[Finance] How big was your paper round?

[BN9 BHA]

It does seem thanks to this thread many have had a pleasant jaunt down memory lane, which is nice.

I was remembering an unpleasant climb up Bear Road

 

[Gazwag]

Mine was 7 days a week, I cycled about a mile to the shop to pick up the papers then about 2 miles from start to finish and 3 miles home so about 6 miles each day - for £5 a week.

 

[portlock seagull]

Yep remember the days of the leaflet bonanza. Even got involved in some crime fighting, delivering to a burgled house (door had been kicked in). Notified police as saw some suspicious characters on the round. A quick rush to the station, and they were picked up at a station downline.

Yes, I remember the police e-fit. Best game of guess who ever, so many different noses, eyes, chins and haircuts to choose from! I actually quite liked doing the round in the winter as could pull those heavy bags on a sledge and the old dears were always impressed you’d brought their paper despite the weather. Trundling along with my Aiwa cassette walkman listening to pet shop boys, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Sting, dire straits and lots of radio one top 40 copies off the radio on d90 cassettes or those Phillips ones with the different coloured spots on the front (red, green or light blue). Happy days, and hot bovril or oxo at the end to warm up before mum served tea. What I’d give to have one of her homemade bacon and cheese flans again. I’ll find the recipe one day bruv, and make you one like she used to. With a good dollop of Branston on the side

 

[Mexican Seagull]

Two bags on a Sunday

I also had a morning paper round from Woodbourne Ave, I did Surrendean Road or at least the top part for a number of years from mid to late 60s, everyone seemed to have the heavyweight papaers so on Sundays I carried 2 bags until at the end we all got a sort of trolley. I also got the lowest tips at Christmas compared to all the other rounds......But did see the landing on the moon when the papers were being marked that morning in the back - all papers were delivered late that day.

 

[spongy]

I had the weekday morning round and afternoon Evening Argus and the weekend morning round for £12.50 a week in the early 90's.

Did it on my bike most days. Sundays was a killer and had to do it in 2 trips as it was too heavy.

During our troubled years it kept me up to date reading the back pages whilst doing it.

I remember my fingers being black by the time I got home from The Argus. Stopped doing it just as they changed printing style so the ink stayed on the page and not your hands.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Too long ago to remember how many houses but I did it on a bike and the bag was so heavy that if it leaned at all the bike was gone. Hard work.

Also remembered getting whinged at for late delivery of a paper to a house within sight of the shop. Told him to go get the paper himself if he wanted it earlier. Got my first lesson in customer services from Dave the newsagent owner.

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So he said "Look here, Horses Arse, what kind of name is that for a paper boy anyway, you can not go telling people that are paying for your services to 'go get the paper himself if he wants it earlier', because he just may do that and then you lose a customer. That starts you on the road to losing all your customers and where would you be with no customers? That's right. No money and no paper round."

 

[madinthehead]

I did many paper rounds back in the day..
I often got up early and did double rounds. A normal round probably consisted of 30-40 houses and 40-50 papers. One of my rounds had the library, that pretty much filled a bag
My first round was just a Sunday round and paid 4 pounds.. Towards the end, as I was doing multiple rounds, I was getting some good money

 

[heathgate]

In about 1978 I did a round on Shoreham beach, from Shingle Rd all along Old Fort Rd to Falcon Close... dont remember how many houses I did, but it was a long haul especially in the Winter gales... all for £1.50 a week.

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[Triggaaar]

Don't remember how many houses, but morning papers 7 days a week, The Leader one evening a week, and The Arsgas sometimes. I'd write Christmas cards to them each year (the morning lot), and would get £5 from most of them.

People referred to the Newsagent owner as Guppy. I didn't realise that was only behind his back, so I'd just call him Guppy to his face No idea what his actual name was.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

That was mine. The orange was the walk to and from home and the blue the round itself. . It took ages!
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Probably a very similar route to the one my missus used to do as she grew up in Brentwood Close, and did it for the shop in the Dip. Her mum still lives there.

I had a paper round over in Patcham at the Carden Avenue newsagents - delivering all the way up Portfield Road to Ladies Mile Road - and taking in Morecombe, Tangmere, Singleton, Haywards, and Carden Crescent. Probably a good 50-60 papers which were bloody heavy. Always had a massive crush on the woman at the end of Morecombe Rd too that I used to talk to....she a was a MILF before the term even existed!

