like Telegrams, VHS systems and Betamax Blockbuster shops , Dewhurst Butchers who had over 1000 shops at one time.
Then in today's world what will disappear in the next decade like M & S Debenhams , Fenwick etc
Gas galvanized 'copper' washing tub for clothes. Almost all day affair.
Then 'electric' Washing machines with power wringers. Manual fill as well, with hose on tap.
Now in our local museum, a family haberdashery/school clothing shop had an overhead zip wire, which the sales assistant used to send the cash payment to the cashier, who would then send back the receipt and any change for the customer. Similar to the vacuum tubes used when the cashiers office was on a different floor to the sales department.
Ration books, even for my sweets it the forties and fifties, and ready for petrol rationing in 1973/74.
>>> When was the last time you saw a rag and bone man?
There's a guy who comes round our estate every Monday morning, constantly calling out "Any old iron?" through a loudspeaker fitted to his truck. I suppose that he's not really so different to Steptoe and son.
Theyre not rag & bone they are scrap merchants & recyclers - a lucrative, respectable trade! Steptoe was 60s old school.
I know same that employ 50+staff & run 25 hgv, flatbeds, skip lorries. Also own 3 golf courses, 3 RRs, 2 lambos, 2 aston martins DB ?, 4 discoverys & endless pool cars. Enviable manor estates & properties for rent. All run by one family.
The leather strops on the train doors in order to let the window down to let fresh air into the carriage, but please put the window up before entering a tunnel!
Does anyone remember those adding machines that looked like half width old fashioned tills? If I recall correctly there was only one row of keys and they had a long travel. They allowed accountants to add a long list of large numbers very quickly - anyone know what they are called?
When I were a lad my father lit the fire with a gas poker. It looked like a standard poker with a two rows of holes down the shaft. It was connected to the mains gas by a long flexible pipe and when lit had a lot of flames. Possibly one of the most dangerous household gadgets that was in everyday use
we had a gas poker that was fixed into the firebowl. you put the coke and kindling in then turned on the gas and dropped a lit match into the fire...very exciting! it was in use until my Mum had central heating installed in the mid 80's and she had the real fire gubbins taken out and a gas fire installed. I went and stayed with her to let the fitters in and out as she was still working and I was not. The installer said that he wouldn't remove the gas poker so I went to the local inronmongers and bought a giant adjustable spanner, which I still have, and took it out myself!