▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁poor ▁dra per ▁and ▁a ▁heavy ▁drink er , ▁as ▁is ▁his ▁pro fl ig ate ▁brother , ▁Barry , ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁trav elling ▁sales man ▁special ising ▁in ▁novel ty ▁to ys . ▁He ▁has ▁many ▁re de em ing ▁qual ities : ▁he ▁is ▁essentially ▁brave , ▁loyal ▁and ▁industri ous , ▁generally ▁kind - heart ed ▁beneath ▁the ▁bl uster ▁and ▁un fail ingly ▁patri otic . ▁ ▁Main w aring ▁bel ieves ▁in ▁following ▁rules ▁and ▁orders , ▁sometimes ▁to ▁a ▁lud ic r ous ▁degree ▁and ▁is ▁class - cons cious ▁and ▁a ▁sn ob . ▁Being ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁Gram mar ▁School ▁– ▁as ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁student ▁– ▁he ▁cons iders ▁himself ▁middle ▁class ▁and ▁looks ▁down ▁on ▁anyone ▁he ▁cons iders ▁beneath ▁him , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁because ▁he ▁strugg led ▁to ▁rise ▁above ▁his ▁working ▁class ▁background . ▁He ▁claims ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁successful ▁tail or ▁in ▁East bourne , ▁but ▁L ance ▁Corpor al ▁Jones ▁reve als ▁that ▁Main w aring ' s ▁father ▁was ▁actually ▁a ▁poor ▁dra per ▁who ▁sold ▁badly - made ▁work men ' s ▁tr ous ers ▁and ▁Barry ▁Main w aring ▁confir ms ▁this . ▁" If ▁I ▁had ▁a ▁title ▁I ' d ▁be ▁on ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁direct ors ▁at ▁the ▁bank !" ▁he ▁sh outs ▁at ▁Serge ant ▁Wilson ▁when ▁the ▁latter ▁g ains ▁a ▁title ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁" The ▁Hon ou rable ▁Man