteddfod etc

I was shocked too. I half expected a rail replacement bus when I arrived at the station but no - I travelled on an actual train. On Sunday!

I thought about her too.

Would it have been fair to dis her dad for grumbling about carrying the harp etc…?

Mum 2’s only hope is to decry the environmental impact of the harp and maybe link it to Gaza in some way.

I know - I did feel a bit sorry for her. Maybe I should’ve gone up to her and told her how neither of my kids were in any sports teams ever, and one did learn the piano for a year but then lost interest, and had very little ability anyway.

Does the harp identity as a harp though or a sideways piano?
I do loathe performance parenting , heard enough about it over the summer with my neighbours.

Same here! All the orchestra but definitely no harps here……….sadly.

I can totally imagine this conversation btw .
I had a friend very much like this when kids were primary age - we unfortunately had three all in the same year groups, so there would be lots of casual questions about which reading book level mine were on, were they on top table for maths, what did Xxx get for her Grade 3 Ballet/Modern/Jazz exam again? Oh only a B, were they very disappointed? Flopsy got an A again and the teacher said she had never seen such an high score etc etc etc.

She had quite a good top trump - saxophone!

When they got to high school it all got much worse.

Luckily we’re not friends any more 😇

Ha, love it. If you are having this convo on a train you are fair game, lol.

Exactly, think of all the fuel needed to transport it around!

Not too much detail to report unfortunately- I’d say both were in their forties, relatively well dressed but not overly so. Both a bit frazzled in a busy mum way (not judging at all, I’ve been there!).

Their main defining feature was the volume of their conversation. Even if I had headphones on it was the kind of voices that cut right through.

Oh man! The harp is just outstanding. Did you laugh when she said it?

I think I smiled to myself, marvelled at the rich tapestry of life, opened mumsnet and started this thread!