The most peculiar job I've ever done is...

[lucy the tudor]

OK, I've just been icing the 58 Pudsey Bear biscuits I made last night for the lad to sell at football training tonight, and it reminded me of a job I used to do, which has been a bonus point on all CV's I have had to produce since- I have been told once I only got the interview so they could make jokes about it and ask me what it meant really...
I was a Marzipan Spotter, at Borth Railway station.

What peculiar jobs have you had, either prior to trading, part of what you do, or as top up to the massive amounts of dosh we all make from selling our wares?
Lucy

[Shadowcat]

I made 18th century costumes for 2 wolves and some dogs for a film ("Company of Wolves"). It was a major disaster as far as I was concerned.

S.

[lucy the tudor]

Just looked up the film on youtube, how did I miss that one? Kitsch all the way, but I did lose the will to live halfway through the trailer, couldn't see any hounds in costume
The fittings must have been awkward.
Lucy

[Theotherone]

I made 18th century costumes for 2 wolves and some dogs for a film ("Company of Wolves"). It was a major disaster as far as I was concerned.

S.

I saw it in Berlin with a group of German medical students. It was part of something they did to improve their English. They thought it was their fault they couldn't understand what was going on. Trying to explain was a bit of a task...

"Never trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle".

[Shadowcat]

Cr*p movie in my opinion - and my bete noir A. Lansbury, who had me fired off a previous job so her druggie son's girlfriend could be wardrobe mistress.

S.

[Eyemo]

Pretending to fly a P51 Mustang...I'm the one in the back seat. Had to copy the pilots actions while filming myself in the back seat dressed in original flying gear... Collest moment-- 300mph 15ft of the ground.

But I don't like to talk about it!!... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SYO3hvimI0k

[mally ley]

I was a Marzipan Spotter, at Borth Railway station.

So, are you going to enlighten us

[Eyemo]

Borth??..near Aberystwyth??

[Allan Harley]

I shovelled Peacock Poo at Bristol Zoo when I was younger - does that count?

[lucy the tudor]

Peacock poo shoveller definitely counts...
I rather like the idea of arguing with A Lansbury as well, she solves those murders far too easily and you wouldn't want to be a friend or relative now would you?
Borth near Aberystwyth, absolutely, and not nearly as good as it sounds- doing icing eyes in marzipan animals- I can do 600 singles in an hour or about 400 double eyes ( skilled job donchu know).
Opportunities for sad jokes by interviewing employers though LIMITLESS, apparently.
Lucy

[Eyemo]

I used to live in Aber..and I've filmed and shot pictures many a time around Borth...Ynys Las... Top place!..love it.
Do you know Sarah Pugh of the Friendship Arms?...

[andy1863]

what a landing, to be able to do that wow

[Sir_John_Thomas]

I was Uma Therman's eye wrangler during the shooting of Pulp Fiction

[sally]

I was part of a small group of artist's nudes for a while, a client would book a model and whichever one of us felt most inclined would turn up to do the session, all of us girls which they were generally really happy with, but if we felt really disinclined or didn't particularly care for the situation we would send them Gareth instead

[Kaos Ben]

I've been a zombie..

nazi..

on crutches...

Here's the evidence:
http://www.gorehoundinc.com/
(1st promo)

How about that?!

[The Iron Dwarf]

my job in about 1982 was 'keeping life off Mars', still havew a press cutting about it and terry wogan made jokes about me on the radio

[arrowmaker]

Do a bouncer at kids parties at Butlins in the late 1960 plus go round on a night and knocking on doors to split up un-married coulpes count.
Fred

[lucy the tudor]

Vaguely remember the Friendship Arms, but don't know if that means I was there or I wasn't... I drank more in those days.

The separation of unmarried couples counts, if I can count the year part of my job was to patrol sand dunes asking gay nudists to please stop disturbing the sand lizards.
Lucy

[Tamsin Lewis]

Dressing up as Vivaldi to play the 4 seasons at the NEC for a Telecoms fair...because this is the most commonly used music for putting people on hold!

[steve stanley]

I was Father Christmas at Rackham's in Leicester in 1992...Amazing what the job centre can get you.......

[arrowmaker]

Vaguely remember the Friendship Arms, but don't know if that means I was there or I wasn't... I drank more in those days.

The separation of unmarried couples counts, if I can count the year part of my job was to patrol sand dunes asking gay nudists to please stop disturbing the sand lizards.
Lucy

Did the sand dune bit We always waited till they were well at it and then scared the c**p out of them I think we caused more babys then we stopped.
Fred

[Steve Stocker]

If you want unusual work you should get into the hand-made leather goods trade...........

[lucy the tudor]

Actually I may well consider that, I could develop a broad enough mind to make pretty much anything in leather if it paid well enough. I have some lovely soft hides in at the moment, some good red middle thickness and a bit of very thick hard black stuff... I hesitate to ask for suggestions.
Please tell me I didn't write that.
Lucy

[The Iron Dwarf]

I would not be suprised by any of the things you make Lucy, what does suprise me though is that at the fayre you did not have a shelf of more exotic stuff under the table.

I have been asked to make lots of odd stuff in the past and quite a few people who run auctions for various charities get very worried when I add a suprise item at the end

[Tod]

If you want unusual work you should get into the hand-made leather goods trade...........

Yep I'd agree with that. Although as a mate of mine used to run the local fetish club nothing was really unusual. I made them a set of stocks and then got a "customers" feedback report from a girl who used to work in my office.

[lucy the tudor]

It's always the quiet ones...
Lucy

[John Waller]

You guys should touch base with Steve Dunford he has also had some unusual requests in the ironmongery line.

[Botwot]

Spent a season acting as a turn / run marker for an aerial spraying firm in the 1970's.

Dressed up in yellow oilskins and sou'wester, you stood to mark the beginning and end of spray runs whilst helicopters and light aircraft zoomed towards you about 5 ft off the deck.

Certainly improved my judgement of distance and speed and my skill at ducking towards the end of the day - Lord only knows what chemicals ended up in the system though but at least I should be proof against rust and mildew amongst others

Martin

[Paul Bavill]

I kid you not I once did a temp job for the NHS manning a telephone help-line for people whose hearing aids had broken down.

[Fox]

My right hand was on TV three times a day for a couple of years in the Manchester area I created the rest of that title sequence too, both live action and computer graphics. Just one of the many things I did whilest working (completely unqualified) for a cable TV station.

I also worked as the Multimedia Controller at Manchester arena doing all the music and graphics for ice hockey and basket ball, again, completely unqualified.
For those of you in the Yorkshire area I worked a lot with Jon Hammond, who made the almost impossible look easy and off the cuff.

BTB: This Jon Hammond (there a number of John/Jon Hammonds in TV).