Henry, Laura and Bill

Henry spends most of his time in the country. He loves animals, especially his dog, and he likes going for long walks, wearing a very old hat. Henry sends his children to boarding school. He prefers old things to new things. He likes plain, simple food, and says "hise" instead of "house". Henry is upper class.

Laura lives in a suburb. She spends a lot of time driving her children to and from their private school. Laura likes to look modern, but she can't spend much money on clothes because the school costs so much. Her house is quite old, but it's full of modern things, especially in the kitchen. Laura speaks like the newsreaders on TV. She is middle class.

Bill does not own his flat. He rents it from the government. He used to go to football matches, but now he watches them on TV. Bill's two children go to the technical school of the area. They will leave when they are sixteen. Bill has a car and a color TV. Bill says "tay" instead of "tea". He is working class.

People say that the class system in England is breaking down. But it isn't. The English are very interested in class. They like TV programs and books about upper class people. But class is not really a laughing matter. Working class children do not do so well at school. And upper class children, even the not-so-clever ones, have a much better chance of getting a job. Henry and his friends will arrange it.