| Author |
Message |
    
Howard Brown
Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 173
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 5:02 pm: |       |
Hey folks....television ain't totally crap !
Today,Mon, Dec. 27th,on the History Channel,they played a 5 hour series entitled, "The Worst Jobs In History", which was an all-Great Britain affair, discussing 5 periods in the history of the British Isles and the various "bad" jobs one could expect to hook up with [ my least favorite was in the Tudor period and that was official bum wiper for Henry The 8th...no kidding,a real occupation !!]
The 5 periods covered were:
1. The Middle Ages
2. The Tudors
3. The Stuarts
4. The Georgians
5. The Victorian Period.
Look for it again in the future my friends....It was to the proletarian-working class history enthusiast what "Civilisation" by Kenneth Clark was to the art lover-culture enthusiast was....Both being terrific series....very good viewing and a great insight into the daily lives of the workin' folks of the Isles....
If I see it in the future,I'll post a notice ahead of time....Keep your eye open for this one !
Imagine that...being in the middle of a good glass of mead and the servant bell rings..."Hark, bum boy ! Your King beckons !"
How Brown,Ye Olde Heiner Shiner |
Jennifer D. Pegg
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Jdpegg
Post Number: 1492
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 5:53 am: | |
How,
Tony Robinson?
Jenni
ps this is for the fve word rule!
"I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ah"
|
Maria Giordano
Inspector
Username: Mariag
Post Number: 217
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 7:53 am: | |
Hi, Howard. I caught a little bit about the privvy diggers. Had to turn the channel quickly!
The Good Old Days-- they were terrible!
Mags |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 2522
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 8:09 am: | |
Howard,
"...official bum wiper for Henry The 8th"
OK, I must say that does not sound like my favourite occupation either. Jesus Christ....
Havent seen it, unfortunately, but hopefully it will be aired on Channel 8 here in Sweden (which contains History Channel programs). Sounds interesting.
Jenni,
What did you mean regarding Tony Robinson?
(I am a huge fan of Time team...)
All the best
G, Sweden
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 3703
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 8:16 am: | |
Hi all
In the nineteenth century there were men called night soil men. Their job was to go round in the middle of the night and empty the cess pools. The sewage was loaded on a cart and then taken out to the suburbs to be spread as fertiliser on the farmland.
This was just about the worst job imaginable. Strangely, for that very reason they actually got quite a fair wage - very few people wanted to do it, and so supply and demand boosted their earnings.
Robert |
Maria Giordano
Inspector
Username: Mariag
Post Number: 219
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 9:01 am: | |
Were these the people who were sometimes overcome by fumes and died on the spot? Yeah, I'd need to paid pretty well.
Mags |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 3705
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 10:16 am: | |
Hi Mags
They may have been overcome by fumes ; I can't say.
At greater risk of that, though, would have been the "toshers" i.e. men who scavenged in the actual sewers underground. I should think fumes were an occupational hazard, also explosions. Up until a few years ago, London still retained an old-fashioned street lamp which burned sewer gas.
I remember laughing when a book I was reading said "Marriage into a tosher family was considered a social step downwards."
Robert |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 2529
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 10:20 am: | |
Robert,
"I remember laughing when a book I was reading said "Marriage into a tosher family was considered a social step downwards."
Hahaha... no kidding... 
Poor sods...
All the best
G, Sweden
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx |
Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1702
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 10:30 am: | |
Rob! werent they called the 'pure' collecters!!!!!OMG Pure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
lots of love
Suzi x
|
Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi
Post Number: 1703
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 10:33 am: | |
The Henry 8th bum wiper I believe was a career choice! OMG could think of worse..........well at times
sx |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 3706
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 11:43 am: | |
I have heard that sumo wrestlers also require this valeting service (maybe they can't reach?)and that it is considered a great honour to do this for a sumo wrestler.
Of course, as soon as you've done it, they push you out of the bathroom.
