FabSwingers.com forum: Jobs you remember that no longer exist

By *wco OP Man
6 days ago

West Midlands

Lift attendant, although possibly still about in expensive hotels.

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By *ysteriousGirlOGWoman
6 days ago

Birmingham

GP's

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By *Effy-Woman
6 days ago

Scotland

Coal man.

I'm sure they still exist, but not as common.

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By *inkShyWoman
6 days ago

near Windsor

Switchboard operator

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By *octor ProdMan
6 days ago

Constantly Travelling With Work

Pool typist

Print typesetter

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By *aptivating24Man
6 days ago

castleford

The pop man

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By *urry BlokeMan
6 days ago

"Coal man.

I'm sure they still exist, but not as common. "

My next door neighbour still has coal delivered

Also, my Grandad & Uncle were coal men, back in the days when they had shire horses and carts

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
6 days ago

SW1A1AA

Shorthand typist

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By *hamallamadingdongMan
6 days ago

London

Milkman.

I'm sure they exist somewhere.

Lantern lighter (I don't know the actual name for this job. They would wake up at dawn to extinguish the lanterns that they lit the night before)

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By *hamallamadingdongMan
6 days ago

London

Breadwinner

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By *ellhungvweMan
6 days ago

Cheltenham

Fax machine salesman

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By *redwilma666Couple
6 days ago

Kilbirnie

Rag and bone man

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By *urry BlokeMan
6 days ago

"Milkman.

I'm sure they exist somewhere.

Lantern lighter (I don't know the actual name for this job. They would wake up at dawn to extinguish the lanterns that they lit the night before)"

Yup, next door but one has a milkman

They get milk, bread & OJ delivered between 4 & 5 am, three times a week

I know this cos they rock up in a diesel transit these days and it wakes me up every time 🤣

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By *a LunaWoman
6 days ago

Wales

Toilet attendants in public toilets.

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By *hamallamadingdongMan
6 days ago

London

"Milkman.

I'm sure they exist somewhere.

Lantern lighter (I don't know the actual name for this job. They would wake up at dawn to extinguish the lanterns that they lit the night before)

Yup, next door but one has a milkman

They get milk, bread & OJ delivered between 4 & 5 am, three times a week

I know this cos they rock up in a diesel transit these days and it wakes me up every time 🤣"

I once saw an electric milk van doing deliveries. Updated technology and it doesn't wake anyone up 😂

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By *ty31Man
6 days ago

NW London

Page 3 Girl

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By *haved man40Man
6 days ago

Stamford

Paper round.

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By *gMineheadMan
6 days ago

Minehead

The coop van man..Plough boy, railway engine driver/stoker/fireman etc.

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By *ate2theparty808Man
6 days ago

Erdington

Bus conductor

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By *luerooMan
6 days ago

Bridgwater

when i left school i got sent up the chimmneys to clean them

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By *AJMLKTV/TS
6 days ago

Burley

Child catcher.

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By *attieTV/TS
6 days ago

Nottingham

Newsboy

When I was a lad there used to be Newsboys dotted about the city centre with their portable kiosks selling newspapers shouting out the headlines or simply the name of the local paper-

Eeeeeeevvvniiiiin POST!

Christ that makes me feel old realising I'm from a bygone era.

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By *ermite12ukMan
6 days ago

Solihull and Romford

Dog catcher.

Bus Conductor.

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By *htcMan
6 days ago

The McDonald's mascot

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By *exycarlashane181Couple
6 days ago

Stratford upon Avon

Nit nurse... We used to call her nitty Nora the biddy explorer

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By *onin25Man
6 days ago

Durham

The football pools man (or woman although I never saw a woman doing it)

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By *ssexPaul50Man
6 days ago

colchester

Not so much of an official job but me & my kid brother when we was kids used to walk the streets with a bucket and a sponge knocking on peoples doors asking if they wanted their ar washed 🤣🤣 I know we wasn’t the only kids doing this.

You definitely wouldn’t see that today - which actually is a shame and shows the type of society we live in today.

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By *offiacoolWoman
6 days ago

Alsager

"Rag and bone man"

They are still around, but not as often as they used to be. There are more scrap men around now taking metal to be weighed in.

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By *lderflowerAppleWoman
6 days ago

Hampshire

"Dog catcher.

Bus Conductor."

We have a dog warden in our local authority. She catches strays.

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By *lderflowerAppleWoman
6 days ago

Hampshire

Drayman. Or are they simply known as lorry drivers now?

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By *onin25Man
6 days ago

Durham

"Not so much of an official job but me & my kid brother when we was kids used to walk the streets with a bucket and a sponge knocking on peoples doors asking if they wanted their ar washed 🤣🤣 I know we wasn’t the only kids doing this.

