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Occupations That Have Faded Away

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Professional mourners with sad children following a funeral cortage like in Oliver twist. They don't have those now do they?
 
Nico said:
Like a cellarman?
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Not sure Nico. According to the Free Online Dictionary a tapster dealt with kegs. I expect a cellarman would deal with wine. I don't know if pubs, hotels, restaurants etc still have these. Viv.
 
I always understood a cellarman was the person who looked after the beers in the cellar of a pub, was responsible for cleaning the beer lines etc .He would not necessarily serve any drinks, though often also acted a a barman. It would seem that, looking through Google references, a tapster was just an early name for a barman
 
Thanks Mike. Whoever does what as long as they serve up a decent drink I'm happy ..... Viv.
 
"Occupations that have faded away" ?

In a churchyard in Denbigh I found a headstone dedicated to a "Castrator".

Made my eyes water !
 
I worked behind the bar at the Standar Club, the cellarman served drinks. He used to disappear in the cellar and come up puddled so he got the sack.
I have heard the term potman also.
I am crossing my legs and typing in a high voice as I read Baz's post.
What about serving wenches?
 
Nico said:
Eeya then!

As no one wants to start the thread.
Yes I remember clippies. My grandad drove a bus in Coventry when he came from Stourbridge. The buses had screw in lightbulbs and the bell was on a wire, you got on at the back. Sometimes the smell inside of fumes made me feel sick now its usually someones chips or sick. The conductor would help you on and make sure you stood up for a lady and stopped any aggro.Sometimes they shouted out the stops.

The clippie or conductor and the driver were a team. They had a code with the rings they did if there was any aggro and for reversing etc.
Grandad's clippie was Vera. She had Betty Boop waxed curls a bit like Poirot's Miss Lemon, and she came from Salthill in Galway. There used to be a thing going round with cards in 'digs' windows, no Irish need apply. So my nan put her up till she got a place. She had 2 other Irish bus conductors at different times. They were really nice to me with sweets etc and to my great gran.

Digs I think are a thing of the past too. With battle axe landladies another thing of the past.

As to commissionaires, when I started work in circa 76 we had them on the door, then they became, security men, then they worked through an agency. Then you had a swipe card and they were defunct. Except the gate kept jamming. I used to climb over it.

I have not seen or heard the comforting sound of a milk float in years. The small garages with little shops are going as are the post offices small schools and hospitals and local police stations.

I no longer see herbal shops dark inside with mysterious drawersm surgical appliance shops, mature ladies undergarments stores, we had Gladys Bryants where my grans got their stays and passion killers as they called them.

Pork batch shops, pram shops,pet shops (good thing I suppose) cobblers, hardware shops (rare) fishmongers, game, army surplus stores, music shops that sell instruments records and sheet music, philatelists, pen shops,. habidasheries, hatters, tailors, corsitiers (yow cor sit eer, nan's joke) Fishing tackle shops, gunsmiths, blacksmiths, horse drawn vendors, lamplighters, trolley buses, street cleaners with handcarts, night watchman outside with a brazier, .

Nico

What do you remember?
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The clippies have made a return, they are on the tram between brum and wolves
 
where does she live? would love a photo
This is in reference to the nurse mowing the lawn in her uniform, dont know why the quote didnt appear
 
You have a tram back in service, that's marvellous and with a clippie.

I just got given a book on saucy postcards, very interesting. It said they were reduced till 2000. Do they still have those now? I have seen clean joke cards about sheep. I tend to go for views when we do get away, must be getting old.

Our old neighbour went a bit odd (she always was a bit odd,) but she ended up gardening in her bloomers. Knee lengths. Circa 1971. On the nurse track and on a hospital post we had, I complained to the NHS over MRSA and they now purport to making hospital staff change in and out of their uniforms at the hospital. Then I see a nurse in full uniform shopping in Sainsburys.
 
It was real step backwards when "Driver only" bus were introduced, and the old fashioned clippy's were made redundant.
 
Like a lot of backward steps. Increasing company profits to the detriment of the customer and unemployment. I noticed in big stores in France they have what they call hostesses who will help you find what you are looking for, advise you on the products, then take you tom a till. I hate the term Pay Point we seem to be getting here. I a told the hostesses are dwindling. We used to have people like that in Owen Owen's as my dad's cousin was one.
 
I'm afraid I must disagree with you Nico. The last thing I want is some person following me around and trying to persuade me to buy a load of expensive rubbish, because it is the "in" thing. "Advice" may have once been genuine, but today it is usually just trying to push the advisor's sales targets
 
mikejee said:
I'm afraid I must disagree with you Nico. The last thing I want is some person following me around and trying to persuade me to buy a load of expensive rubbish, because it is the "in" thing. "Advice" may have once been genuine, but today it is usually just trying to push the advisor's sales targets
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I'm with you Mike - I like the shop assitants to be on hand but not at elbow so to speak. Indeed I want a badge that says on one side 'Please Help' and on the other 'Just Browsing'.
 
i don't particularly go for them either chaps, I just said that they were still employed over there. It puts me off too but it is nice when someone knows their stuff and saves you hours looking for something that's not there. I was looking for a product that they no longer stock it, is only exported. I do tend to browse too especially when I am abroad because it's different. This particular mature hostess asked me what I wanted, told me it they no longer stock it but didn't try to flog me anything else. And aked me where I came from with a big beaming smile.
Were floor walkers like Captain Peacock Viv in Are You Being Served? I get fed up being mistaken for a shop assistant. Do you have that problem folks?
 
