As a child, I used to enjoy the television programme What’s my line?  This was the time during the early days of television before the U.K. had commercial television and had only the one channel, the BBC.  The programme was the first American Panel Game to be bought by British Television.

Panelists that I liked – from Top Left and moving clockwise, Eamonn Andrews (Chairman), Jerry Desmonde, Barbara Kelly, Gilbert Harding, Lady Isobel Barnett, the panel with Ghislaine Alexander (far left) & David Nixon – other panelists that I remember include Elizabeth Allan, Marghanita Laski & Frances Day

After signing in, the contestants were required to mime an action to help illustrate what they actually did during the course of their work.  This was supposed to add the panelists in their quest.  I remember watching when a contestant with the strangest profession was introduced for the panel to try and discover.  This job or profession had the highly amusing name of a Saggar Maker’s Bottom Knocker!  Although I cannot recall if the panel deduced or guessed this strangest of professions, but I find it difficult to know what one could mime in order to draw their attention to the profession of a Saggar Maker’s Bottom Knocker!

What is a Saggar Maker’s Bottom Knocker?  It is a job involved in the firing of pottery.  A Saggar is a ceramic container used to enclose and protect pottery during its firing in a kiln.

Saggars

Saggars are made by a Saggar Maker and two assistants, the Frame Maker or Filler and the Bottom Knocker.  The Frame Maker takes some clay, beats it to remove the air and next molds it to form the sides of the Saggar.  This apparently requires a certain skill to be performed properly.  However, a Bottom Knocker requires less skill since he is required to mold beaten clay to form a flat ring, which is used to form the bottom of the Saggar!

Top Left: Frame Makers; Top Right: Pottery Lads, also Bottom Knockers; & Bottom: a Saggar Maker

The Saggar Maker takes both pieces of beaten, molded clay produced by the assistants and joins them to form the Saggar, which after an initial firing, is ready for use.  Apparently, a Saggar may be used in about forty firings containing pots.

-oOo-

The Clock Tower, now named the Elizabeth Tower, houses the Bell, Big Ben

I thought of this bizarre profession recently when I saw a postcard from London’s past where another interesting profession was featured.  The postcard shows an old man with a telescope that is pointed in the direction of Big Ben.  Apparently, the old gentleman charged one penny to anyone who wished to peer through the telescope and examine the face of Big Ben.

The gentleman, Mr. Edwin Crocker, was 88 years old when he completed 40 years at his pitch in front of the statue of Queen Bodaceia, the Warrior Queen, and Her Daughters on 22nd July, 1935.

Although I have searched the literature in the hope of finding out when Mr. Crocker ceased offering this service, and also in the hope of learning what became of him once he did, I have been unable to find any information.

Maybe, one day, perhaps without warning, he did not appear at his spot and never returned.  And so like the flower sellers and a multitude of other professionals whose tasks are no long sought and taken his place in London’s History and into the memory of a few who perhaps told their children of the Man with the Telescope who allowed them to once peer at the face of Big Ben for one penny.

Mr. Edwin Crocker with an interested customer

-oOo-

TODAY