You definitely wouldn’t see that today - which actually is a shame and shows the type of society we live in today. "

I read that as 'their arse' before realising it must be 'their car'. It was car, wasn't it?

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By *offiacoolWoman
6 days ago

Alsager

"Drayman. Or are they simply known as lorry drivers now? "

I googled it. They are still draymen, but as you say, they drive lorries to deliver beer.

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By *homas400Man
6 days ago

Carmarthen / Llandeilo

Johnny Onion (The onion seller). He'd come around villages selling onions on his bike... All the way from France apparently.

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By *iking 777Man
6 days ago

Wick

Had a milk round when l was a kid

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By *ackdaw52Man
6 days ago

Chesterfield

I worked in Blockbuster!

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By *iptonmalexxMan
6 days ago

tipton

Funny no one mentioned a "Fluffer"

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By *ourpornfixMan
6 days ago

East Cheshire

Wheeltappers. They used to go along literally tapping the train wheels and listening to the sounds they made, to see if they were sound.

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By *vonne5exMan
6 days ago

Doncaster

"Coal man.

I'm sure they still exist, but not as common.

My next door neighbour still has coal delivered

Also, my Grandad & Uncle were coal men, back in the days when they had shire horses and carts "
2 of my uncles are still coalmen

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By *igerFiestaMan
6 days ago

Huddersfield

The Tallyman (hire purchase agent who came to your door for his money).

The clothes-peg lady.

The Irish labourers who came to your door and offered to tarmac your driveway.

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By *howtime100Man
5 days ago

Stirlingshire

Telly repair man

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By *oelMan
5 days ago

Midlands, London, Brussels

"Lift attendant, although possibly still about in expensive hotels. "

Lalit in london still has one, a lovely surprise

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By *evilinDavinaTV/TS
5 days ago

Transsexual Transylvania

Petrol pump attendant. Actually they do still exist in South Africa, but I don't think they've been a thing in this country in decades.

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By *olf-of-OdinMan
5 days ago

Winchester

"GP's "

Ain't that the truth!

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By *ongandthick888Man
5 days ago

Leeds

Cinema projectionist

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By *ino200Man
5 days ago

Bournemouth,london and Sienna

Pit boy

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By *ildbillkidMan
5 days ago

where the road goes on forever

Taxi cab driver,

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By *carlettsWoman
5 days ago

Harpenden

[Removed by poster at 07/06/26 04:28:46]

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By *carlettsWoman
5 days ago

Harpenden

Dunny men

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By *ino200Man
5 days ago

Bournemouth,london and Sienna

Pillow fluffers

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By *lternative lifestyleCouple
5 days ago

Louth

Mineral man, drove around with glass 1Litre bottles of different odd drinks.

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By *mooth tongue 4uMan
5 days ago

edinburgh

Knife sharpener

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By *aven3Man
5 days ago

Stoford

Knocker upper.Came round from the railway to knock on the bedroom window of early shift railwaymen,using a long pole.

Sagger makers bottom knocker.Google it

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By *lectrictouchMan
5 days ago

inverarary

Rag and bone man

Fresh fish seller mobile

Bus conductors

Rent man

Peteol pump

Attendants

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By *hoenix_1Man
5 days ago

richmond

"Coal man.

I'm sure they still exist, but not as common. "

Yes they do, especially in rural areas, I have coal delivered

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By *wco OP Man
5 days ago

West Midlands

"Petrol pump attendant. Actually they do still exist in South Africa, but I don't think they've been a thing in this country in decades. "

Some of the big garages brought them back a few years ago (might have been covid time) but it seemed that most drivers weren't comfortable with it and usualky declined the offer.

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By *hamallamadingdongMan
5 days ago

London

Bathroom attendant

Maybe they still exist in some places.

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By *eardofVampiresWoman
5 days ago

Lancaster

Coal men

Wag man...may still exist but highly unlikely kids get away with bunking off these days.

5 for a pound refillable lighter guy on the corner in town outside jds.

Milk man not seen those little milk floats in years.

Don't see paper boys about either.

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By *ools and the brainCouple
5 days ago

couple, us we him her.

Provident lady.

She used to give out small loans on the doorstep and collected money.

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By *igerFiestaMan
5 days ago

Huddersfield

[Removed by poster at 07/06/26 08:45:39]

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By *igerFiestaMan
5 days ago

Huddersfield

"Bathroom attendant

Maybe they still exist in some places."

