General Chat

I can name two occupations that no longer exist.
My brother-in-law's family had three Lengthmen. These were council workers who were allocated a length of road, say 5miles. which they had to keep in good order. Trim the hedges and the grass where necessary, keep clean of rubbish, keep the drains working and fill in small potholes. They also joined a larger gang when roads were being resurfaced. Much respected members of community.
The other , my son trained as a Stonehand in the printing trade. This was setting up type, backwards, of newspapers etc, by hand , with letters that were made fresh every day from lead which they melted and moulded themselves. Then computers came in and the job disappeared except for a few craft works.
maybe you can think of some more. Back this evening.

Two occupations thata re sorely missed Jean. Typesetting in the days of proof reading so that we didn't get the glaring errors in Newspapers thatw e get now, and the road men, wouldn't it be lovely to know our roads were being so well looked after? I bet they each took great pride in "their" bit of road.

A lot of the shoe makers skills are gone with mass prodution and cheap(by comparrison) shoes from the multiple chains.
I have whitesmiths too, I believe they worked in tin, not silver, so don't think there are similar trades now.

Linda :o) XxX

My suggestion is Colliery Farrier, as opposed to a Blacksmith. We have no more colliery's here now, so no more Farriers.
Julia in Derbyshire

Scrimshawing, now that is really old. Very often a crossword question, that is how I remember it.
Julia in Derbyshire

How about bus conductors. You don´t find many of them these days.
Marion

Thanks, thats a good start. I am sure there are more that used to be out there that we can remember.

Coalmen are pretty rare now too.

Wondering about tanners - years gone by the hides used to be soaked in urine I believe - wonder what they use now?????

Does a Foyboatman still exist

most of the mill workers are gone now as the mills all have closed down in yorkshire. anne

Dont know Foyboatman, but remember Ferryboatmen.
OH's ancestors were Thames waterboatmen.
Just Googled and the Foyboatmen are still much in existence, mooring boats on Teeside.

Hi
Not a forgotten occupation but one that now has a completely different meaning.
OH has an ancestor who at his marriage in 1873 gives occupation as net worker.
Von

""I have whitesmiths too, I believe they worked in tin, not silver, so don't think there are similar trades now.""


they were deeply involved in whitemetal for machinery bearings, such as big end bearings on car engines and bigger machines such as the great steam pumping engines......

A more recent one from my childhood - the Corona man ;-)

Dear Jean and all

Hello

Hope you are all okay.

Cobblers. And no, I am not being rude.

Cannot find a shoe repairer any where these days.

And no milkman or milkpersons either.

Take gentle care all
Very best wishes
xx

There is a milkman here but is very unreliable. Comes twice a week but often leaves people without milk when he decides not to come. Needless to say, I dont use him! Have you tried to get a radio repaired lately?

I've just come across one that is a clue in my Telegraph crossword today. Wainwright, a wagon maker.
Julia in Derbyshire

Hi All - There were hundreds of Lightermen in ports all around the U.K. until an American invented Shipping containers and sealed the fate of the London docks. - How about old style switchboard operators - all plugs & headsets on old PBX exchanges! & who remembers Telex operator? Most missed & Thank goodness, making a welcome return in places - Hospital Matrons!

We used to have the knife grinder visit our street too - fascinated me,as a child, when he turned his bike upside down to drive the grinding wheel! The Co-op dairy always had 'white' (grey) horses to pull their wagons.
Anyone seen a Rag & Bone man lately?

Paula x

I remember the knife grinder and the telex operator.
We still have a daily doorstep milk delivery, care of the Co-op.

If I'm not blowing my own trumpet, I still crochet, aswell as knit.
What I mean is, they are now a dying art, particularly crochet.
Julia in Derbyshire

PS. Oh I nearly forgot, - a shorthand typist, because I was one, and you hardly see any call for them nowadays in the employment columns.