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Occupations That Have Faded Away

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Bird scarers is another forgotten trade. In the fields.

Also ferry boats without engines that were propelled by a man with huge arms, who pulled the boat with a rope.

I went to San Fransisco about 35years ago. They may still have the trams which I think work on a pulley system, one goes down and pulls the other one up. A man with ginormous muscled arms operated a had brake to slow the tram and stop it for folk to alight.
 
Bell Hops? I saw one in a film. Remember cloakroom assistants and toilet attendants?
Paid 20p to pee in Grassmere with an electronic saloon door.
 
Not too many left these days in Britain except for the newer skyscraper buildings with specialty type lifts. A friend of mine went up in the lift at
the SHARD where they have lift attendants to operate the lifts. They still have them in the main Department stores in Toyko , white gloved and smiling.
It was quite an experience in department stores like Lewis's when they had the old lifts with heavy ropes that ran up and down. You had to be careful that the
lift was aligned properly before stepping out.
 
I believe the passenger ferry at Stratford is still manually operated.
 
Another job that doesn't exist anymore (although there's probably a lot of women that will disagree with me) is a "skivvy" or otherwise known as a maid of all work. These women would do all the work in the house for middle class families who couldn't afford more than one servant. They would work from morning to night every day except for sundays. I think I'm right in saying they started as young as 13 or 14!
 
Sounds like Ruby when she left upstairs downstairs to work for a really awful employer, saved by Mrs Bridges, aren't I sad.
 
Hi Nico, That sounds more like it. I must have printed that about a thousand times so I should have remembered although it was nearly 45 years ago.
 
nijinski said:
Another job that doesn't exist anymore (although there's probably a lot of women that will disagree with me) is a "skivvy" or otherwise known as a maid of all work. These women would do all the work in the house for middle class families who couldn't afford more than one servant. They would work from morning to night every day except for sundays. I think I'm right in saying they started as young as 13 or 14!
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My great gran started work aged 9 as a scullery maid. She worked her way up to cook and moved with the Major. He had a house in the Black Country and a house in London. She suffered for it in later years as she had terrible bunyons and sollen ankles from standing on stone flags.Like many women of her day I would think.
 
Anne Watton said:
Hi Nico, That sounds more like it. I must have printed that about a thousand times so I should have remembered although it was nearly 45 years ago.
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Hello Anne, Metro Cammell ring a chord. Where was it? It's a name like Remington Rand and B O Morris and Marsh and Baxter from the past. I used to type envelopes for Aston Martin Tickford, they might still be going and VFW Fokker. We used to laugh at that. Nico
 
At the first company I worked for, in the Drawing Office, draughtsmen were men and tracers were women. Did any women ever get to be draughts.....
 
Where I worked the jobs that no longer exist are the Creed Room (2 men who operated the fax machine all day for news bulletins) simple job but important in its day, Copy Takers, Adminsitrators, Readers, Compositors, Linotype Operators, Platemakers, paste up artists, block storemen, Canteen, remember car park attendants?
 
jennyann said:
Not too many left these days in Britain except for the newer skyscraper buildings with specialty type lifts. A friend of mine went up in the lift at
the SHARD where they have lift attendants to operate the lifts. They still have them in the main Department stores in Toyko , white gloved and smiling.
It was quite an experience in department stores like Lewis's when they had the old lifts with heavy ropes that ran up and down. You had to be careful that th
lift was aligned properly before stepping out.
Click to expand...
When I hear people say the Shard, I always think of Shard End. I saw a Shard end Glass van yesterday in Cov.
 
Remember in department stores and shops if you bought let's say, some gloves or a scarf they would wrap them in tissue then put them in a paper bag sometimes in a flat box. Now they say "wanna bag?" without looking at you or that'll be 5p for a bag when you have paid £40 for your gloves and more and put them in a plastic carrier. I feel like saying what Catherine Tate's swearing granny says, "ow dya think I am gonna get em ome, on me xxxxx 'ed.":excitement:
 
My ex Husband and his father were one of the first to start a business as a vacuum chimney sweep. It became very popular around the Northfied, Barnt Green area because of course there was not any mess.The equipment consisted of a large vacuum cleaner, a set of wooden covers to place in front of the grate. This had a hole in to place the hose of the vacuum in it to catch the soot. It was swept with brushes in the usual way but because there was any mess it became very popular. The Birmingham Mail printed a photograph of him in his tail suit and the caption read " Prince Charming by night, Chimney sweep by day. They asked him to black his face with soot !!!! He would not of course. In the summer time they used to mow lawns, mostly at Barnt Green and mansions.
Betty
 
still not quite right - should be "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" not "jumped" Wasn't and S in previous posr
 
Pretty sure there must be based upon the paint jobs on lorries. Found Burlington Coach painting.

