
In the 1930s, Mary Smith was one of the last “knocker-uppers” in the working-cla…
In the 1930s, Mary Smith was one of the last “knocker-uppers” in the working-class East End of London. For a fee of six pence a week, she roamed the narrow streets at dawn, carrying a long pea-blower and a bag of dried peas. With factory chimneys already smoking, she aimed carefully at the upper windows […]