Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[styles]

I suspect we are getting mixed up with differing finishes: Pebble-dash - stones thrown against wet mortar/render where the stones are a feature - a friend's house in Bristol was built for himself by the developer of a group of houses in the crescent and was pebble-dashed with big calcite crystals so the whole house sparkled!

Harling (mortar hurled against the wall?) is definitely Scottish but I don't know if it is just render by another name, cement or otherwise, and I thought roughcast was the same but not smoothed off!

It's definitely pebbledash! The new house they did it on already has stones falling off!

But yeah, harling is common and I don't mind that so much.

 

[GordonT]

Steam laundries and factory chimneys belching out black smoke.

 

[Trackman]

Shoe segs

 

[styles]

Shoe segs

I actually still put these on my formal shoes. I have a spasticated gait and I wear through the heels on footwear far quicker than I'd like. The segs on my Oxfords prevent me having to replace the heels after every wedding!

 

[AndrewE]

OK, reminded by another thread, how about a range of offal being available in butchers shops? (and maybe the butchers shop is the anachronism in its own right!)

 

[styles]

OK, reminded by another thread, how about a range of offal being available in butchers shops? (and maybe the butchers shop is the anachronism in its own right!)

Yeah, and fishmongers. I went to a fishmongers a year ago as I wanted some monkfish, and it's hard to come by in supermarkets. I got chatting to the lad behind the counter and he hand wrote me two recipes he uses himself at home. Really good service, and got some recommendations for other fish to try next time.

I always found butchers to be similar. They've all got a good recipe up their sleeve, and a recommendation for a cheap cut to make a hearty dish with. "When I were a lad" the butchers would even give away bones for free for the dog (though you could make some top quality stock from them!)

 

[OuterDistant]

Shoe segs

Good one! I'd not heard of these until  Viz featured a one-off strip called "Segs Maniac".

Years later, I suggested segs to a work colleague whose husband was a delivery driver and was going through pairs of shoes.

 

[AM9]

Yeah, and fishmongers. I went to a fishmongers a year ago as I wanted some monkfish, and it's hard to come by in supermarkets. I got chatting to the lad behind the counter and he hand wrote me two recipes he uses himself at home. Really good service, and got some recommendations for other fish to try next time.

That's a shame, down here Waitrose normally have monkfish. I appreciate that there aren't many branches north of the border.

 

[styles]

That's a shame, down here Waitrose normally have monkfish. I appreciate that there aren't many branches north of the border.

I don't even know where my nearest Waitrose is mate!

 

[najaB]

I don't even know where my nearest Waitrose is mate!

My closest is Edinburgh, an 80 mile round trip is a bit of a way to go to the supermarket. Definitely not something one would do in the old days!

 

[styles]

My closest is Edinburgh, an 80 mile round trip is a bit of a way to go to the supermarket. Definitely not something one would do in the old days!

We are fortunate enough to have a fish van which comes through the village. The lad takes orders in advance if you want. If I want fresh fish, the last place I'll visit is a supermarket. I think only Morrisons maintain a fresh counter.

 

[najaB]

We are fortunate enough to have a fish van which comes through the village. The lad takes orders in advance if you want. If I want fresh fish, the last place I'll visit is a supermarket. I think only Morrisons maintain a fresh counter.

I'm lucky enough to have a fishmonger just off the High Street. Failing that, there are quite a few in Arbroath.

 

[styles]

I'm lucky enough to have a fishmonger just off the High Street. Failing that, there are quite a few in Arbroath.

I'd be having smokies every week if I lived up that way!

 

[AM9]

I don't even know where my nearest Waitrose is mate!

Apologies, I had you as a Scotland resident in my mind. However Gwynedd is more than a weekly visit to Waitrose unless you are near the Menai Strait where there is one on Anglesey at Menai Bridge. Worth a special visit to see what they do have - but beware, probably more expensive than other local shops.
All their stores that I've been to have a fresh fish, meat and deli counter.

