Gransnet forums

Chat

Job titles that have disappeared

(109 Posts)
Grannyknot Sat 14-Jan-17 08:22:14

A comment on another thread reminded me of job titles that have disappeared. I worked at one time as a "Girl Friday" shocksmile. I have also been a "Ground Hostess" (for an airline as opposed to an Air Hostess).

What were the job titles you've had that no longer exist?

ninathenana Sat 14-Jan-17 13:29:43

Christine it doesn't mention jobs you've done in the title smile
It's actually saggar not sagger, my mistake. It's to do with the pottery industry (my dad's work) and the containers used for fireing the pots.

Christinefrance Sat 14-Jan-17 13:21:12

Sorry I misread the title didn't realise it was jobs we had done. downtoearth you were quite right about the knocker upper. Even I am not that old.
I've heard of sagger makers bottom knocker but not sure what the job was.

pensionpat Sat 14-Jan-17 12:57:46

Clerkess. I worked with a Scottish lady who said that was really used for a female clerk.

ninathenana Sat 14-Jan-17 12:53:30

Sagger makers bottom knocker

I kid you not !

Grannyknot Sat 14-Jan-17 12:44:33

Was not were!

Grannyknot Sat 14-Jan-17 12:44:10

ana my reply to you was tongue-in-cheek, good for that consultant.

I sat for hours in team meetings where one of the discussions were whether the secretaries (including me) should be called Executive Assistants or Business Assistant to the Executive. grin

Ana Sat 14-Jan-17 11:16:52

What about Timpson's?

Must get off this thread, sorry...

Bellanonna Sat 14-Jan-17 11:13:59

Cobbler

KatyK Sat 14-Jan-17 11:11:00

Bus conductor

Ana Sat 14-Jan-17 11:10:42

Well, I know my hospital consultant has a secretary who types all his notes and correspondence - her job title is just that - Mr X's secretary.

Grannyknot Sat 14-Jan-17 10:31:35

ana I think that is now done by Personal Assistants, or Executive Assistants, or Business Support Assistants smile in other words ... secretaries!

Ana Sat 14-Jan-17 10:24:12

Secretaries are still very much around, JackyB!

Who do you think types all solicitors' letters and business and goverment correspondence?

Maggiemaybe Sat 14-Jan-17 10:17:28

I was a telex operator for a while.

Not a job I had personally, thank heavens, but I remember a man with a big shovel clearing out the earth closet toilets in our street via a hinged door in the wall below them. I have no idea what his official title was, but I think I can guess what the grown-ups called him blush

Teetime Sat 14-Jan-17 10:04:10

When I was young there used to be a programme called Emergency Ward 10 and on there was a Lady Almoner ( a sort of social worker) I wanted to be one of those.

JackyB Sat 14-Jan-17 10:00:27

Secretary.

The demise of the secretary is the downfall of modern society. Nowadays the "bosses" write their own e-mails, full of spelling mistakes, grammatical and punctuation errors, and totally incomprehensible sentences. Misunderstandings abound.

Swanny Sat 14-Jan-17 09:53:05

Alima I was a key punch operator 1965-66, also a verifier. Went back to it in 1974 before becoming a data input operator, then a VDU (Visual Data Unit) operator.

downtoearth Sat 14-Jan-17 09:52:50

GK think the knocker upper had a long stick and went round tapping windows to get people up and out to work ..yhey where employed by factory and Mill owners to make sure employees got there on time ....sure that is what I have read somewhere

annsixty Sat 14-Jan-17 09:50:36

Grannyknot in the mill towns a man would come round very early in the morning with a long pole and bang of the bedroom windows of the mill workers to wake them up. I don't know who woke him. This would be 5/6 am. Thinking logically he couldn't have had a very large round!!

Swanny Sat 14-Jan-17 09:45:47

downtoearth we just called him the 'meter man'.

I was in a bedsit for a while in 1977 and the meter there only took 50p coins shock However I was working and was able to get a mid-day meal in the staff canteen so 50p would last me a week on the electric.

Grannyknot Sat 14-Jan-17 09:41:15

What on earth is or was a knocker upper? smile

downtoearth Sat 14-Jan-17 09:34:07

We had shilling ones Ann but gas and electric ..was a red letter day ..in the late 70s and 80s when children where young It often saved the day when the meter man came by then it was 10p though...couldn't wait to see those piles of silver given back to me ..happy days

annsixty Sat 14-Jan-17 09:29:58

Did you have a penny or a shilling meter DTE ? We had a shilling one. I can't remember how very full the penny ones must have been or how often they needed emptying. Ours would get petty full as we only had gas which was used for everything.

downtoearth Sat 14-Jan-17 09:24:04

Just realised how wrong that sounds...I meant she was happy to see him......when in a hole stop digging blush

downtoearth Sat 14-Jan-17 09:22:27

Didn't know what he was called...but when he did he made mum a happy lady....and us kids got 2 bob as well grin

downtoearth Sat 14-Jan-17 09:20:12

The man who emptied the gas and electric meter