Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[GordonT]

The use of reference books such as Whitaker's Almanack to establish facts, statistics etc. in pre-internet days.

 

[Trackman]

The use of reference books such as Whitaker's Almanack to establish facts, statistics etc. in pre-internet days.

Encarta springs to mind too, long gone.
We always had Encyclopedias at home, but sometimes I used to go the nearby library.

 

[Harpo]

The use of reference books such as Whitaker's Almanack to establish facts,

Old Moore’s Almanac being sold door-to-door.

 

[GordonT]

The use of arguably dated expressions within emails is likely to be entering this territory.
"Much obliged" as a sign-off for instance?

 

[WesternLancer]

The use of arguably dated expressions within emails is likely to be entering this territory.
"Much obliged" as a sign-off for instance?

Thank you for your letter of xx inst. or whatever used to be written.

Only ever see. It on copies of old letters in files etc. I’d like to hope if I employed an old school solicitor for example they would use it!

 

[3141]

Thank you for your letter of xx inst. or whatever used to be written.

Only ever see. It on copies of old letters in files etc. I’d like to hope if I employed an old school solicitor for example they would use it!

Or xx ult, to which I hope to reply by 2 prox.

But I think these were becoming old-fashioned even in the 1950s, except in correspondence from solicitors, as you say, or other traditionally-minded organisations or individuals.

The use of abbreviated versions of some Christian names. I'm looking at quotations from a letter written in 1826 (an invitation to a dinner for masters and former pupils of a school in London), which ends:

The favour of an answer by Friday the 22nd will oblige,

Sir,
Yours obedly.
Geo: Hogsflesh - Register Office, Bank of England
Thos: Grose - Havil Street, Camberwell Terrace
Jos: Thos: Millard - Cordwainers' Hall

Stewards

A Welsh teacher with whom I worked 60 years ago used to sign himself Wm R Jenkins, so perhaps this style is still in use, though a present-day version might just be "Wills".

 

[swt_passenger]

Or xx ult, to which I hope to reply by 2 prox.

But I think these were becoming old-fashioned even in the 1950s, except in correspondence from solicitors, as you say, or other traditionally-minded organisations or individuals.

I think ult, inst, prox, also hung on for quite a while in some newspaper BMD announcement columns, perhaps where you’d be charged per word? By the mid sixties there are news reports asking why their use was still being taught in secretarial courses.

 

[The exile]

Or xx ult, to which I hope to reply by 2 prox.

But I think these were becoming old-fashioned even in the 1950s, except in correspondence from solicitors, as you say, or other traditionally-minded organisations or individuals.

The use of abbreviated versions of some Christian names. I'm looking at quotations from a letter written in 1826 (an invitation to a dinner for masters and former pupils of a school in London), which ends:

The favour of an answer by Friday the 22nd will oblige,

Sir,
Yours obedly.
Geo: Hogsflesh - Register Office, Bank of England
Thos: Grose - Havil Street, Camberwell Terrace
Jos: Thos: Millard - Cordwainers' Hall

Stewards

A Welsh teacher with whom I worked 60 years ago used to sign himself Wm R Jenkins, so perhaps this style is still in use, though a present-day version might just be "Wills".

Prior to its purchase by Tesco (I think), the Scottish supermarket chain of Wm. Low kept the usage alive (so until 1984)

 

[35B]

Sorting papers out from my late father's house, finding files full of condolence letters and cards - including slips for people to record their names as having been at my grandfather's funeral in 1990. Glancing through them, and looking at the range of names, just a very different world to today - and that's before you think how much would be done by email now.

 

[GusB]

Prior to its purchase by Tesco (I think), the Scottish supermarket chain of Wm. Low kept the usage alive (so until 1984)

I'm not sure if that was a typo, but it was 1994 when Tesco took over Wm Low.

"Wm" is still used in the legal name of Morrison's - Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited.

 

[The exile]

I'm not sure if that was a typo, but it was 1994 when Tesco took over Wm Low.

"Wm" is still used in the legal name of Morrison's - Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited.

It was indeed a typo.

 

[GordonT]

Thank you for your letter of xx inst. or whatever used to be written.

And the sign off for such a communication tended to be along the lines of "Assuring you of our best attention at all times" (even if the writer had just firmly knocked back their customer's perfectly reasonable request for something!).

 

[EYFanatic]

A Welsh teacher with whom I worked 60 years ago used to sign himself Wm R Jenkins, so perhaps this style is still in use, though a present-day version might just be "Wills".

Still in use in some certain formal occasions - often by those in the legal profession as, for example, a local solicitor

 

[WesternLancer]

Or xx ult, to which I hope to reply by 2 prox.

But I think these were becoming old-fashioned even in the 1950s, except in correspondence from solicitors, as you say, or other traditionally-minded organisations or individuals.