Robert |
Jennifer D. Pegg
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Jdpegg
Post Number: 1495
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 1:04 pm: | |
Glenn,
i was just enquiring if it was the programme recently on Channel four presented by Tony Robinson how was talking about!
Jenni
"I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ah"
|
Howard Brown
Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 174
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 4:32 pm: | |
Jen: I don't know "which" Tony Robinson it was,toots...it was a short guy around 45-50ish..
Worst job of the Victorian Age in Tony's opinion was "tanner". In case you don't know,thats a person who removes the hide from a steer or cow and then works on it. Arduous work...and smelly.
Worst in the Stuart period was as a "fishwife"...
Robert...the wagons were affectionately called "honey wagons" or "honey carts"...
I guess because they held a lot of honey from the townsfolks' "bee-hinds". [rimshot]
What was noticeable was the amount of jobs involving fecal matter....no shi..whoops,kidding!
From thatching a medieval hovel to making fine leather...
Thats the full poop on this fine series.....
By the way,Suzi....The hiney hygenist position was a sought out spot. It allowed the soon-to-be-known-as-Old Brownie-around the castle the opportunity to live within the castle,not out with the common folks. Not only was it a desired spot,it was required that a man with finesse and above-prole-stature perform this task. A commoners' spindly fingers weren't good enough to clean Ol'Henry's bottom..
(Message edited by howard on December 28, 2004) |
Nina Thomas
Inspector
Username: Nina
Post Number: 188
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 6:29 pm: | |
I wonder if the term "Brown Noser" came from this practice.
Nina  |
Jeffrey Bloomfied
Chief Inspector
Username: Mayerling
Post Number: 539
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 9:00 pm: | |
Not to mention the term "Nosy Parker". 
Jeff |
Howard Brown
Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 176
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 - 11:22 pm: | |
JB,Nina,Maria,Glenn,and all: I didn't even mention the poor schlubs who hadda get down into the nascent sewer system to nudge along any "obstructions"...you get the idea.
Sadly,established legislation and laws to prevent children from performing the task of chimney sweep were enforced much to the degree that our fine U.S.Border Patrol performs its job...poorly.
Kids were frequently killed doing this task. They were selected,according to the woman who discussed this profession,due to their physique,which was usually underdeveloped due to underfeeding and the abysmal deficiencies in nutrition. Their climbing skills were desired by the adult "sweep" exploiter...some at the age of 6 and 7....superannuated "children" who never had a childhood...and we complain about what we do to make ends meet...... ! Oy !
(Message edited by howard on December 28, 2004) |
Jennifer D. Pegg
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Jdpegg
Post Number: 1504
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 4:42 am: | |
How,
there's only one Tony Robinson my friend! and that's him!
Jenni
"I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ah"
|
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 2556
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 9:10 am: | |
Yes, Jenni, that's probably him, since he often hosts programs and works as a narrator.
Yep, there sure is only one Tony Robinson...
All the best
Glenn, Sweden
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx |
Nina Thomas
Inspector
Username: Nina
Post Number: 197
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, December 30, 2004 - 12:49 pm: | |
How,
In my opinion being a child chimney sweep was the worst!
Those poor children lived a miserable life as chimney sweeps. Their masters taught them the trade, housed them, and took all of their earnings. Leaving these children to beg for food and clothing. They used their soot bags as blankets to keep warm. Some sadistic masters handled a child who hesitated to perform his duties by placing him in the chimney and igniting a fire, forcing the child to clean the chimney or perish. As if this wasn’t enough to put a child through, some also spent the night cleaning out privies. What a sad life!
Nina |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 2584
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 30, 2004 - 12:58 pm: | |
How, Nina.
Believe me, as someone who is terribly afraid of heights and comes in a state of panic already on the second step of the ladder, I can certainly relate to that one. Not to mention the soot and the lung diseases.
Poor children indeed.
All the best
G, Sweden
"Well, do you... punk?"
Dirty Harry, 1971 |
