Jobs you can only hold in London

[Enko]

At dinner tonight we got to discuss if there are any jobs you can ONLY hold in London

So say manager of the Shard doesnt count as you can be a building manager elsewhere

You can be mayor of another city so again doesn't count

We are looking specifically for a job that cannot exist in a slightly different form in another place.

So far we have

Yeomen Warders (beefeaters)

Speaker of the house

Are there others?

I googled who looks after the pelicans in St. James Park but the job role is Senior Wildlife Officer so I guess that exists in other places (but not necessarily with Pelicans. Not in the UK anyway).

Working in Harrods?

Or does that count as retail work

Not a job as such, although some of them are big on social media now; a Mudlark?

I have today found out that not only is there a Grand Carver of England, but there is a direct equivalent in Scotland (the Master Carver of Scotland). I don’t know whether they could be interchangeable or indeed whether through a series of complex marriages the same person could hold both roles simultaneously

There's a Worshipful Livery Company of Wales apparently!

There's Mudlarks wherever there's rivers.

I'd add being an MP as they all seem to claim extravagant public money for their second homes in London.

I think ds would count that as retail work. He has gone to bed now (or more likely to soend 1 hour on face time w his girlfriend)

He feels vindicated by this thread. However we had some huge laughs over the replies here.

Oh I am going to have to go and look for him 😂

I haven't quite found the correct, special unique, priceless and too delicate to move item yet but...

There must be some one of a kind artefact like that in one of the London museums, art galleries or possibly in the vaults of Buckingham Palace or Westminster Abbey that requires the attention of a specially trained curator, probably wearing white cotton gloves...

There’s only one like it in the world, it can't be moved, and only a handful of people have the skills to look after it...

It might even be a hidden treasure that is only rumoured to exist. Looted! Cursed! Only for the eyes of a select few! Curated by somebody in half moon glasses, sworn to secrecy...

That would be a unique London job.

Master of the Rolls?

@Redheadedstepchild Elgin marbles?

Special Effects director at the Globe Theatre, there can't be many places using Elizabethan stage effects.

Director general of the BBC. The organisation is pretty unique in how it is funded and governed. I don't think the role has ever been based out of London, but I suspect it will be at some point.

Something around the house of Lords maybe? National Archive?

US (or other country) ambassador to the UK. Embassies can be outside of London, but for those that are in London it's a location specific role.

Governor of the Bank of England

Archbishop of Canterbury??? (I think is based in London despite the name!)

Birmingham used to have a chief chocolate taster - not sure if still does!

Underground mail train driver.
https://www.postalmuseum.org/visit-us/what-to-expect/mail-rail/

Governor of the Bank of England.

They do, I get the DLR to Greenwich sometimes and there’s a button in the front carriage on the left which looks vaguely like a go/stop!

Steve thingy who shouted Stop Brexit outside parliament every day.

Royal Waterman

bargemaster

licensed Thames waterman

@Redheadedstepchild how about the key to the vaults of the Bank of England as your unique London item? Apparently it’s just under one metre long, so would take some skill to look after / operate. (I think that’s just one part of the security they use, but imagine if you lost it 😱)

Brilliant!

That copper who stands outside the door of No 10 all day.

Crown jewels polisher

There are also Scottish Crown Jewels held in Edinburgh Castle.