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I wish I could earn a proper living by just being a paperboy.
Best job I ever had bar none. Mon-Sat mornings and evenings and Sundays too. And I had all the hotels and guest houses in Whitley Bay on my rounds so Sunday was a bit of a schlep needing 4 bag loads...stoopid Sunday broadsheets and their 75 supplements. On the flip side, Xmas tips were amazing.
Agree - used to love my paper round. Did it for 4 years or so every morning Mon-Sat and sometimes chucked in a Sunday round. Sometimes cycled it, sometimes walked it. Always had my Walkman with me and a pocket full of tapes.
The area I lived in was all broadsheet though so it was a fair whack of papers but the round was nice and the tips always good at Christmas...
Did a round from 12 until leaving school at 18, 7 days a week and Thursday evenings. Long drives, very hilly and the area I lived in read The Guardian, Times, Financial Times and some houses had several papers. All very heavy in more ways than one, I snapped the seat tube on my sister’s bike and ended up on a Raleigh RSW donated by a friend of my mum. I wore the tyres to the canvas then patched the outside with large puncture patches. Life made even more interesting by a copper who was determined to catch me riding without lights - he was in a car and I knew all the cut throughs - he only caught me once but he put a lot of effort in! I explained if I bought batteries I’d have no money left but it didn’t work.
Then did a huge round collecting the money for papers on a Saturday at the same time as the weekly round (after the morning round and playing rugby) later followed by bottling up/cellar work at the local pub, all at the same time. Did it turn me into Alan Sugar? No, I’m still scratting about!
Most famous customer? John Lowe - pleasant chap and a good Christmas tip!
As for best job ever?
Nah House and flat clearances in maryhill and grass cutting were better.
There are a couple of roads near me where I have over 40+ years at some time delivered their papers, been their postman, done their recycling and collected their refuse. It's possible that their are people for who've lived there the whole time. Never delivered the milk though.
Paper round from 11-13 and Milk round 13-16. Look back at it fondly now, but remember hating the early mornings in pitch black freezing weather, getting chased by crazy dogs on rough estates and the last Milkman was a raving loony - once turned up so hammered from the previous night a 15 year old had to drive the van. Only in the 90s! Most Saturday’s pay day was blown on fags and a bottle of 20/20. Misspent!
RM.
I saved up for my first mtb, a Marin Palisades, doing a paper round. I remember the bags weighed a tonne. I knew it wasn't a forever job so attention to detail was low and some Mail readers may have received the Sport and some of the Sport not-exactly-readers may have received the Mail. Don't recall any Guardian takers on my route.
I wish I could earn a proper living by just being a paperboy.
A pal who couldn't stand working in an office quit and took a temporary job as a postman just to tide him over while he looked for something else. However he found he loved the postman job and ten years on he's still doing his rounds. And is fitter than ever.
I enjoyed the (financial) independence the job gave me. Early 70's and we got 50p a street - I did 4 streets. My dad got me some stout footwear for the job - turned out to be some genuine old miners hob-nail boots - so I must've woken everybody in the village clattering down the streets.
Eventually progressed to a bottling-up job in the pub before catching the bus to school.
I got a Monday-Saturday round aged 12 and did it for three years, until I became an underage barman... My round was in Branksome Park, Poole, so bloody massive houses with long drives. I got paid 7p per drop in the early 90s. I had a retirement home on the route, with about 20 papers. Newsagent counted it as one stop, 7p... Any mistake and the full cost of a replacement was taken out of my pay packet. I recall the tiny letterboxes with horror but am gutted to say I didn't get to gawp at any early morning boobies! An abiding memory, during the cold wet mornings, was getting a face full of cobwebs from people's shrubberies. I used to pore over the Cotswold Camping catalogue, and still have much of the kit I bought, I used my Berghaus Vulcan II earlier this year!
getting a face full of cobwebs from people’s shrubberies.
Made up for not getting a good look at their booobs then 👍
13-15 was my national paperboy service. Lasting memory was one Christmas a customer fed me some liquor chocolate and then me feeling pretty perculier for the rest of the round.
I was 18 when I next felt like that.
Yup, not much topiarying done in those far gone days!
