It could only happen in Southend:

In a letter to the Echo published last month, Lib Dem councillor Ric Morgan said he had been working on the seafront during the airshow when the “nobs” were having lunch at the Cliffs Pavilion. Southend mayor, Lib Dem councillor Brian Smith, was one of only three people at the lunch on bank holiday Monday, even though the council had pre-booked and paid for 60 places.

Shoebury Conservatives accused Mr Morgan of bringing the office of mayor into disrepute and demanded an apology. However, Mr Morgan has stood by his comments and urged his opponents to check the dictionary definition of the word. …

Mr Morgan, councillor for Prittlewell, said he stood by his comments and had not meant any offence by his use of the word nob. He said: “Councillor Jarvis should check his dictionary. The term nob is an old fashioned term for a socially exalted person.”

Luckily for Mr Morgan, the mayor took the remark in the spirit in which it was intended. Mr Smith said: “I took it as a compliment. It is my understanding a nob is someone who is a well respected member of the establishment. It’s quite an achievement.”

The Collins English Dictionary defines the noun nob as British sland [sic] which means a person of weath [sic] or social distinction.