Thursday, 25 October 2007

Snobs....

For some reason yesterday I remembered my
first conscious brush with a snob.
It was at work. I was about eighteen.
It was a clothes shop in Chelsea. There were
always people coming and going. It was quite
a trendy place to work. One day a young chap
turned up for work. I was asked to show him the
ropes. Within in two minutes of being alone,he asked
me 'what school did you go to ?'. I was taken aback.
I had been away to school,quite a good one I understand
now,but back then I did not think it important. I told
him,he grunted and said 'o'.He was unimpressed.
I did not think anymore of it.

But it was noticed that he told everyone that would listen
what school he had been to. I forget which one it was,but they
wear pink blazers. Anyway working there at the same time was a
wonderful chap I will call William. He had been asked countless
times 'what school did you go to ?'. He declined to answer in a
charming way each time. Andre was suspicious. He said to me "I think
he's ashamed of the school he went to,so sad when that happens'.

Well one day William and I were having a sandwich in the garden.
Andre joined us. He was looking at William and I knew what was coming.
Sure enough "Come on William what school did you go to ?'. A smile coming
to his mouth in anticipation of putting William on the spot,with no
route of escape. William put down his sandwich and said with a sigh,'Andre
I did not go to school, I went to a college, Eton College'.
Andre's face dropped,trumped in the nicest way.
I wonder if if he ever asked anyone again 'What school did you go to?.

No comments: