[Finance] How big was your paper round?

[Mr Bridger]

Only thing I remember about my paper round was nicking a bottle of milk from a flat next door of where I used to deliver.
The guy used to have about 6 bottles of milk delivered, and me being a helpful lad decided to help him out every day by removing one. Being a bit naive at the time I didn’t realise the missing bottle of milk left a wet ring on the floor, Which led my downfall.

Watch out there’s a Humhprey about!

 

[Stat Brother]

1972-74, up at 6.30, massive bag that weighed me down. The round shown below included several blocks of 4 storey flats with no lifts. It took about an hour to do. Six says a week. 90P a week. I had a lot of trouble with my back, diagnosed many years later as scoliosis, a form that can trigger severe pain if I carry stuff that . . . is a bit heavy.

Also a scoliosis sufferer.

Who'd thought it could be linked to having to Playtex cross 2 heavy paper round bags across myself, with one further bag in the basket on the front of my bike, all during my formative years of growth.


At some point, in my mid teens, I was completely paralysed, totally unable to walk.
Pa Stat, not known for his medical degree, dragged me downstairs by the hair as some kind of cure all - which didn't work.

I spent 2 nights in some Northern outpost hospital, East Grinstead way, before it was decided I was malingering and discharged.
(I wasn't making it up)


A few years ago I went to a chiropractor.
He looked at my back saying words to the effect of 'superficially that looks ok', then said "now sit down".

The audible gasp/scream he proceeded to exclaim will live with me forever.

It turns out spines aren't supposed to concertina into an 's' shape at that point.

He ended the session saying 'well your back is always going to hurt'.
Money well spent.




Now back to the lighter side of child exploitation.

 

[Peteinblack]

For only 12 (twelve) houses Jnr had an alarming amount of Mail on Sunday's.


So I assume the lady of the house still likes a newspaper delivered.

And her daily dose of toxic ultra-Right-wing propaganda!

 

[Justice]

Used to do a double round before school £8 a week in 1982/3 had it sussed, Sunday’s found it quicker half loads and then back to the shop. Was always jealous of American kids who just luzz the paper towards the house. Christmas tips made it all worth while.

 

[Stat Brother]

Early morning paper round in Steyning about 25 papers a day the weekend was a nightmare massive papers and weekend magazines as I had a load of times and telegraphs on my round (posh area) great at xmas always got over a £100 in tips!.got £12 a week when I stopped in 1992.

This thread really isn't for you, is it?

 

[Peteinblack]

That said I did bloody well at Christmas.

Me too, when I had a paper round in Lancing as a lad.

I noticed, though, that it was the pensioners who were most generous with their tips, whereas the occupants of the bigger/posher houses were usually really stingy and grudging in giving you any money.

Sadly, though, was never invited in for 'extras' by a 'bored housewife' while hubby was at work; pushing the paper in her letter-box was it

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

Jen & Mike at Baldwins in Newhaven. They drove in from Hove every morning and left the shop to Barbara in the afternoon. We marked our own rounds although after a few weeks I knew the round by hart.
I remember when I first started and older kid used sneak a 'dirty mag' (Knave) into his bag.

same shop as me

Mike was a lovely fella

remember him going on about the Brighton Tigers Ice Hockey Team

 

[Stat Brother]

Me too, when I had a paper round in Lancing as a lad.

I noticed, though, that it was the pensioners who were most generous with their tips, whereas the occupants of the bigger/posher houses were usually really stingy and grudging in giving you any money.

Sadly, though, was never invited in for 'extras' by a 'bored housewife' while hubby was at work...…….

Being the conscientious chap that I am I played the long game one year.

I got the round I wanted in the Autumn.
I was nice and polite, hoovering up a decent amount of tips.
Then, I posted thank-you notes to all those that had tipped.
Stuck the round out for a year and by christ it rained money the following christmas.

My parents then got me a supermarket job, for my 14th birthday, which was nice.

 

[Seasider78]

37 paper evening Argus round which included having to collect the money on a Thursday then the weekly local rag which was about 200. Many a time ended up placing my racer onto a bush from the weight of the bag!!

 

[Peteinblack]

Being the conscientious chap that I am I played the long game one year.

I got the round I wanted in the Autumn.
I was nice and polite, hoovering up a decent amount of tips.
Then, I posted thank-you notes to all those that had tipped.
Stuck the round out for a year and by christ it rained money the following christmas.

My parents then got me a supermarket job, for my 14th birthday, which was nice.

Yeah, paper-round followed by supermarket job when I was old enough (Key Markets in the Guildbourne Centre, Worthing).

 

[BN9 BHA]

I had a morning and evening paper round, but I can't remember how many houses I delivered to.
The newsagents was in Bear Road in Brighton, so plenty of walking up steep roads with a heavy bag.
Delivering the Evening Argus wasn't too bad at the beginning of the week when there wasn't too many pages.

