[Misc] Paper rounds

[Braggfan]

Also a couple of houses on my route had massive, aggressive dogs. One house had two great Danes, and they had an anti burglar sticker on the door that showed a picture of a great dane with the message, "I can make the gate in 2 seconds. Can you?". I always thought that was an unnecessary threat to the paperboy.

 

[The Grockle]

In the end, my burgeoning career as a paperboy led to promotion to the coveted role of 'marker'. You had the shop's big book of customers, and you had to make up the bag for the paperboys, write the address at the top right hand corner of the papers, insert the supplements etc. On the plus side, you got to stay in the shop and swerve the shit weather. On the down side, you had to get to the shop earlier than the paperboys, and you never got tips at xmas

I had the same job, we had to go out and do our rounds after though and cover the sick notes.

I remember the morning Diana died they delayed the vans but had to go ahead with the headlines of dodi dead Diana seriously ill. By the time we were out delivering she had obviously already died. Was surprised how many of the old timers got their news from the papers not the radio or tv. I broke the news to quite a few of them.

 

[Boroseagull]

Had an evening paper round for Chevins of the Woodbourne Ave. shop parade. Mostly Evening Argus (as it was called then), Evening Standard and Evening Star. Consisted of Highfield Cres., Wilmington Way. The no. 19 bus terminated at the top of Wilmington so the driver and conductor used to read my last EA (ours) and I'd get a lift back home to Greenfield Cres. Pay I seem to remember was one shilling a day, 6s for the week.

 

[POSKETT AT THE VALLEY]

Morning round. Thomas a Becket area. Crapped myself once as didn’t get home in time.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Never had my own round, but used to drive my son round Hurstpierpoint so he could deliver the morning papers at the weekend and earn a bit of dosh. Bloody hell, I'm a good dad!

 

[The Grockle]

Our Christmas tips were really good, I often made over £100. I was also given an Apollo bike by a rich old lady, my dad made me write a thank you letter and I ended up clearing her leaves for free for about 2 years......she got a good deal in the end as her driveway was bloody huge.

One of the kids from the forbouys I worked got left something like 10k by someone on his round in his will. Made the national press at the time

 

[Rowdey]

Yep Lower Bevendean for me - Heathhill Ave, Norwich drive (and the closes off of it) all the way to Bodiam/Walmer - Started with two big orange bags.. Heaving..!
Early 80's netted me the princely sum of about £13 i think, but the tickle was the separate collection round down the The Avenue (getting people to pay their bill at the door) - that was £7 plus any tips which could double that.. Paid for a lot of Bomb Jack down at West Street..!

 

[BN9 BHA]

I had a morning and rounds, the newsagents was in Bear Road in Brighton, lots of steep hills round that area.
Gave up when I got an after school cleaning job which paid more than both paper rounds.

 

[Seagull58]

I had a morning paper round in Hove (actually) 7 mornings a week starting when I was 11 in 1970. I think I was paid £2 a week and I got to read the news of the screws on Sundays on the stairs in one of the blocks of flats I delivered to.

 

[DavePage]

7 days a weeks, Dyke Road Avenue and surrounding.
Spare a thought for Sunday deliveries, most had the Times or The Observer, needed two bags on Sundays.
Well worth it come Christmas time.
Also milk delivery boy in the Seven Dials/Montpelier area.

 

[Bodian]

It always impresses as the first thing I have to do when I get in is all-but-drag my 13-y-o out of bed to start getting ready for school.

Money's the driver! You just need to pay them to get up.....

 

[Soton Seagull]

Did a 6 day morning round for Jay's near Hove station and delivered down Denmark Villas and the Road next to it with all the blocks of flats. Did that for 5 years through my teens, started off on £9 per week and by the end was living the dream on £12.

Also did an Argus round for about 3 years for a newsagent on Sackville Road for £5, that eventually rose to £8. Wealth beyond my wildest dreams!

 

[BiffyBoy100]

Our Christmas tips were really good, I often made over £100. I was also given an Apollo bike by a rich old lady, my dad made me write a thank you letter and I ended up clearing her leaves for free for about 2 years......she got a good deal in the end as her driveway was bloody huge.

One of the kids from the forbouys I worked got left something like 10k by someone on his round in his will. Made the national press at the time

Wow! That lad must have been some paperboy. I think I got socks of an old dear as my Christmas tip.

Was it the bright orange Apollo bike? I had one and only ever remember seeing it in that colour.

 

[BN9 BHA]

My first paper round was in Ringmer Road, Chailey Road, Barcombe Road and Newick Road in North Moulsecoomb. There had been a particularly high turnover of paperboys on this round for some time and it didn’t take me long to work out why! Whoever came up with the road names had clearly envisaged quaint Sussex villages but hadn’t taken into account the ‘personalities’ of some of the residents

1970s?

 

[BN9 BHA]

I used to deliver papers evenings and weekends in the Lewes road area of Brighton. This was around 1970. Used to get two shillings and six pence weekdays and the same for weekends. Weekends would comprise of one round on Saturday and two on Sunday due to the thickness and weight of the papers. That adds up to five bob a week. Child slavery came a close second

Set us up for working hard though

 

[Elbow750]

In the early 1970's I had a morning paper round in Peacehaven, Kay's Newsagents on the coast road near Vernon Ave I think? My route included the promenade right next to the cliff edge. I remember some amazing sunrises, but a lot of wind and rain too. No dogs or particular hassle, but I hated those really low or top hinged letterboxes.

I cant remember the pay, but it covered fags for the week and a bottle of Clan Dew necked down before the Tideway Friday night school discos. Together with a weekend car washing round and some grass cutting, I saved enough to be buy a brand new FSIE in 1975. Oh happy days.

 

[BiffyBoy100]

Great thread.

My first gig was around 9. They’d employee you underage, but it was a pound a day (this was mid 90’s) and he’d call your house phone if you were any later than 6am. 66 monster papers up a hill. It would take 3 trips on a Sat. I remember finding out princess Diana had died in the shop as the papers were in a few hours late.

When I hit the legal age I moved shop and got a lovely route of 14 papers for double the money and took 10 mins max. Summer time and you could cover 3 or 4 routes and make some real cash.

A good lesson of picking the right employer.

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

1970s?

Yep, 77 or 78

 

[fly high]

Also a couple of houses on my route had massive, aggressive dogs. One house had two great Danes, and they had an anti burglar sticker on the door that showed a picture of a great dane with the message, "I can make the gate in 2 seconds. Can you?". I always thought that was an unnecessary threat to the paperboy.

I did a morning round 7 days a week, used to get told by several houses they could set their clocks by me yet every morning their dogs were in the garden giving it some. One house had 2 dogs and only did something about after they bite the postman. He had a go at the people telling them a 12 year old delivered their papers and made them put a box at their gate.

 

[The Grockle]

Wow! That lad must have been some paperboy. I think I got socks of an old dear as my Christmas tip.

Was it the bright orange Apollo bike? I had one and only ever remember seeing it in that colour.

It was a bog standard black one but a big upgrade on my rickety old thing.