Vintage professions you'd like to see come back.....

[STEVIEBOY1]

Coppers on the beat. Can't think of the last time I saw a policeman on foot.

When I was young I was brought up with the idea that a uniformed policeman was someone you should respect and trust.

Yes, I agree with that, the local bobby's should be bought back, they are a reassuring sight, mind you when I was growing up in the 1960s & 1970s, I got a clip round the ear from one for riding a big bike on the pavement, then being a bit rude when he told me off. Have to say in hindsight though he was right andI was wrong. I don't they would get away now. Things were rather different then. Rgds.

 

[Shangas]

I wish we had beat-cops back. They're a reassuring sight on the streets. I haven't seen one in ages. Except for the cops who wander around on their coffee-breaks or whatever. We occasionally get them at local flea-markets/antiques markets, mostly as a theft-deterrant, but other than that, I've almost never seen cops around here pounding a regular beat.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I wish out town had a police department again. We get our police service through the local Sheriff's department. It's cheaper that way, but you never see an officer.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I just found this picture of a Helms Bakery truck interior. It is just as I remembered it 40some years ago.

Thanks for the photo, Kahuna! I've looked for pictures of those later Helm's trucks as those are the ones I remembered, but usually all you can find are the older ones.

Remember that wonderful scent that wafted out of the truck when the driver pulled open those rear doors? :dance:

Cheers,
Tom

 

[David Conwill]

Regarding beat cops, I think when you see more people walking than driving, you'll see the return of the officer on foot patrol (I just hope he isn't wearing fatigues and carrying an assault rifle). In that vein, I would love to see the return of the pedestrian and the associated urban density he or she appreciates - but that exceeds the scope of this thread.

-Dave

 

[Kahuna]

Thanks for the photo, Kahuna! I've looked for pictures of those later Helm's trucks as those are the ones I remembered, but usually all you can find are the older ones.

Remember that wonderful scent that wafted out of the truck when the driver pulled open those rear doors?

Oh yes! I was already salivating at the thought of donuts before the door would open and then that smell would hit. It seems like some of these delivery services would be ripe for a comeback. It's much better ecologically speaking to have one truck with a delivery route to 50 houses than to have 50 households have to get in their cars to go get a loaf of bread.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Doctors who make house calls.

 

[senoreme]

I'd loke to see the old pool hall come back to NYC. Guys can get together, shoot the hoot and play some pool. Ahhhhhhhh

 

[Romy Overdorp]

Doctors who make house calls.

They still do that over here.

Oh I don't know if this one is already mentioned: a candy shop! Where they put everything in little paper bags for you. Big jars filled with candy!!! yum yummm

 

[1961MJS]

Hi Romy

Check this out:

http://www.niftynuthouse.com/home.php

Unfortunately, I tend to blow major $ here, and to make it worse, Hatman Jack sent me there. (Now my Hat addiction is working on my food addiction.) I've purchased about 4 pounds of dark chocolate covered Brazil Nuts for my parents and I.

Later

 

[Kahuna]

Oh I don't know if this one is already mentioned: a candy shop! Where they put everything in little paper bags for you. Big jars filled with candy!!! yum yummm

My mother had a candy shop in the early 60's. She hand made the cream centers and hand dipped them, a real lost art. When she dipped them each piece of candy had the initial of what the center was formed in the chocolate. It looked so easy when I watched her do it but I found out how difficult it was when I tried doing it myself once. There are very few of those individual chocolatiers in business anymore. Most candy stores that exist are all part of some corporate chain. I have never tasted better chocolates than my moms. I miss both her and her chocolates.

 

[Romy Overdorp]

Hi Romy

Check this out:

http://www.niftynuthouse.com/home.php

Unfortunately, I tend to blow major $ here, and to make it worse, Hatman Jack sent me there. (Now my Hat addiction is working on my food addiction.) I've purchased about 4 pounds of dark chocolate covered Brazil Nuts for my parents and I.

Later

Oh how cool! Lots of yummy stuff there
@Kahuna: I can imagine that must have been really awesome! Making tasty and good looking chocolates is a lost art indeed.

 

[David Conwill]

It's a bit far from the Netherlands, but here in Bay City we have a classic candy-and-nut shop called Saint Laurents Brothers. It's right at the foot of Third Street, where the bridge to the west side used to be before it collapsed.

-Dave

 

[Tiller]

I wouldn't mind seeing the return of the full service gas station complete with pump jockeys. Funny how when gasoline was less than $.30/gal you could have someone pump it, check your oil, clean your windows and even check the air in your tires. Now that it's pushing $3/gal half the time they can't even be bothered to give you a receipt.

It used to give a lot of young men their first jobs, too.

We have them here. They are the most expensive place to buy gas. Personally I'd rather pump my own anyway, but I'm pretty defensive when it comes to my car.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Reading through this thread I was stuck by the regional/geographic nature of what people find wanting. I know many of the professions/establishments that folks seem to pine for are abundant, and within walking distance, in San Francisco. The idea of having to drive 5 mile to a mom 'n' pop [___________] shop is really odd to me as a native.

 

[Romy Overdorp]

It's a bit far from the Netherlands, but here in Bay City we have a classic candy-and-nut shop called Saint Laurents Brothers. It's right at the foot of Third Street, where the bridge to the west side used to be before it collapsed.

-Dave

Oooh, you're so lucky! Maybe I'll start my own retro candy shop lol

 

[David Conwill]

Having just spent the better part of the morning searching for someone to clean and service a Selectric III I bought for the office, I’ll say “Typewriter Service Technician”! The nearest one is two hours away.

Oh well, the Selectric looks like a durable machine that shouldn’t need to be hauled that far often, and it’s infinitely superior to the crummy Brother that we’ve been using.

-Dave

 

[martinsantos]

Brother typewriters are terrible. With really severe use they have a expected life of no more than one year (at least the electronic, China made, I saw and tried). The IBM is just a workhorse. My dad's IBM worked well for more than 20 years and never needed a serviceman - no desalignment or any other trouble.

 

[John in Covina]

The IBM Selectric is the one with the ball that has all of the type faces on it? Those are so neat. How they got it wired so the ball goes to the right letter is a awesome thing to me. And the idea you can change the ball and change the type face was pretty revolutionary.

 

[martinsantos]

Exactly.

We had one of this model:

A very different and efficient system. At those days (80s) I just loved to change fonts in my school works - no other typewriter would do this. And the kind of ribbon made a perfect impression. Ollivetti needed several years to come with a similar system.

The IBM Selectric is the one with the ball that has all of the type faces on it? Those are so neat. How they got it wired so the ball goes to the right letter is a awesome thing to me. And the idea you can change the ball and change the type face was pretty revolutionary.