Had 2 Sunday rounds at one point had to put up my own papers in the shop so possibly miscounted now and again had to collect money each week of the punters too then pay the shop and could charge punters for delivery the rest being my wages mostly enjoyed it apart from the weight of bags and the GSD that was always out and would leap up paws on my shoulders trying to eat my face they didn’t get too many paper after that. bastards pumping petrol (30p per gallon)after that was a lot better
I started mine with the bags slung over the bike but as others have noted this was the era of 8 million supplements on the weekend and eventually the frame bent. After that I pushed a full-to-the brim shopping trolley around (recently liberated from Sainsbury's) every saturday and sunday morning.
Can't say it was my favourite ever job but it was nice being up and about in the dead quiet first thing on a summer's morning. Those bastard papers were so heavy though.
The cooncil hooses gave better tips than the posh hooses.
Yup. I used to deliver to a private road and a council estate. The tips one year (1992) helped upgrade from my Raleigh Mustang to a GT Tequesta. I used to hand deliver Christmas cards in the evening and look suitably pathetic as they handed over the cash.
£7 a week Monday to Saturday.
I,m back on the papers 🙂 new postal delivery round added to my original round has 6 papers included I get £10 for the pleasure so it keeps me in coffees for the week.
Rich
Used to love mine too. A round every morning then I’d go round and collect the paper money from all the houses on the round for the newsagent on a Saturday afternoon, which paid better than the paper round. I doubt you’d be allowed to have a 14/15 year old doing that nowadays
It paid for a Wilson Freestyler BMX with Skyways, Landing Gear and lots of nice kit on it. First bike I ever built
I loved being up and out at that time in the morning. Ever since doing it I find you can’t get out of the habit of being wide awake at 6 every morning. I was still like that as a student and still am now
Remarkably, I did that for a couple of years without getting caught. That must be a testament to how shit the paper was.
You are one of the predecessors of the little shits we employed until a couple of years ago when we went pickup only.
Nice. Your legacy lives on.
Yeah, a paper round was almost a rite of passage. Started off in October 1985 doing the evening round, delivering about 45-55 papers, plus a few weekly magazines. Saturday also delivered 3 Sunday paper magazines; Express, Mail on Sunday & News of the World, which was worth an extra 30p.
Did the same round on a Sunday, but because the papers were huge, you needed 2 bags, which weighed a ton.
About a month later I stood in for someone doing a morning round - and another round came up - so did that as well. I recall my weekly money was £8.50.......
Then came Christmas, and the tips, and I did both a small council estate, plus a couple of farms, and large houses. The tips from the estate were usually better. Bought a new Walkman, and a scientific calculator with the tips money.
It was interesting when the snow/ bad weather arrived; very often the suppliers were late - and the newsagents were getting calls from people wondering were the papers was. The morning rounds has a cut off; if the papers hadn't arrived by about 8:00, we could go home - as we'd be late for school.
I enjoyed it. 5miles in the morning, double round Sunday, 5miles in the afternoon mon-sat. Help set up the shop twice a week. For a kid from a poor-ish family It did me just fine. Allowed me to buy things like my first proper mtb, a Trek 830! I did it for probably 5yrs as I carried on in to sixth form.
I'm sure I win best paper round ever...
I was one of two who sold/delivered round our local hospital.
I would have to take two bags up with me each day. Dump one at home for later then wander round the wards selling to patients... This meant tips everyday...
We were the envy of the shop 😂
Some embarrassing moments wandering in on things I shouldn't but mostly folk were more than happy to see you...
I'll never forgot one guy though who told me if he was asleep just take the money from his wallet and leave his papers.
I dropped the wallet went to pick it up and knocked his piss bottle over that then soaked into my coat!
I went running out waving my piss soaked arm around shouting "errrr I've knocked his piss over" a kindly nurse heard then came to my rescue and washed my coat for me 😂
I'll never forget that...
I’m sure I win best paper round ever…
On Sundays I delivered to Ozzy Osbornes house...
It was 30p/day and double Sundays. Early 80s. I was an early riser and liked being out in all weathers. Back home by 7:30 and made my breakfast and coffee for my mother. Left for school at 8.
My sister did the Sunday round, but I did it for her most of the time.
And a free beano…
Used to deliver a freebie local paper/magazine which was basically just full of adverts.
They got delivered to my house then had to walk a mile to the start of my round with two bag fulls.
Hated it, the money was crap, the weather was awful. Similar to someone above I found the most effective way was to cut out the middle man and recycle them directly. Did that for a couple of rounds then just quit.
