History Challenge & Journal

[lindosfan1]

Homer nothing to do with a tunnel

[dtaai-maai]

Would it be the construction of Grand Central Station?

[lindosfan1]

Dtaai-maai You are right it is the construction site for the Grand central station.

[richard]

Empire state building

[lindosfan1]

Now an English one. what are the job titles of these 2 men they have different titles. Photograph probably taken in the Stoke on trent area.

[Jimbob]

more about the Grand Central terminal photo:
A deadly accident at the old Grand Central Depot in 1902 led the busy terminal to be redesigned. Over a decade, William Wilgus and his construction crews sunk the tracks underground and switched from steam to electric service -- keeping the trains running the whole time.

[sandman67]

I went to Uni at Keele, so Im guessing our two chaps in the photo are working in a pottery....or maybe making Staffordshire flatcakes.

They arent fettling, as I know someone who did that. Fettlers use wet sponges and rags.

Is it part of a pottery moulding process?

[lindosfan1]

Sandman you are in the right field however there are two strange job titles what are they?
It helps if you are an old fart like me who remembers strange things

Edited inserting last line

[Arcadian]

Saggar maker`s bottom knocker

[lindosfan1]

Arcadian How the hell did you get that? One is a saggar maker and the other a saggar makers bottom knocker. A saggar hold the pottery when it get put into the kiln.
I remember it "from whats my line" with Gilbert Harding, Lady Isobel Barnet, David Niven and Barbara Kelly the quiz master was Eamon Andrews

[Arcadian]

I`d like to say I have brilliant memory but googling strange pottery job names and that exact photo came up. Sorry I cheated but I doubtmany people would actually know that. Ah what`s my line, I remember a local lady from my town, Dartmouth, was on it. She beat the panel, she was the local mayor. This reminded me that the only word I actually knew on Call my bluff was "orts". Big Boy might know this.

[lindosfan1]

Theres me thinking you were another old fart

[Big Boy]

This reminded me that the only word I actually knew on Call my bluff was "orts". Big Boy might know this.

No, I didn't know that word - I had to Google it. I seem to remember my father using it, so it may have been a Naval rather than a West Country expression.

[Arcadian]

This reminded me that the only word I actually knew on Call my bluff was "orts". Big Boy might know this.

No, I didn't know that word - I had to Google it. I seem to remember my father using it, so it may have been a Naval rather than a West Country expression.

Definately Westcountry, my mother was never in the navy!!!

[pharvey]

The Aberfan disaster was a catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil-tip that occurred in the Welsh village of Aberfan on Friday 21 October 1966, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

Very sad, and very close to my family - 2 relatives lost their lives in that disaster.