The Class System Still Exists

I frequently get asked to get involved in various activities, campaigns and projects. While I do try and support what I can, I do have limits on my time, as we all have and I can not always support all I would like to.

However, yesterday while I was in Consett I spotted a woman trying to hand out a free newspaper. Now I hate wasting paper and I deliberately crossed the street to avoid that. On the other side of road though was another one who captured me. Before I would take a copy though I wanted to know what their campaign was about. I see no point in just adding to the rubbish thrown away or put into recycling just to keep these folks quiet.

Anyway it turned out that they were climate change campaigners and were part of a cycling run to places where some of the New Coal fired Power stations are to be built. So I guess that my appearance suggested to them that I was receptive. However, I do appreciate that they were not overly forceful as I really dislike the people that are just to forceful even if it is something I am sympathetic too.

I was being asked if I would attend one of the events last night and today but I already had things to do. But even if I can not attend one of the talks/events I will look further into this topic.

I was planning on going out to the new Badger sett, but as I was getting ready I got a call from some other folks that I had helped previously. I was being invited to a drinks party to celebrate their success in stopping five magnificent trees from being felled. It was very short notice as the event was that night but I was being told, not asked, that I really needed to be there. I explained I could not get there, well I would get picked up and delivered home again. Well none of my excuses would work. It was only after I put the phone down did I think I should have oinked and sneezed!

While I was happy to help with their project, I was made very aware that some of the people looked down on me. It became clear that Class, and more importantly money, was very important to many of this group of people. At the party I was told by one of the people that he would “never” employ anyone from my village as, in his opinion, the place was full of rouges, thieves and villains.

While this is not totally news to me that some people have a poor opinion of the fellow residents of the village, but this was the first time I had heard someone be so blatantly prejudice about it. It was clear that some of the people I was with, and had tried to help, did not want me there. Anyway I made the best of it until I was able to leave.

It really does look as though there is a real dived within our society. While I am from a working class background, my accent is not a North East one so to many I sound middle class. Also because I used to have a stammer my accent is more RP (received Pronunciation). Personally I see this as an advantage as I can communicate with most people and more importantly can make myself understood.

While I had only a small role in helping save the trees from getting the chop, it was my ability and knowledge that was of use. But for some of the people who have benefited from this found my help distasteful simply because of where I live.

Now while the meeting with the campaigners may not be obviously linked in your mind, but at Blyth there are plans to build one of the new Coal Fired Power Stations. This is close to the mining village where Father was born, and the location of one of the campaigners meetings. Like so many of these projects they are imposed upon “Working Class” areas. The powers that be, no matter what party is in power, impose these upon people who lack the power to oppose them.

When Chopwell wood was endangered of being cleared and turned into an open cast coal mine as well as the sand and gravel extracted. However, there was opposition from local communities. I suspect that the government of the time had not realised that there had been a switch in some of the villages around the wood to more middle class communities. Therefore the opposition was more organised and articulate than anyone expected. The wood got its reprieve. But I doubt that would have happened if some the houses had been bought by teachers, and other professionals.

There are still serious threats to the Wood, but I will be talking about those in a latter posting.

But it is the fact that the working class always seem to suffer from what the upper classes want to impose upon us. Add to that the disrespect they show to us. Personally I just wish we could develop a society where there was true fairness, trust and respect.