Class without cash

By ALISON POTTER
Updated: 19:00 EST, 19 June 1999

The Social Season is up and running and the rich are out at play. But don't feel excluded, because social climbing needn't cost a fortune. This Is Money reveals the secrets of enjoying life in the manner of Royalty and the high-born, without paying through the nose.

Veterans of the social season have made studying what people wear into an occupation every bit as serious as studying the form at Goodwood.

To pass muster at events that require the kind of clothing no normal person ever owns - a yachting outfit or evening wear for Glyndebourne - resort to that old staple: the hire shop. But real misers balk at £85 for suitable attire when they can simply go to M&S or John Lewis for a cheaper alternative - and then return it the day after.

There are even ways to enjoy Wimbledon without the queuing, the thermos flask and the sleeping bag.

Wimbledon resells centre and Court No 1 tickets late in the day. Tickets cost a mere £5 to watch play before 5.00, £3 after. Since play often continues until 8.00 or 9.00, that's a lot of tennis on the cheap. Tickets are resold behind court 18, and there is often no queue. Simply roll up and pretend you've been delayed at an important business meeting. If you're lucky, you might even get a seat in the stand where dignitaries, coaches and the obligatory 'girlfriend' sit. Simply pretend to be one of them. Wear sunglasses, whatever the weather, they look better if you're caught on television.

Wimbeldon is barely over when socialites turn to Henley Royal Regatta.

A cheap day return from Paddington will get you there for a mere £9 after 9.30. True you have to change three times, but so what when you're saving on the £530 a chauffeur driven ride in an F-class Mercedes would cost you £530 from Berkeley Chauffeur Cars.

True social climbing occurs in the Stewards Enclosure on Friday 2 July. This is a place tougher to get into than the Pentagon - and no more interesting.

The clue here is to exploit the extremely strict dress code. Men must wear blazers, straw boaters and ties, even in sweltering conditions, while trousers are a no-no for women, who must stick to skirts below the knee.

Since men who remove their jackets are thrown out and women refused if the knee police spot you, simply avoid the bother of trying to gatecrash and proclaim loudly for the rest of the day that you've been thrown out. After all, it happened to more than 100 women last year. Some even spent absurd sums rushing into Henley to buy more appropriate attire.

You meanwhile, can enjoy a pleasant day watching the races from the towpath - for nothing.

The Glyndebourne opera festival runs from May until August, so it's a relatively simply matter to find late cancellation tickets costing as little as £16. A popular way to spend the Long Internal, lasting nearly an hour and a half, is to take a picnic on Glyndebourne's private lawns. You could go the traditional route and buy a ready-made hamper. They cost a minimum £37.50 from local supplier Letherby and Christopher, not including the £8.50 supplement for lobster salad, or £6.50 for cheese. But again there's a solution. Take the 'Tiddles' name off the cat basket, load it full of your peanut butter sandwiches, a can or two of your favourite lager - and enjoy.

If the social whirl hasn't left you entirely out of breath, Cowes Week, 31 July-7 August on the Isle of Wight is the highlight of the yachting season. Don't worry about what to wear - just find the deck shoes at the back of the wardrobe and don a polo shirt - £18.50 from the Gap. Then all you need is to make sure you know your gib from your mainsail - gem up at your local bookshop - and you're away.

Prince Philip will be hanging out at the terribly exclusive Royal Yacht Squadron on the first weekend, but this is a private members club, so unless you can hitch a ride in with a member, it's no go. Instead watch the races from Cowes green or the beach - it's free.

Unfortunately This is Money can't help you when the Season has finished and the jet set heads off to St Tropez - Southend or Blackpool will never quite compete.