Is it normal never to have been on holiday?

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Jennie1987

See I think this is the barrier - why are you middle-class? cos people define it as different thing.

Mostly its seen as families that change their cars (2 of course) every 3ish years, children in public school, professional jobs, maybe a holiday home, expensive hobbies (polo/horseriding/skiing etc.), children in all the extra curricular things (musical instrument/mandarin lessons/choir/lacrosse) and of course every gadget immediately bought (iPad/laptop/xbox360/ps3/iPhone) to keep up with everyone else.

that's bull. middle class families might do those things, but those things don't make you middle class. being middle class means having some kind of profession, e.g. teacher.

as for the car thing...
i'm middle class. last time we had a new car was 7 years ago (it was 2nd/3rd hand. it's a W reg). before that we had an E reg volvo.
and why waste money on public school? perfectly good state grammar school 10 minutes down the road.

Reply 61

oscarwildelike

Dunno. Over the last 3 years I've been to Switzerland (10 days), Scotland (7 days), Holland twice (lovely place), France (battlefields), kayaking up North and planning on going to Paris + Turkey later this year. All of my holidays have been organized by me, college trips or scouting. I guess if you didn't organize your own things and didn't do any extra activities it wouldn't be too unusual not to have gone on holiday tbh.

I guess people would imagine I was middle class if they met me.

Reply 62

Jennie1987

anyarian

Then I would say youre lower middle class based on general standards in the media, in hierarchies Ive been taught of for business and as an example online hierarchies.

Reply 63

.Ali.

davey_davedave

How often does a middle-class English person go on holiday?

Well my family usually goes on holiday abroad at least once a year, sometimes twice.

It depends if you count staying at different places in the UK as holidays? Like weekends away in cities? If they're being counted probably 2 or 3 or 4 a year depending.

Reply 64

oscarwildelike

Jennie1987

Then I would say youre lower middle class based on general standards in the media, in hierarchies Ive been taught of for business and as an example online hierarchies.

Middle class isn't a money thing, it's a value and world view thing. I know chav families with the things that you listed in your previous post, but that doesn't make one middle class. At a garden party it would be clear what class one was on how one conducted oneself, rather than what things one can tick off a list.

Reply 65

Jennie1987

oscarwildelike

Chav isnt an echelon of social class, their taste/attitude doesnt make them a class.

''Who are the middle classes? In his paean The Decline and Fall of the Middle Class and how it can Fight Back, Patrick Hutber states that this question has never received a satisfactory answer; he contends that ‘the mere lack of a definition has, in a strange way, damaged the middle classes in the past. It is much easier to portray them as a snobbish, selfish minority if one carefully avoids the necessity of asking who they are.’''

You cant go by attitudes but then what can you go by? If you use search there was a thread a few weeks ago that showed people have HUGELY different views on here and all I have done is list the traits - including that parents have professional jobs - that are generally accepted and yes a lot is characterised by having money because thats another element; they have more money and more opportunities.

Reply 66

lyrical_lie

I feel quite privellaged we always go once a year at summer, we used to go in october week to Florida because it was cheaper but that was only in primary school when you could get away with taking an extra week off lol. But I go abroad every year, this was the first year I never went away with my family but that's only because I'm going to Malia with my friends, but I'm paying to go to America with my family next year :/

But saying that, this thread doesn't refer to me because I'm not English and I'm not middle class. Not really sure what class I am lol.

Reply 67

AlexInWonderland

This is the first year i can remember not going on holiday. Not having a holiday this year due to money reasons.
My family have never been well off or anything, definitely working class, just the holidays most years were caravaning, and more recently camping so it isn't that expensive.

Reply 68

Mypointofview

I'm quite well off, have four businesses two cars and 16 motorcycles in my current and growing collection. 3 kids over 21 I my self 53yo I've never had a weekend break nor a holiday nothing like, that. Never stayed in a caravan never hiked up a mountain I've worked 6 day weeks since I left school. When I need a break I sit in my garden, simple. My wife she takes the kids everywhere and abroad ect. Now some will say that's not normal but I ask it is normal, to do what you wish or is it normal to copy what everyone else does..