New jobs for old

[Mervyn and Trish]

We're told unemployment is falling and the number of people in work is at a record high. This may be in part due to an increase in part time work but it set me thinking about new jobs - things which seem to have appeared in the last ten years and which we seem to have managed without before.

My first nomination is Wheely Bin Cleaners.
And a new one to me today, the Oven Clean Man.

Both the above working mobile out of the back of vans, doing their work in the road behind the aforementioned van.
I think, for the moment at least, we can do without either of those.


Then there are the jobs which seem to be dying out.

The knife grinder, again working from the back of his van. Anything sharp today seems to be designed to be thrown away when it goes blunt.
And the Milkman. We still have one and long may he reign. I know the milk is more expensive but we like the convenience and knowing it is fresh from a farm less than 10 miles away.

Finally an old job which seems to be making a comeback - the mobile scrap dealer. Again there is at least one round here. When my son-in-law replaced his cooker he put the old one outside the house. I asked if he was taking it to the tip. No, he said. I'm leaving it there. It'll be gone within 24 hours.

He was wrong. A scrap dealer knocked on the door within two hours!

Any other nominations for new or disappearing jobs?

[colwill]

At least oven and wheelie bin cleaners are useful to busy people, and give you diversity and equality coordinators. There are several similar wastes of time and space.

[Dancing Queen]

I don't know if the job has disappeared but there no longer seem to be Telegraph Boys ( I think that is what they were called ) they used to whiz round on little red motorbikes, as far as I'm aware it is still possible to send a telegram, does anyone know ??

[Kenmo1]

I have seen a van with an advert for collecting and doing people's ironing - I assume that luxury is for the extremely busy people at work.

I guess the 'pig swill man's job' has been taken over by the kitchen recycling which is collected each week by the dustmen.

[Jan Rosser]

I have seen vans advertising dog walking services and even day care whilst people are in work - goodness knows how much it costs I suppose it's better to use these services than leave a dog shut in all day while people are in work.

[screwy]

Not many Hangmen around nowadays but we could sure them...my opinion.

[suespud]

Iv recently had wooden blinds fitted to some rooms and tried to get someone to clean them.
A man in a van used to come to my mans, take the blinds down and a few days later bring them back all clean and put them back up!!
Can't find anyone to do that now.

I do use a company to clean my ovens and occasionally another to do my ironing.

[oldbluefox]

You rarely see mobile greengrocers, bakers, butchers and only occasionally fishmongers nowadays. Many have gone out of business altogether as supermarkets have moved in.

Some of the more remote villages were actually hives of activity and those who lived there only rarely went into town, although farmers would attend the local market. Most things were brought to them. That doesn't happen any more and small hamlets are now dead (often because all the little cottages are now holiday/second homes and lie empty).

[Manoverboard]

My old Mum used to clean / blacken her own black stove / grate, remember those ( black stoves / grates not Mums ) ?

However ... I recently spotted a shop offering a service to refurbish the doors on log / multi-fuel burners, will bring them up just like new they say. I assume they will re blacken the entire thing if required.

[barney]

I own and operate a company that some may think unusual.

I own a company that does Will Writing, Lasting Powers of Attoney, Pre-paid Funeral Plans and a few other services, all in the comfort of your own home.

Folk are usually surprised when I tell them what we do and keen to engage in chat about it.

There's no business like death business

[oldbluefox]

Like undertakers you'll never be out of work, barney.

If you can think of a way of taking it with you, can you tip me the wink!!

[Dancing Queen]

You rarely see mobile greengrocers, bakers, butchers and only occasionally fishmongers nowadays. Many have gone out of business altogether as supermarkets have moved in.

Some of the more remote villages were actually hives of activity and those who lived there only rarely went into town, although farmers would attend the local market. Most things were brought to them. That doesn't happen any more and small hamlets are now dead (often because all the little cottages are now holiday/second homes and lie empty).

I still see a fishmonger who comes down our road every Tuesday, there is also a Ringtons tea van I see pretty regularly when I'm out and about.

[Silver_Shiney]

Not many Hangmen around nowadays but we could sure them...my opinion.

[Andrea S]

There are ex mining areas around me where people still use coal fires. It is many years since I have seen a chimney sweep but I guess there is still a need for them.

The one thing we have in abundance is hand car washes. The majority are run by Eastern Europeans but they always seem busy.

I have struggled this morning to defrost my freezers. Could that be the next job vacancy.

DQ, GPO Telegrams finished a number of years ago. I guess the internet took over.

[Kenmo1]

I'm not sure it counted as a job, but I can remember as a child, we used to have a 'rag and bone' man who called around on a horse and cart collecting old clothes. I can't remember whether Mum got paid for any bags of clothes - mind you they would have been well worn as they were passed down between 3 of us. I can understand the rags as clothes but what were bones? Have things moved upmarket now that we have charity shops ?

[Manoverboard]

Just to mention .... chimney sweeps are making a pile down ere in sunny Darzet due to an abundance of Log / Multi-fuel burners.

We call ours ' Sooty ', bet that's a first

[Silver_Shiney]

I have struggled this morning to defrost my freezers.

If you've got a hand-held steam cleaner, that'll defrost your freezer in no time

[Jan Rosser]

I'm not sure it counted as a job, but I can remember as a child, we used to have a 'rag and bone' man who called around on a horse and cart collecting old clothes. I can't remember whether Mum got paid for any bags of clothes - mind you they would have been well worn as they were passed down between 3 of us. I can understand the rags as clothes but what were bones? Have things moved upmarket now that we have charity shops ?

Gosh that's brought back some memories - when I was a child we had a 'rag and bone' man living next door - he had a horse called Queenie who was kept in a field together with the cart. Mr. Jones (well he'd have to be called that living in the Welsh valleys wouldn't he ) only had one leg and my father (who was a carpenter) used to carve his crutch for him - gosh it's all coming back now - he used to let the kids climb up on the cart and ride up the back lane - Health and Safety would have had kittens

[GillD46]

We still have a scrap metal collection twice a week, not that there's often much offered. But i have got rid of some baths and taps that way, by saying if they want the taps, they take the whole thing!

[gfwgfw]

A near neighbour runs a mobile "Doggy Beauty Parlour" using an elaborately furnished ex-mini bus

Dogs, large and small are given the full make over extravaganza at a price

[Dark Knight]

Death and Taxes Barney

We have a wheelie bin cleaner, coz we have 4 bins and I am not cleaning them
we have a window cleaner
a fish man who delivers, wait for it , fish and fish based meals
haven't seen a milkman or a paperboy or a knife grinder, tinker or rag and bone man
I do see the pizza delivery/ takeaway delivery chaps on a regular basis, normally delivering a tasty repast to Dark Towers, and I do see mobile hairdresser's vans and ironing and oven cleaning services as well

good luck to anyone who gets off their a*se and does something useful

or it could be we are such a lazy society, that we would rather pay someone to do the jobs we can't be bothered with ?

[barney]

I don't know about lazy, DK, maybe some just don't have the time.

To my eternal shame and for the first time in my life, we've got decoraters coming in shortly.
I just don't have the time (or inclination) to do it

Years ago, I'd have eaten jobs like that for breakfast, but now .........

I now take the philosophy of each to his trade. I'll do what I do, earn a couple of bob then pay someone to do what they do.
I suppose that's what makes the world go round.

[Silver_Shiney]

I wish I could afford to get decorators in - I hate that job!

[Dark Knight]

Barney there is an old adage for people running their own company
if you make £x an hour and a tradesman costs less
pay the tradesman
you make more money working than you are spending