Nothing illustrates the inequality in the world so much as the lavish homes of the super-rich.
Waddeston was built by Baron Rothschild in 1870 in order to display his art collection and entertain. The wine cellar still contains 10,000 bottles of quality wines (Chateau Lafite and Mouton). One can only imagine the homes of the working people and the number of servants necessary to maintain this huge estate. The house was so far away it could not be seen and we had to be bussed in from the carpark.
We were passing and dropped in to get some food. We had National Heritage cards so it was free entry. Quite a sight.
I love trees.
Wine bottles.
I’m not sure what bird this was – a kite?
These were the stables
An accurate portrayal of Baron Rothschild?
The buttery.
An extensive estate.
You should remember Opher that yes those homes belonged to the Super Rich, (as a Socialist I hate them), the poor living there had jobs in the house, had they not they would have ended up possibly in the Workhouse, what choice would you have made?
Yes they provided lots of work and there were little choices available. The elite kept things that way. They creamed off the top and saw to it that their progeny had all the privilege. The dice were loaded. It is the incredible differential that is so shocking to me. Some had so very much while most had so little. It hasn’t changed much over time.
How can you say the latter. Look at people now who own Estates, massive Houses – either by money they earned or won. You took me the wrong way the other day, it was meant as a joke when I referred to you coming from Surrey as “Rich” that is what was thought by many, me included who lived in working class areas, such as I did. It was not meant as a slur on you or your family. In Ilford, as you know there is an area called “The Cranbrook” that was known as “the rich area” whereas where I came from it was known as “Working Class and Irish/Catholic”. Likewise why should I find anything wrong with the Irish or Catholics, I have all Irish blood running through my veins, albeit born in England, I am as you know lapse Catholic. This is the British disease “The Class System”. I was always made to feel I did not belong here I came from Irish/Catholic stock, I was not British and of course I should never forget I was Working Class, of which I am proud to be. My late Husband was only too pleased to leave behind his working class background, when he was in the RAF he made sure it changed him, perhaps as a young girl I fell for the older man (30 years difference), RAF and all that. He was working class and should have been proud of that.
From what i see there is probably an even bigger difference between the superrich and the ordinary people. The main difference I suppose is that the poor no longer starve and do have a reasonable standard of living now. The superrich play with billions and deal with property, yachts and a standard of life that is obscene while so many round the world are suffering so much. I’d like something fairer.
It is sometimes hard to read the humour in print Anna. The class system is a real evil. I’d love to see it go but it lingers on. I suppose that my career and house place me in the middle class but I have working class roots.
Like you my family did not fit in and did not get on with most of the people around us. We weren’t accepted because of our roots.
Come, come Opher, you knew damn well I did not mean it – how couild a working class woman from Irish.Catholic background mean that. My Husband because of his position he had at the Pru and the Houses he owned, he looked down on me, that was made obvious to me. In fact I came from better than David. David as my Sons would tell you was very pretentious at times, I being “innocent” in so many ways did not see it or I did not want to see it. That “working Class” stigma if that is what it was still lingers on. Instead of “Upper Class, Middle Class, and Working Class” we had, we now have “Upper Class, Middle Class, Working Class and the Trash”. There should be No Class but it will never end as long as there is a Queen/King on the Throne.
Then let’s get rid of the damn monarchy! Can we vote them out?
I would be the first in line to do so. When the Queen dies God forbid we end up with “Tampax Man”. If it has to continue it should go to William and Kate, to have look at the adulterous bitch who helped destroy Diana. Better still once the Queen dies end it all.
Right on!!
Sovereignty is an outmoded, tribal institution. I’d get rid of the whole lot of them – a privileged tourist pageant!