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These are low income families living on traditional low-rise estates. Some have bought their council houses but most continue to rent.

Estates will usually be either terraced or semi-detached. Two bedroom properties are more typical but the larger families may be housed in three bedroom properties. Either way there may be an element of overcrowding. On some estates there are high numbers of single parents while on others there are more elderly people, some with long-term illness.

Incomes are low and unemployment relatively high. Jobs reflect the general lack of educational qualifications and are in factories, shops and other manual occupations.

There are fewer cars than most other areas. Money is tight and shopping tends to focus on cheaper stores and catalogues.

Visiting the pub, betting, football pools, bingo and the lottery are the principal leisure activities.

These families share the twin disadvantages of educational under achievement and consequent lack of opportunity. They are struggling to get by in an otherwise affluent Britain.