Did you see the recent TV series about Liberty's of London. Two of the assistants were on the top rate of commission because they sold over £1/2m per year.

As for Clippies, a term which I have never heard outside London, the trams in Birmingham, Nottingham and Sheffield have conductors but the Manchester and Croydon trams rely on revenue inspectors jumping on and checking tickets. The new buses in London, nicknamed Borrismasters have 2 man crew but the conductor does not collect money being there to control the open platform to stop people jumping on and off between stops and make sure they swipe their Oyster Cards when they get on at the back.
 
How the other half live! I never heard of a Clippie till I watched On The Buses. They were going to have a tram back here once but it was scrapped years ago as they wouldn't allow them back on the roads, the council, wanted to put them along green belt land and parks. I wrote an anti tram poem to them but they didn't reply. (strangey) "'My old mam said bxxxxxxr the tram'". I was opposed to where they wanted to run them not to having trams. But they are allowing this super speed train which ploughs through everything.

They still make rubber stamps I see. My mate;s great grandson is a budding artist aged9. His art teacher stamps their work as good (in his case) with a rubber stamp. Runining the picture though (in my opinion).
 
Just been writing down forgotten scenes, that I remember.
.
These are some of the activities that have disappeared from day-to-day street scenes during the course of my life:

BARRREL ORGAIN GRINDER: The King of beggars with his upright-piano-like machine. He made quite a pleasant
sound.
BOOTBLACK: In railway stations, city centres. He knelt in front of his customers to produce a highly glossed shoe.

CINEMA COMMISSIONAIRE: Adorned the front of every super-cinema. Resplendent in his gold braided uniform.
CINEMA USHERETTE: Mini torch in hand, led the patrons down the aisle, and lit up a seat for each and everyone.
CINEMA ORGANIST: The Mighty Wurlitzer, played melodiously as it rose from the depths in front of the screen, to
disappear as the lights dimmed for the next film.

INSURANCE COLLECTOR: Collected small amounts from 'door to door'.

KNIFE GRINDER: He sharpened knives, with a wonderful tread mill driven apparatus with a large wheel on top.

LAMPLIGHTER: The system required only a long pole, with a hook on the end. He rode his bike, holding the long
pole on his shoulder.
LIFT ATTENDANT: Either sex. A major employment in shop stores offices and hotels, often calling out the name of
each floor, and the goods available.

PARK KEEPER: The uniformed 'Parkie' was the scourge of all small boys.
PETROL PUMP ATTENDANT: Surely the last to go. Always there, whatever the weather
POINT DUTY POLICEMAN: His white over sleeves could not be missed.

SOLDIER/SAILOR/AIRMAN: Sadly missed. Home on leave, or whatever. The sailor with his 'Bell Bottoms, and ship name on his cap. The soldier, with his regiment markings, and rank, and the airman, with his smart collar and tie, and the R.A.F uniform, so unmistakable.
STREET TRADER: He had a tray in front, suspended by a string around his neck, selling matches or shoe laces.

WATCHMAN: To be seen on every road works or building site, with a canvas type shelter, with his coke brazier on
which he warmed himself, and cooked his supper. He would light the hurricane lamps of an evening to
mark the site.

No doubt there are many more that I have not covered.

Eddie
 
The street trader has not yet disappeared, though it is a suitcase rather than a tray containing his wares.
Although boot blacks have disappeared from this country, Thank God. I am not one for bothering much about polished shoes, but even if I was them I wouldn't want someone doing it for me. However my sister sent me this picture taken in Austin in Texas.

austin_texas__shoe_black_A7.jpg
 
The bus conductor has not far off disappeared either!

Come to that, are there any bundy clocks about any more?

Maurice
 
Also long gone are the delivery men, including bread, coal, laundry man who collected dirty laundry and delivered it washed and pressed a few days later. I haven't seen a chimney sweep in many years although I believe a few still exist.
 
The rag and bone man - we would pester our mom to give us something so we could have a goldfish, we did succeed once
 
sylviasayers said:
Also long gone are the delivery men, including bread, coal, laundry man who collected dirty laundry and delivered it washed and pressed a few days later. I haven't seen a chimney sweep in many years although I believe a few still exist.
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Chimney sweeps are doing well after a resurgence of solid fuel burning stoves. They even have their own association or guild - The National Association of Chimney Sweeps (NACS) formed in 1982 as a professional Trade Association. My Dad would have been surprised.
 
Sweeps are very busy as you say Bernard. Mine hails from Torquay and always has a waiting list. He took over from his grandfather a few years ago.

As far as buses are concerned the larger companies - which these days - are almost the same wherever you are in the UK - know where there vehicles are. I believe GPS provides the information. Ah! GPS, like most things a two edged sword.
 
Good point Michael though they always were pretty quiet. We still have our milk delivered by the way the milk is from farm in Staffordshire.
 
Not many people have their milk delivered now unless it is part of an online shopping order. When it got to be much too expensive to have milk delivered to your door most people called it a day when it reached almost double the price of the supermarket. I held on as long as I could, but when the milkman started delivering two or three days supply at a time I had to give in and join the rest, because I was paying for fresh produce not two or even three days old.
 
Phil we take two deliveries a week but (if the Countryfile programme at the weekend is anything to go by) our milk is still a lot fresher than the supermarkets as it is processed and bottled at the suppliers and it is only stored by us.
 
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