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Tapatalk 2
 
Nico,

The Lower Ferry i.e. the one which can carry cars and foot passengers, is a pontoon type craft which is hauled across the river from Kingswear to Dartmouth ( and vice versa ) by a tug which lashes itself to the pontoons side. Two of these pontoon/tug lash ups operate at busy times.

There is also a passenger only catamaran vessel, owned by the company that owns other ships, ferries and the steam railway. This operates from Kingswear railway station pontoon to Dartmouth town centre (and vice versa). The former Dartmouth railway station is now a restaurant. It held the distinction of being the only English railway station that had no rails or trains. :biggrin:

A third ferry known the The Higher Ferry ( sometimes locally known by its former name as the floating bridge) operates from a point about a half mile up river from Kingswear across to a point close to The Royal Naval College Dartmouth (and vice versa). This is guided by chains (which maybe the one you are thinking about) and the vessel is propelled by paddle wheels - diesel driven.

A search engine will provide anything I have omitted and pics.

As far as the lower ferry is concerned I have to mention a rather alarming episode when on that ferry when I worked near Dartmouth Castle when I was sixteen years old. Having tried to learn to swim in Sparkhill baths without success (a post made be me on this Forum mentions how I almost drowned there) I still had not yet learned to swim. I still can't by the way. Due to a very fast running ebb tide the Ferry was slowly, but surely, drifting out towards the castle an open sea. The hauling tug was not able to stem its course. Another tug came to help after a short while and we all safely landed at the slipway in Dartmouth.
 
I was on the ferry when I was a little lad. I remember we went to Dartmeet. I think there is a pulley ferry in Bridgenorth possibly.
I wonder if they still have causeway guides in tidal places such as the passage to St Michael's Mount. I know they used have to men make a seat with their hands to carrys ladies in crinolins across muddy streets. We used to do hand seats at school.
 
Nico said:
Bird scarers is another forgotten trade. In the fields.

Also ferry boats without engines that were propelled by a man with huge arms, who pulled the boat with a rope.

I went to San Fransisco about 35years ago. They may still have the trams which I think work on a pulley system, one goes down and pulls the other one up. A man with ginormous muscled arms operated a had brake to slow the tram and stop it for folk to alight.
Click to expand...
On the subject of ferries being pulled by a man. Who remembers the punt on a chain at Huxley's ferry in Evesham ? I imagine 'elf 'n safety will have put an end to it by now. I used to be fascinated, as a kid, when they dropped the chain to the river bed when a boat came along.
 
We are supposed to have the roads and paths swept but we have been doing our own path as I have not seen one this year. I chatted to one in my lunch break once. In town. He was complaining the way people throw food and rubbish.The coucnil supplu them with a chuddy scaper too. I crossed MacDonalds car park yesterday. There were several yougish posh lads sitting on the window frames of their cars, saying the food was rubbish so they tossed it out of the windows, some standing on their half eaten burgers. A mother and daughter threw their empty drinks cartons out of the window and drove off just missing me. They should be fined. I don't see any bins either.Sign of the times again.
 
sheldontony said:
still not quite right - should be "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" not "jumped" Wasn't and S in previous posr
Click to expand...

I always typed it as "lazy dogs" thereby giving you the "s". Coming back to an earlier post which mentioned "please pack my box with five dozen jugs" I had been trying to remember this one and I am sure the one I was given refered to "flagons of wine" as well giving you some more of the missing letters.
 
Another occcupation would be the people who actually mended typewriters. There was a place opposite the Hospital on Dudley Rd.
(Jackdaws love my big sphinx of quartz was another one.)

The Ferry was at Hampton Loade but part of it was washed away, not sure if they replaced it yet, it's by the Severn Valley Railway.
rosie.
 
Up till recently we had a sewing machine repair shop. The vacum cleaner repair shop has gone. There is still one that doors all electrical repairs but it has decreased in size by 2 thirds.

Nan used to name all the locks from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth. Now I know what Hampton Loade means.

Lock keepers are dwindling and Station masters with a cottage may be in the past. I remember the man coming to open the gates of the level crossing. My late next door neigbour's dad was a crossing operator and they had a cottage with the job.
My late neigbour opposite was a signalman who sat in the signal box high up. His father in law was a groom at the royal mews and when he was killed in WW1 they were chucked out of their lodgings over the stables.
Similarly Nan's cousn was a housekeeper and her husband a chauffer. When he retired they lost the lodge where they lived.
Remember the men with barrell organs? I turned one at Weymouth when I was little, I couldn't get the beat right though.
 
What about Leo Maturi's mobile knife and scissor sharpening van ,used to be a regular site around the kings standing area when I was a kid, I think he also did mower blades as well, am I bonkers or do I also recall a mobile cobbler, ah, the good old days,pass the tissues please.
 
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