The use of abbreviated versions of some Christian names. I'm looking at quotations from a letter written in 1826 (an invitation to a dinner for masters and former pupils of a school in London), which ends:

The favour of an answer by Friday the 22nd will oblige,

Sir,
Yours obedly.
Geo: Hogsflesh - Register Office, Bank of England
Thos: Grose - Havil Street, Camberwell Terrace
Jos: Thos: Millard - Cordwainers' Hall

Stewards

A Welsh teacher with whom I worked 60 years ago used to sign himself Wm R Jenkins, so perhaps this style is still in use, though a present-day version might just be "Wills".

Yes. I ve only seen those terms in archived letters

 

[dgl]

I'm not sure if that was a typo, but it was 1994 when Tesco took over Wm Low.

"Wm" is still used in the legal name of Morrison's - Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited.

On that theme, companies with old/unusual legal names.
I believe the legal name for Red Funnel ferries is still "Southampton Isle Of Wight and South Of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited"

 

[EYFanatic]

On that theme, companies with old/unusual legal names.

I always love seeing that - especially on coaches and buses used for rail replacement

One of my favourites was a christian minibus service that operated replacement buses about fifteen years which had the legals:

Jesus Takes The Wheel
T/A Christian Motorist
1 God Lane
Harts

From what I recall at the time, they actually operated from a private bit of land and so could name the "drive" what they wanted

 

[DelW]

I believe the legal name for Red Funnel ferries is still "Southampton Isle Of Wight and South Of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited"

That's another anachronism - Royal Mail Ships. I believe the last "true" one was the RMS St Helena, which provided the only passenger (and mail) service to the island of St Helena until its airport was built nearly ten years ago. It connected to Cape Town and Ascension Island.

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 has an honorary RMS title, but does not normally carry any mails.

 

[GordonT]

Yes. I ve only seen those terms in archived letters

Sometimes, more in spoken rather than written word, some anachronistic expressions have been perpetuated by people almost mocking their anachronistic nature. Examples of this are: "Pray tell!" and "if I may be so bold".

 

[EYFanatic]

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 has an honorary RMS title, but does not normally carry any mails.

She has to carry a nominal amount of mail to retain the title. When she was laid up due to covid, there were fears she would lose the title and the prestige so a small amount of mail was loaded aboard

She is the only ship active with an RMS prefix as the other one, Segwun, is a tourist attraction in Canada and the Scillonian III is prefixed RMV as she is diesel powered and does not have steam involved in anyway except in the onboard coffee machine

 

[Peter Mugridge]

She has to carry a nominal amount of mail to retain the title. When she was laid up due to covid, there were fears she would lose the title and the prestige so a small amount of mail was loaded aboard

She is the only ship active with an RMS prefix as the other one, Segwun, is a tourist attraction in Canada and the Scillonian III is prefixed RMV as she is diesel powered and does not have steam involved in anyway except in the onboard coffee machine

Queen Mary 2 isn't a steamship either; she's diesel powered with gas turbine boosters ( although these are not currently used )... the S in RMS stands for Ship, not Steamship. It is certainly true, however, that smaller ships are generally MV ( Motor Vessel ) rather than MS ( Motor Ship ), hence the RMV ( Royal Mail Vessel ) in that example.

 

[Oxfordblues]

The use of arguably dated expressions within emails is likely to be entering this territory.
"Much obliged" as a sign-off for instance?

I often end e-mails with the phrase "Thank you in anticipation of your kind assistance in this matter".

 

[Henffordd]

Has anyone seen an "obedient servant" lately?

 

[Bald Rick]

Has anyone seen an "obedient servant" lately?

The wife’s obediant servant just looked in the mirror, so yes I have.

 

[Silent]

Yellow pages, a very obvious one. But I just remembered seeing it in a Grange Hill show.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Ah, yes. J R Hartley, author of Fly Fishing. "Not just there for the bad things in life".

 

[GordonT]

Do "wheeltappers" still exist on UK railways? Have witnessed this activity on European railways but it's been a long time since I've seen it in UK.

 

[Trackman]

Yellow pages, a very obvious one. But I just remembered seeing it in a Grange Hill show.

Still going, but online. Thomson's Local too.

 

[GordonT]

Has anyone seen an "obedient servant" lately?

Or the phrase "Be so good as to ....."

 

[EYFanatic]

Queen Mary 2 isn't a steamship either; she's diesel powered with gas turbine boosters ( although these are not currently used )... the S in RMS stands for Ship, not Steamship. It is certainly true, however, that smaller ships are generally MV ( Motor Vessel ) rather than MS ( Motor Ship ), hence the RMV ( Royal Mail Vessel ) in that example.

Indeed not, but for historical purposes she carries the S as steamer instead of ship and was said as such by Cunard when she was launched

 

[The exile]

Do "wheeltappers" still exist on UK railways? Have witnessed this activity on European railways but it's been a long time since I've seen it in UK.

Last time I remember them on the UK mainline was on a very hot Saturday afternoon in 1975 at York.