[Misc] Paper rounds

[Barrow Boy]

1966 to 1968 morning round 7 days a week (Sundays was a complete bitch with all the supplements) + Argus round 6 evenings a week. This was back in the days when nearly everyone had a morning paper delivered and a fair few Evening Argus as well, think my morning round was about 40 houses.
All for the grand sum of 22 Shillings (£1.10).

 

[Eeyore]

I did a round for three years from the age of 12. Up at 6.30 each morning before school.

The new, rather neurotic, owner a few years later sacked me for very spurious reasons. I'd been delivering a newspaper to a house where the occupier had been dead for weeks and I got the blame ! I went straight to the newsagent down the road and got a job there but for a lot less. Easier life though.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I'd been delivering a newspaper to a house where the occupier had been dead for weeks and I got the blame !

For killing the occupier? Bit harsh

 

[Eeyore]

For killing the occupier? Bit harsh

It was a bizarre explanation. But the owner had all sorts of issues in the shop surrounding those who worked there and he did seem a bit unhinged himself. Strange period that.

 

[Berty23]

Two of my kids have one. Takes on of them 45 mins and the other 50 mins. Get about 30 quid a week. They are 13 and 15 so learning about work.

 

[Eeyore]

Two of my kids have one. Takes on of them 45 mins and the other 50 mins. Get about 30 quid a week. They are 13 and 15 so learning about work.

£30 a week. Blimey. I ran the inflation calculator on mine and I got £14.50 a week for an hour each morning, Monday to Saturday.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

6 days a week in Coldean. I lived down the bottom end of Rushlake Road but my papers were collected from the top shops. Quite a big route that meandered all the way around the estate (village lol) and finished up on Ridge View so nice and close to home.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

Did paper rounds in Haywards Heath from 1986 - 1989. Seven days a week, in all weather (including battling through the aftermath of the 'Great Storm of 87' to find........no papers in the shop to deliver!!!)

Loved reading (still do) so loved getting there early and reading the papers, not just the back pages. And as a teenager, it was always a pleasure to deliver the 'Sunday Sport' and have a crafty look at the ladies on show

Remember Sunday deliveries were a sod with the heavy supplements.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Mid 80s, six days a week, two rounds from the shop on Richardson Road to houses on New Church and the roads off it.

Lots of Telegraphs and quite a few Jewish Chronicles. More than one had stipulated a Sun to be hidden in the middle.

Weighty bags on a Saturday but it paid for football and fags.

 

[golddene]

I did 7 days of paper rounds from the age of 11 and prepared the rounds from age 13 at 5am.

In a way I feel like we were taken advantage of but I remember being paid £14 from my Sunday rounds from 5am till around 10am that felt like a huge amount of money as a 13 year old, considering a pack of fags were around £2.

My full week of morning rounds, two evening free paper rounds and a mammoth Sunday round paid me around £40 for around 20 hours per week, my friends at the time were lucky to get £5 in pocket money

Jesus, how much ! I did the Argus evening round six days a week for 7/6p (35p) morning round six days a week for 9/0p 45p a week and a Sunday morning round for 2/0p (10p) a week, earning a total of 18/6p (90p) a week this was circa 1965/6 to 1969 when I got my first job as an apprenticed plumber earning the princely sum of 2/0p (10p) an hour £4.00 a week gross then after deductions just over £3.00 per week then having to give my mum 30 bob £1.50 a week rent. Times have changed so much……

 

[kojak]

Sounds like the opening lines to a Jam song...

I'll take that as a very big compliment

 

[Papak]

What's all this 6 days a week nonsense?

Did they draft in the army to do Sundays or something?

 

[Billy Seagull]

I had an Argus paper round in the early 80s, six afternoons a week, in Newhaven after school. From memory I was paid £2.50 to begin with and then had a whopping pay rise upto £3. Also had a Sunday round which was better money, £1.50 and tips. This was for Haven News, which is long gone.
Also had a round for the East Sussex Promotor, a free rag, but didn’t last long as it needed to go in every house and it took ages.
The money was used to attend Albion matches, when I could swap out a Saturday afternoon.

 

[BiffyBoy100]

What's all this 6 days a week nonsense?

Did they draft in the army to do Sundays or something?

Sunday was a job in its own right, only for the very brave.

Often regarded as the SAS of paperboys.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Six days a week for 90p a week, early 70s. f***ing hated it. Made me ill. Mr Wooldridge, Mill Road Post Office, Portslade. If it went up in flames I'd claim I was on antidiuretics.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

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

Swot, then.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I was not only a paper boy, I was Kent Newspaper Boy Of The Year 1974. Picture made the front page of the Kent Evening Post and everything. The competition was sponsored by The Sun. Me and my fellow regional finalists got entered into the national final in that there London, where we were grilled by an expert panel of judges including Peter Walker MP, Olympic gold medallist Mary Peters and Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart. Never won, but did get put up for two nights in a nice hotel, a tour of The Sun printing works and a slap-up gala dinner at the Savoy Hotel. Not too shabby

Sorry, I didn't get past 'Kent'.

 

[BluesRockDJ]

delivered Sunday papers to Uncle Mac and Dame Vera back in my youth.

 

[Eeyore]

Jesus, how much ! I did the Argus evening round six days a week for 7/6p (35p) morning round six days a week for 9/0p 45p a week and a Sunday morning round for 2/0p (10p) a week, earning a total of 18/6p (90p) a week this was circa 1965/6 to 1969 when I got my first job as an apprenticed plumber earning the princely sum of 2/0p (10p) an hour £4.00 a week gross then after deductions just over £3.00 per week then having to give my mum 30 bob £1.50 a week rent. Times have changed so much……

This is becoming like the Four Yorkshiremen sketch

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Two of my kids have one. Takes on of them 45 mins and the other 50 mins. Get about 30 quid a week. They are 13 and 15 so learning about work.

Thanks for this. It’s good to know paper rounds still exist. If I lived in the UK I’d definitely get a physical paper delivered.

I’m struggling to remember how much I made in the early 80s but I think it was around 30p a week. Sundays paid better but the real money was with the direct Argus round; I think this was a pound or two. A long evening which started with waiting at the bus stop opposite The Schooner Garage for a lady which drove an Argus van.