Occupation making a comeback!

[andrewalston]

I've just been expanding a corner of my tree, and as I filled in the occupation of a 12 year old lad, I realised that his occupation, recently pretty much extinct, has made a huge comeback, although with a different job title.

   Grocer's Errand Boy.

The task these days would be described as Supermarket Home Delivery Driver. Same task, slightly higher age requirement.

Any other occupations which have made a comeback?

[Viktoria]

Oh I am waiting for all this to be over so I can send my nearly four year old GGrandson up the chimney.
Well any excuse to see him !
It has been ages and he is changing so fast and I won’t be able to see him or give a Happy Birthday kiss next month  when he is four.
But there are many many people dealing with more serious situations and my heart goes out to them .
He Goes  on FaceTime with my daughter,his Nanny( Grandma) But gets upset.
Now old occupations coming back,?
No cotton mills now to send six year olds to work in, no sooty chimneys,well some from log burners, people cleaning the outside of their windows as window cleaner not calling.
Not heard of any knife grinders , rag and bone men, street sweepers, crossing boys, girls selling ( amongst other things) sweet violets and lavender.
Milkmaids redundant, butchers’ boys may be in business again,no deliveries from bakers that I know of but milkmen still delivering from our local farms ,eggs greens etc.
Dustbin men still soldiering on , Post staff still delivering, and all that makes me very grateful that many people are working hard to keep things going.
But as for old jobs making a comeback?
I just hope those able to patronise their small local shops remember when all this is over and stay loyal,they deserve recognition .
Cheerio,Viktoria.

[heywood]

There are quite a lot of local firms delivering - butchers; bakers and some pubs and farms have become fruit and veg outlets. Hopefully it is keeping them going until some sort of return.
A co-worker from some years ago, who I had known in his youth, had been a butcher’s boy for his father. He recalled several customers who left the door on the latch and the money on the table or in a tin on the mantelpiece because they were out. He would leave the meat parcel on the table together with any change due.

[Viktoria]

Yes, like leaving the pre paid milk tokens in the empty washed bottles on the front step overnight,so trusting ,but generally speaking you could in those days.Up to 1965  and further possibly .We went abroad at that point.
When ,generally speaking, no one had very much , to take from those in the same situation as yourself  was despicable and seldom happened.

Captain Tom is 100 today, RAF fly past ,including a Spitfire.
As he said, he may be the last person alive to have seen a Spitfire leave” in anger “.
What a different set of circumstances today.
Viktoria.

[heywood]

Captain Tom and all the other people who are doing various things for charity and then the donors show that there is still  much goodness about.

**sorry Andrew, don’t want to hijack your thread re occupations.

[majm]

When I was a little lass, ready for going off to school, and waiting, waiting, for the 'big day'  I got into huge trouble from my mum, my gran, my aunties, and the visitors having sandwiches and cups of tea on 'MY' verandah ... They were all talking, sitting around posh, ignoring me,  on my play area.  I had had to tidy up my dolls, my blocks and my things had been put away.

And I had no one to play with, no one to show off to, and NO toys to keep me amused.

Auntie Gloria started talking about Wet Nurses ... Gran kept the conversation on that topic.  They forgot I was there.  I got huffy.

So I decided to go outside.  I  remember it very well. 

Me standing on back step,  and in my best voice I loudly said "When I grow up I will never ever be a Wet Nurse "  and Auntie Gloria burst into tears.  So Mum told me to 'grow up or else'

Sorry for diverting off topic... but "Or else" has been a life long experience
 

JM

[BillyF]

Our local shops and councillors are doing a marvellous job with their deliveries, I really look forward to them coming.

I was saying the other day I remember taking my grandmother`s order book to her local co-op when I was a child ( many moons ago, too many) then it was delivered by the errand boy on his bike. I think his name was Stanley !

There was, also from the co-op, a baker`s horsedrawn cart that came round which sticks in my mind because it was the only time we had "bought" cakes. I loved the sponges squares that had pink icing in the top.

They`re still around, millers and in this flour free zone I wish we still had some in the family, although they wouldn`t be able to get it to us !!

[Viktoria]

Off topic a bit but on an American site ( SR)All Purpose flourV strong  bread flour.Good result  from the SR.

Pie shops - great big meat and potato pies with crust baked in huge enamel washing up bowls.
Great bowls of peas and jugs of gravy.
Sheets of ribs and enormous pans of cabbage .
Savoury Ducks and gravy.
Take your own basin!
My Mum never went near them but they were so handy for many families.
The precursors of today’s “Take Away “ shops.


Majm, older women talking in front of children—— ooooh the horrors .
I mean how do you survive when you have had “ everything taken away”!
 
Viktoria.

[BillyF]

Also "take your own newpaper " on Saturdays at grandma`s going for fish and chips. The chippie was in someone`s front room. Next door but one to that also in someone`s front room, not a corner shop exactly but a semi detached shop !!