Things I've learned about my paper run

[Aperitif]

In a built up area wouldn't it be quicker to the round on foot?

Nah - probably better to read the papers online...
Seriously, there was no concept of congestion, traffic, 'rush' or other sundry stuff. A paperboy (for they were thus described then) had the freedom of the streets. And not a fox in sight in the 'burbia.

 

[classic33]

Nah - probably better to read the papers online...
Seriously, there was no concept of congestion, traffic, 'rush' or other sundry stuff. A paperboy (for they were thus described then) had the freedom of the streets. And not a fox in sight in the 'burbia.

No online papers 30-35 years ago. Foxes I saw a plenty, the odd cow walking down the road as well. And this was in a built up area.

 

[yello]

I recall one morning seeing a possum... in a bus shelter.... clutching a beer bottle. Not sure if it was dead or just sleeping it off.

Did anyone deliver to friends from school? Or teachers even? I did, most disorientating. Seeing class mates in their bikinis... and that's just the blokes.

My English teacher married my geography teacher... but not before she used to visit him at his place, where I delivered the evening paper. Most odd seeing her there and not knowing quite what to think or say.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Thursday was the worst day as you also had to deliver the local rag which every fugger had and the Radio Times or TV Times if you were common, delivering that lot on old cronks made of scaffold and with no gears was bloody hard work.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I had a rural paper round which was about five miles in total, I learned:

• If you give your customers a christmas card you get a better tip
• You CAN cycle with your hands in your trousers when it's very cold
• That smarmy git Paul Pepperknuckle shares a similar route to the Ceril the milkman so catches a ride on the float

 

[yello]

Paul Pepperknuckle.... what a great name.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

...Pepperknuckle.... what a great name.

Sounds like a boxers nickname.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Sounds like a boxers nickname.

I can't remember the kids real name!

The pay I got was £6.50 a week, or £5.50 if you'd made a mistake that week. My dad lent me £200 to buy my first MTB and I paid him back every penny!

 

[yello]

The pay I got was £6.50 a week, or £5.50 if you'd made a mistake that week.

Jeez, that's harsh! I had I'd say an average of 45 deliveries on my evening round. During the summer, I'd have any number of changes to the round as people went on their hols and came back etc. Difficult to remember, sometimes you'd have to look at the house and see if anyone was there! (Btw, our papers weren't marked up like I know happens in the UK - you had to remember it)

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i found a bmx with coaster brake the best paperboy's bike; you didn't really need to get off it often…

 

[Aperitif]

.

My English teacher married my geography teacher... but not before she used to visit him at his place, where I delivered the evening paper. Most odd seeing her there and not knowing quite what to think or say.

"Too tight to buy your own evening paper then,Miss?"

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Jeez, that's harsh! I had I'd say an average of 45 deliveries on my evening round. During the summer, I'd have any number of changes to the round as people went on their hols and came back etc. Difficult to remember, sometimes you'd have to look at the house and see if anyone was there! (Btw, our papers weren't marked up like I know happens in the UK - you had to remember it)

Oh, I wrote on the top of the papers to help me remember! I delivered about forty papers on my morning round, then 200 free papers on Thursday evening and 200 free papers on a Friday evening.

 

[yello]

I was trying to remember how many freebies I delivered... I thought it was 100... then 200.... then maybe even 400.... then I realised I was thinking of audax distances! Of course, with the free ones it was easy to remember which house

 

[Fnaar]

I used to love my paper rounds... I only did it for one summer, when I was 13, I think. I started with one round, then did two from the following week. One was on the edge of town, the other was going out into the countryside. I loved getting up early and cycling around when there was nobody about bar the occasional milkman and postman. I SOOOOOOo loved getting up early that the newsagent had a word with my parents to see if they could stop me turning up QUITE so early, as often he hadn't had time to open up or mark up the papers before I got there. I absolutely loved it!!! There was only one disastrous day, when it was wet and windy and cold, and I dropped all the papers from my second round, and they all got mixed up. I happened to be near home at the time, so I went home with all the jumbled up papers, and my dad got up and took me round in the car. By the end of that summer, I had £8.20 in my Post Office account, and I thought I was the richest guy alive!!
(I bought a lot of model aeroplanes that summer too, as was my fascination at the time... they all looked a mess, paint everywhere and dribbly bits of glue, but I enjoyed it)

 

[yello]

By the end of that summer, I had £8.20 in my Post Office account, and I thought I was the richest guy alive!!
(I bought a lot of model aeroplanes that summer too, as was my fascination at the time... they all looked a mess, paint everywhere and dribbly bits of glue, but I enjoyed it)

It was one of the great things about doing paper rounds; the kind of financial independence it gave, the feeling it was 'your' money and you didn't have to ask anyone for it or whether you could buy stuff. At one point, I'd amassed around NZ$300 (around £100) in my deposit account. I bought N scale railway stuff.