Occupations that no longer exist.

[Eyresandgraces]

I was changing the bed and remembered that in the 1970’s, so not that long ago, dh’s aunt was a tick turner for Fogarty’s.
She spent her whole working day turning pillowcases the correct way round and pointing the corners with her thumbs.
i can’t imagine such a monotonous job.

I found a list of old occupations but Tick turner is not listed.

A Tosher made a living by scavenging the Victorian sewers. Grim.

Please feel free to add any you can think of.

https://rmhh.co.uk/occup/a.html

Oh gosh - That reminds me of the old Industrial Branch policies!

"The man from the Pru" etc

DFIL had a load of ancient Pearl Endowment policies in DH's name

Audio typist in legal. It was only way work was done when I started. Solicitor dictated letters, typed up and then signed. I was trying to explain it to 20 somethings in my team and felt ancient. We had piles of paper files and little cassettes.

I’m in construction and lots of skills are dying out! Hardly anyone would know how to build a wooden spiral staircase. Most UK carpenters under 40 wouldn’t be able to build a wooden staircase full-stop. They could fabricate the components or install it but not both.

Electric tools mean that very few people can build by hand now too. I guess it makes sense because it’s so slow comparatively but I think it’s a bit sad

WANG word processor operator/typist … most powerful person at our office. Giant computer for word processing only, with integrated printer. She sat in temperature controlled room, decided who got their document first. She was highest paid admin in many offices for the few years before office PC arrived.
If she was out sick, almost impossible to hire a temp for the day as this skill was in demand.
The one at our office, 80s (in NY City at the time) was of course called Karen, wore a mink coat!!

Wow that's given me a flashback!
I vaguely remember something like this when I first got a mobile phone in 1997/98.

That was a short lived job!

My mum did something similar about 45-50 years ago, except it was one stage earlier in the process (late 1970s).

She used to punch the cards that were then fed into the computers. It was basically data entry (which still exists as a job).

I remember a bloke used to come round and sharpen all your knives, garden shears etc. They were usually a dab-hand at fixing all kinds of things.
We had mu h more of a 'make do & mend' attitude back then.

Are petrol pump attendants still a thing anywhere? I loved not having to get out of my car!

My grandfather was a dispatch rider in WWII. He carried messages between army bases on his motorbike.He had lots of cool stories about the experience.

Pure finder - collecting dog shit to sell to tannery's

Or ask Alexa!

My son (19) is studying journalism. He is learning shorthand as part of the course. I thought it was long since obsolete. I hope he finds it easier than he did to master cursive!

My dad had this book and I was riveted. Agree it is fascinating

My DH started out type setting and printing at a print shop. He'd do business cards, leaflets, posters, invitations all kinds of stuff.

Doesn't exist anymore.

He moved on to graphic art, and that's all done by computers now, in a few decades the industry has changed beyond recognition and most of what used to be skilled jobs are DIY via an app with few skills.

It is illegal to fill up your vehicle at a petrol station in New Jersey, USA so they certainly have petrol pump attendants there.

Up until last year it was also illegal in Oregon, so they certainly had petrol pump attendants up until last year.

In Japan there are a mix of petrol stations with attendants and those without.

Sounds wonderful. My friend said that the tea lady's call of "trolley" as she wheeled her way around the offices gladdened people's hearts. It sounds so old fashioned now but lovely and cosy

Haha also newspaper sub editor - the people who would check and cut the copy and write the headline. A dying breed at least if not totally extinct (I was one once).

Edited to add: and you can tell- man those skills are still needed! Too expensive to employ the staff tho

I still use my shorthand tho! (Journalist from the 1980s originally).

Yes they are called stenographers

It was actually 1977 - a convicted murderer named Hamida Djandoubi. There’s a grainy film taken in secret by a witness in the courtyard where the execution took place - it’s still doing the rounds on YouTube. I remember seeing a documentary on the guillotine, from its conception and use in revolutionary France, through use in other countries, and also as a preferred method of execution of resistance fighters by the Nazis. There was also a forerunner of the guillotine in Britain called the Halifax Gibbet - differing slightly in that the blade was axe shaped and not sharpened in between executions !!

Apparently there were four people assigned different tasks at each guillotine execution. One would check nothing encumbered the neck of the condemned person - all collars and fabric would be cut away prior to escorting to the guillotine. Two people were responsible for securing the condemned man to the running board and placing it under the blade, and prior to the execution, the executioner himself would check the weight, drop and alignment of the blade, and would pull the rope to drop the blade. At their quickest, executions would be completed within about one minute of the condemned entering the execution chamber. Grisly, but quick !!

In my first job I had to send telex messages, and occasionally have telex conversations with the head office in the US. I can also remember another job where there was a lady nearing retirement who was a comptometer operator.

There was a v traditional die stamping business for sale a few months ago that did high-end stationary and invitations but it sounds like it’s a labour of love www.printweek.com/content/news/hackney-die-stamping-business-put-up-for-sale/

Shorthand is still taught on uni journalism courses. So there are journalists still using it.

Nah, I bet he has a fancy Japanese toilet.

There are still Lollipop ladies and men near schools.

We aren’t allowed to keep anything in kitchen so have to carry in tea/milk/coffee or buy an expensive one from a cafe. I do think it could come back perhaps as a well being initiative. A few kindly words can make all difference.

Someone came to DPs house a few months ago to sharpen their knives (which they've had since the 70s) and unfortunately ruined the blade of one of them 😕

They even live in a neighbourhood where no do-to-door is allowed!