2) Human Alarm Clock

The human alarm clock, also called the knocker up, was an essential part of British life right up until the 1920s. There weren’t any alarm clocks so someone had to make sure people got to their factories on time.

The knocker ups tapped on windows with a long bit of bamboo or a truncheon. At least one knocker up was known to use a pea shooter to add a bit of excitement to the daily grind.

There were a butt load of people needed to do these jobs, especially in industrial centres like Manchester. In general it would be older men and women that would do the knocking up, but sometimes policemen would do the rounds to supplement their wages.