 

[GordonT]

The days before pedestrian crossings had a red or green man to indicate stop or go.
Instead either "Wait" in red at the top or "Cross Now" in yellow (or white?) at the bottom.

 

[Killingworth]

White coated policemen on point duty in the middle of city crossroads directing traffic in all weathers.

 

[Silent]

In around 10 - 15 years scrolling blinds would be anachronistic. I wonder if they are anachronistic outside of London now.

 

[GordonT]

White coated policemen on point duty in the middle of city crossroads directing traffic in all weathers.

For which I recollect there was/is a specific drivers' hand-signal to indicate an intention to drive "straight on".

 

[Ashley Hill]

For which I recollect there was a specific drivers' hand-signal to indicate an intention to drive "straight on".

There is and I used it one (I was quite young at the time). The officer was so surprised that he stopped all other traffic and waved me through.
Here’s a picture of a driver raising his left arm to give this indication.

 

[GordonT]

Frequent use of a personal cheque book, together with the associated meticulous recording of transactions on the "stubs" retained within the book.

 

[styles]

Frequent use of a personal cheque book, together with the associated meticulous recording of transactions on the "stubs" retained within the book.

I don't even own a personal cheque book any more. In fact it's probably approaching 15 years since I did!

 

[najaB]

I don't even own a personal cheque book any more. In fact it's probably approaching 15 years since I did!

I think I mentioned the last time chequebooks came up in this thread that I'm 50 years old and have never written a cheque.

 

[styles]

I think I mentioned the last time chequebooks came up in this thread that I'm 50 years old and have never written a cheque.

Some of the clubs and societies I was part of at university preferred cheques as it was less risk than handling cash, but that's about it. For a while I paid bills which I deemed to be petty using cheques, like when HMRC concluded I owed them just over a quid in underpaid tax.

 

[mickey]

A utility company insisted I pay them by cheque last year. They sent me a pre-paid envelope for it so I agreed, largely for novelty value. Took me most of a week to remember where I’d put my chequebooks!

 

[styles]

A utility company insisted I pay them by cheque last year. They sent me a pre-paid envelope for it so I agreed, largely for novelty value. Took me most of a week to remember where I’d put my chequebooks!

How much was it? For satisfaction value I'd have been tempted to break the payment down into multiple smaller cheques.

 

[D6130]

How much was it? For satisfaction value I'd have been tempted to break the payment down into multiple smaller cheques.

That's assuming that you could find a cheque book with multiple cheques remaining!

 

[styles]

That's assuming that you could find a cheque book with multiple cheques remaining!

I'll be honest, I'd be tempted to use up all my remaining cheques then I could be rid of my chequebook!

 

[Ediswan]

Horizontal milling machines. They have been almost totally replaced by vertical milling machines. CNC will have been one driver here. A tool-changer for horizontal milling would be a complex beast.

If you were looking to buy new today, shaping machines are easier to come by than horizontal milling machines.

 

[AM9]

Horizontal milling machines. They have been almost totally replaced by vertical milling machines. CNC will have been one driver here. A tool-changer for horizontal milling would be a complex beast.

If you were looking to buy new today, shaping machines are easier to come by than horizontal milling machines.

In a similar vein, I doubt that sheets of drafting linen are easy to buy. It was ubiquitous until the late '50s, being replaced by Melinex or other similar plastic film. Since then even dyeline printers, (using the Diazo process), have largely disappeared, in part, owing to the use of harmful levels of ammonia, and also because large format digital printers are now more cost effective when originals are in the form of CAD files.

 

[Ediswan]

In a similar vein, I doubt that sheets of drafting linen are easy to buy. It was ubiquitous until the late '50s, being replaced by Melinex or other similar plastic film. Since then even dyeline printers, (using the Diazo process), have largely disappeared, in part, owing to the use of harmful levels of ammonia, and also because large format digital printers are now more cost effective when originals are in the form of CAD files.

One company I worked for had one large format digital printer for 'project planning wallpaper". It was very lightly used and often delivered poor quality. Another company had three, which were worked quite hard. Their quality was good and reliable. Expensive beasts.