 

[Blue3]

I never had one as a child but have done a couple on behalf of the kids very poorly paid work

 

[paulfuzz]

same shop as me

Mike was a lovely fella

remember him going on about the Brighton Tigers Ice Hockey Team

That's right yeah!! the pair of hem were very Fawlty Towers, Jen could do a really good Sybil. They were the reason I stayed even though Dees paid more per round

 

[Stat Brother]

Yeah, paper-round followed by supermarket job when I was old enough (Key Markets in the Guildbourne Centre, Worthing).

Unbelievably I got 'unpacking the fruit and veg' 2 hours every morning, before school, as well as all day Saturday when I was old enough to do the time.

To this day I still have no idea why my parents were so upset about my average CSE's and 1 O-Level.
I was fookin knackered before I even got to school.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Started with an evening round delivering the Argus for 70p a week, but then discovered Sunday morning round paid 55p, so stumbled out of shop with 3 f***ing great bags weighing me down every Sunday instead. Used to hide a couple of bags in bushes further up the road, so only had to carry one at a time.

Remember getting beaten up and papers nicked by a bunch of kids from the local London County Council reformed school. What was really bad was this was in Mile Oak

 

[RossyG]

In the mid-80s, I delivered a free newspaper each Thursday to every house (almost all semi-detached) in Wolsey Drive, Cardinal Drive, and Holly Avenue.



I only lived a couple of streets away so would go home to replenish the bag. At least three times, if I remember correctly, and the round took about two hours. I loved it when we had leaflets to include as we’d get paid extra. I did it from the age of 13-16 - a long time at that age - packing it in just after my 16th birthday. I was about to start Sixth Form and a paper round was kids’ stuff. Friends at school ditched theirs around the same time, trading them in for shelf stacker, checkout operator, or counter staff at the new supermarket in Hersham (Surrey).

 

[Weststander]

had one in the 70's (Newhaven) when almost everyone had a paper delivered

remember the black hands and trying to pinch a bottle of milk off the milkman's float

A morning round? And you still made Tideway for it’s continental hours start time of 8-ish?

 

[OzMike]

I had 2 x morning rounds of around 60 papers each and an evening round of around 80 papers.
Did at least the same at the weekend, except Sunday evening.
On Sundays I did 2 collection rounds and I also sang in a choir for pay as well as delivering meat for the local butcher on Saturdays on me bike.
I always had cash for the tuck queue at school.
I also did maths homework for others charging 2p per sum and returning 1p of that for getting a wrong answer.
I had to get several wrong answers to keep the scam going, still got 1p for a wrongun.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Also a scoliosis sufferer.

Who'd thought it could be linked to having to Playtex cross 2 heavy paper round bags across myself, with one further bag in the basket on the front of my bike, all during my formative years of growth.


At some point, in my mid teens, I was completely paralysed, totally unable to walk.
Pa Stat, not known for his medical degree, dragged me downstairs by the hair as some kind of cure all - which didn't work.

I spent 2 nights in some Northern outpost hospital, East Grinstead way, before it was decided I was malingering and discharged.
(I wasn't making it up)


A few years ago I went to a chiropractor.
He looked at my back saying words to the effect of 'superficially that looks ok', then said "now sit down".

The audible gasp/scream he proceeded to exclaim will live with me forever.

It turns out spines aren't supposed to concertina into an 's' shape at that point.

He ended the session saying 'well your back is always going to hurt'.
Money well spent.




Now back to the lighter side of child exploitation.

Mate. OK, my tale is the same but with a happier ending.

At various times in my life I have been unable to get out of bed for days. I found that one source of relief was....skiing ....my untutored low crouch opened up the vertebrae and relieved the pain.

Anyway...About 5 years ago I got fed up with the useless shitters at my GP practice and got X rays done. The 22 year old tosser house officer at Canterbury looked at the X ray and said 'normal'. But the lab tech told me 'not normal' and showed me the picture. Yes, a massive curve. I was absolutely shocked and quite upset.

Anyway, I got a referal to physio where I work (London hospital) where their team had rescued my wrist after I broke it some years ago -full mobility. So I saw a bright eyed physiotherapist who said 'well, let's see if we can straighten it'. WHAF? I was about 58 at the time. All my life, fobbed off, and now...

So I was shown a simple exercise, and it works. I have had no pain for years (well, if I lift something heavy I can get gyp but...) but if I feel anything, 30 seconds on my exercise and the problem vanishes.

There are far too many grunts in provincial GP practices and hospitals. All the decent folk seem to work in high-end teaching hospitals in big cities. I have been butchered (my knee) by local bumpkins, and if I get anything iffy these days I tell the GP practice to refer me to the London hospital where I work.

PM me if you want any further details on the back exercise.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Huge. Got paid £4 for the week and a staggering £1.50 for the Sunday. Mainly due to the fact it took an extra half hour to feed all the supplements through the letter box which had to be done in stages. Papers were much bigger in those days too. Christmas tips were the best bit though with my round being in the leafy suburbs of London.