Saw them at the clubs in Ibiza. They stand with a hand towel and offer skin creams and scents and have a tips tray. They're probably just hired to make sure nobody is sniffing or shagging.

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By *wco OP Man
5 days ago

West Midlands

Newspaper sellers in the street.

"Get yer eynin' mail" was heard all evening in Brum city centre.

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By *lderflowerAppleWoman
5 days ago

Hampshire

"Provident lady.

She used to give out small loans on the doorstep and collected money. "

I was going to say 'The man from the Pru' who came to collect life insurance premiums. Similar set up.

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By *nblueMan
5 days ago

manchester

You definitely wouldn’t see that today - which actually is a shame and shows the type of society we live in today. "

They still do that where I live

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By *allySlinkyWoman
5 days ago

Leeds

They still do that where I live"

They do it in Leeds too. It must be a Northern thing !

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By *allySlinkyWoman
5 days ago

Leeds

I remember if the rag and bone man's horse left any droppings my dad would run out with a spade and get it for his rhubarb patch.

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By *hoenix_1Man
5 days ago

richmond

"Provident lady.

She used to give out small loans on the doorstep and collected money.

I was going to say 'The man from the Pru' who came to collect life insurance premiums. Similar set up."

My dad after he retired was one of the Pru men collecting payments

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By *ranny-CrumpetWoman
5 days ago

Crumpet Castle

"I remember if the rag and bone man's horse left any droppings my dad would run out with a spade and get it for his rhubarb patch. "

I'd rather have custard.

The Bread Man. We used to buy bread and cakes from a van.

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By *ino200Man
5 days ago

Bournemouth,london and Sienna

The Co-op stamp man

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By *adbod2015Man
5 days ago

Nantwich

Not 100% sure if you class this as a job but the video man.

The guy who had all the films on VHS in the boot of his car and he would come round to rent one out for the week.

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By *ino200Man
5 days ago

Bournemouth,london and Sienna

The boy chimney sweeps

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By *allandy64Man
5 days ago

Sheffield

Knocker Upper

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By *ools and the brainCouple
5 days ago

couple, us we him her.

"Rag and bone man"

Didn't he release a new album recently

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By *evilinDavina1Man
5 days ago

Bristol

Whaling, those were the days

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By *inaTitzTV/TS
5 days ago

Titz Towers, North Notts

Miner. When I was growing up everyone around here worked for the Coal Board

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By *ools and the brainCouple
5 days ago

couple, us we him her.

"Miner. When I was growing up everyone around here worked for the Coal Board

And Thatcher killed all that off

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By *howtime100Man
5 days ago

Stirlingshire

"Bathroom attendant

Maybe they still exist in some places."

Still see them in clubs and gig venues, SWG3 in Glasgow has them

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By *avexxMan
5 days ago

cheshire

lock keeper on the canals

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By *uliette500Woman
5 days ago

Hull

"Not 100% sure if you class this as a job but the video man.

The guy who had all the films on VHS in the boot of his car and he would come round to rent one out for the week."

Never seen that, we used to just go to the video shop.

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By *uliette500Woman
5 days ago

Hull

We had a "lemonade man' used to deliver glass bottles of various flavoured fizzy drinks on a Saturday morning.

He'd take away the empty bottles from the week before to be reused like the milkman did. The kids today think recycling is a new thing.

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By *igerFiestaMan
5 days ago

Huddersfield

Going back over a century. Domestic servants, cabin boys, boiler room stokers, lady's companions, lady's/gents hat shop assistant, vocalist elocution teacher (how to talk posh), piano tuners, organ grinders, horseshoe blacksmiths. Although some of these are probably still about.

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By *ongandthick888Man
5 days ago

Leeds

"Going back over a century. Domestic servants, cabin boys, boiler room stokers, lady's companions, lady's/gents hat shop assistant, vocalist elocution teacher (how to talk posh), piano tuners, organ grinders, horseshoe blacksmiths. Although some of these are probably still about.

Isn’t it titled “jobs you remember” ?

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By *appyOldOneMan
5 days ago

West Midlands

Draftsman - those who used a pencil and paper to produce design drawings

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
5 days ago

SW1A1AA

Football pools man

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By *atiekisskissWoman
5 days ago

London

Gas Meter Man, Bus Conductors, Totters,

Bargemen, Park Keepers and Street Bookies.

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By *arrenhertsmanMan
5 days ago

Hatfield

TV meter collection man

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By *ermite12ukMan
5 days ago

Solihull and Romford

Pump attendants at petrol stations.

Aircraft engineers/navigators in terms of the flight crew.

Cinema ice cream sellers that used to have a tray over their necks and used to go up and down the aisles during the break.

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