Always wanted my boy to get a paper round, but at 16 hes gone straight into a part time job at the Marina McDonalds while hes at VIth form. Just got a pay rise & promotion after 6 months, so is on about £8.50 an hour now. Not going to complain at that.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Mine was in Horsham 73-76 and I had a cleaning job. I delivered in Orchard Road, Macleod Rd, Elm Grove, Bethune, Eversfield and Bennett's Roads and then a few up in Compton's Lane. Huge bags of papers and double run to shop on Sunday's!

 

[MattBackHome]

Dyke Road - Seven Dials (near Red Snapper and the newsagents is no longer there)
Down the Hill to a single basement flat by the Shakespeare's Head, back up to Seven Dials then up Dyke Road, right along Clifton Road, right down Clifton Hill down to Windlesham Ave, along Vernon Terrace and back. A good 30-odd stops, including having to go right inside two blocks.
£5 a week in 1988 ish.

Haven't thought about this in YEARS so thanks for the memory jog.

 

[Peter Grummit]

I started when I was 12 doing an early morning round in Westdene and apparently I was too young so I had to have a family member go with me.

Eventually I graduated to an afternoon round delivering the Evening ArseGas around Westdene that then evolved into doing 1 round each for the 3 newsagents in the area, Mill Rise, Eldred Avenue and one for Valley Drive. A few things still stick in my mind about doing the round. All three blokes that ran them used to have a bottle of whisky/whiskey under the counter, and by the time I'd bought sustenance to get me through 3 rounds around Westdene that would be deducted from my weekly pay I'd end up with about £4 at the end of the week from the 3 rounds. I've never been great with money.

I did alright at Christmas though and remember getting enough in tips that I bought a set of 4.1 speakers for my PC and a decent sound card to match which cost well over £150 back in the late 90's.

It was also my first route into the Albion, I used to read the coverage most days while doing the round to keep my abreast of things, not that I really understood most of it back then.

Oh, and I also used to relieve one newsagent of jazz mags on a semi regular basis.

I did one from the Valley Drive shop adjacent to Withdean Stadium from about 75-79. The shop owner was a good sort, do you remember his name? Every morning, 364 days a year. The round was Tongdean Lane/Tongdean Rise. Not too long (30 papers?) but lots of hills and steps. I'd then go home and get the coal in(!), breakfast and school at Fawcett.

I got whacked (clipped round the ear) by a red-faced postie for refusing to deliver some of his mail. Despite there being a witness, he got off with a warning.

 

[Hampden Park]

Willingdon Park Drive and Linfield Road, Hampden Park. Shop was on the Parkfield. Hated Sunday's, barking Telegraph & Times readers. 1974-76.

 

[Brovion]

In the early 70s I did a morning one for a newsagents in North Lancing. Can't remember the name but it was on the corner of Manor Road and Lynchmere Avenue. Had to do Lynchemere Avenue, then go back to the shop and get another bag and do Griffiths Avenue (plus some of the adjoining roads). Got £1 a week. Gave it up after about six months and did an evening round for Westons in South Street (which was much nearer my home). It was less money (only 70p a week), but much fewer deliveries as I only had to do Penhill Road and bits of Ingleside Crescent. Plus the evening papers (Evening Argus, Evening Standard and the Evening News) were MUCH less bulky than the morning dailies. And no Sundays! (And no hills!)

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Mid 90s in Coldean, 6 evenings a week for £6, exclusive Argus deliveries if memory serves me well. Annoyingly, despite living about 200 metres from the bottom shops my route was from the top shops, my round consisted of about 35 drops meandering around the back of Coldean ending up at Hill Rise at the bottom end of the estate, I then had to take my bag back to the top shops so the morning rounds could use it. Nonsense.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Let's not forget the fringe benefits of being a 70's paperboy .... Playboy was delivered once a month and would you believe it ... no plastic cover, I loved that day!

 

[Gwylan]

It was a long time ago but I think it was about 50 houses in the week. There were slightly fewer on Sunday - but I did two rounds on that day, seemingly covering the whole of Moulsecoomb.

What was remarkable was that about 75% of the houses took the Mirror, the second most popular was the Express. Only one person took the Sun, the same number as the people who took the Telegraph. Not a single house took the Guardian, Times or FT but there was one tankie who had the Morning Star (and who also had Soviet Weekly).

How times change

 

[shingle]

Mine

From South Road and all points left and right up the London road to the end of Carden Avenue (Cliveden Court, Regency Court, Bourne Court, Withdean Court etc)

1973 and £1.25 p/w

 

[Gwylan]

1973 and £1.25 p/w

I can't remember how much I got paid, although 15 bob for the week and extra on Sunday rings a bell - -it was a long, long time ago