I was just talking about this at the running club the other night. Best job I ever had. Early 90s, started on free papers but realised that was slave labour and eventually managed to bag a proper round at the local newsagent. From the age of 14 to 18 went from one morning round, to three mornings, two Sundays and the odd evening. Peaked at earning about 85 quid a week, cash, and it paid for both of these… as well as lots of nights in the pub.
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Ah yes the 80’s paper round.
Had one of the plum routes, Friday was always a challenge with the Maidenhead advertiser, then the double bag Sunday.
Started on a Raleigh Winner, really wanted a pulsar/quasar though and finished on a Muddy Fox Courier, yellow stickers and pearly white paint what a beaut, all the while listening to TheThe, U2 Joshua Tree on a loop on the Panasonic Walkman… hard work but happy days with money to burn on throwing stars, fishing tackle and black widow catapults I seem to remember…
Chakaping stole my thunder ! Late 60s evening round £14/6d !,! As I recall slave labour 🙄 helped with a milk round on a Saturday eventually becoming a postie 430 starts for 20 odd years , must have liked the early starts because the last 3 years before I retired 2 weeks ago I started at 5 am stacking shelves for Sainsbury’s, one of those mornings was Sunday ! I was flattered I got the job at 63 but it didn’t take long to realise it was because no other numb nuts was stupid enough to do it ! 🙄
I did a Mon - Sat round from 13 to 16 years old, plus every other Sunday. Was a fair old cycle - 1 mile to the shop then 2-3miles around and back to house.
Have some fond memories of it but mostly it was bloody hard work for limited reward. Plus side of it was I probably met a few more interesting characters in the shop, good way to realise there's a world beyond the relatively sheltered world of school* and home. Downside was it was bloody hard work for £10 a week. Probably worked out about £1/hr. Less if factored in batteries for bike lights, bike etc.
*One of the other "paperboys" was in his 70s and spent 30 years of his life in jail for murder, before being cleared. It was a fairly well known miscarriage of justice in the 90s, because of the notoriety of the original crime and how long it took. He was a very curious character, can't imagine what he went through. Some of the ladies who worked in the shop were rough AF and would steal stuff and try and pin it on folk.
My cousin figured it out when I was too young to have my own round - she'd get 25 quid a week, and pay me a fiver to do her round.
Never had a paper round but this thread has reminded me that I must leave a decent tip for our paper boy.
I remember mate from school doing a paper round, and making (what seemed) a fortune at Christmas from all the tips. He was one of the first to have a Casio calculator watch, bought with the proceeds.
Did a round from age 10 upto 16. I needed a bike as it was the longest round and for this got an extra 10p. Think I got £3.50 a week in the 80's. Tips were quite good at Christmas, but did hate going round knocking on doors with a Christmas card.
Some strange sights over the years, block sleeping in doorway of house - had to lean over to deliver the paper, buckets of calculators found on the road (just been nabbed from the local school), but the worse was the local peado used to turn up early doors at the newsagents - I waited around the corner until the shop opened. Out in all weathers.
I earned my first MTB by cycling to college, my Mum agreed to let me keep the train fair they'd have spent. Did the first few terms on a crappy old Apollo road bike, then she realised I was serious and gave me credit so I could get the decent MTB I wanted.
I did my round on a Raleigh Area - mine was white and had full length mudguards though. Used to use 3 in1 oil which used to pick up lots of muck. If the chain slipped and I had to put it back the papers delivered from that point were a bit smudged.
He was one of the first to have a Casio calculator watch, bought with the proceeds.
Living it large 😀
the local peado used to turn up early doors at the newsagents
****ing hell, is there more to that story?
I did one too, 6 days a week, sometimes did the Sunday ones too (weekends were always a mammoth operation because of the supplements). I had a round that covered 2 areas, so around 8 different streets/lanes mixed as council and posh stuff. I even delivered to the page3 photographer Beverley what's his face - i don’t know why, but i always expected (wished) to see the photo shoots - because of course that's where a photographer would do it!!
Money was woefully bad, but Christmas was cool, could make a few hundred quid sometimes. There were the odd people that got the hump, when they decided to have the equivalent of war and peace delivered in the shitty rain through a letterbox no bigger than a mouse hole that also acted like a mouse trap...
And the pathetic ****s who'd get the hump about me walking across the lawn between them and the next-door neighbour, instead of going back on to the street and down the neighbour's drive.
Mid 70's evening round...furthest from shop...Carlton Corsa...hated think thursdays had Radio and TV times to carry and remember..often I'd do my older sister's round as well on way home nice and compact...covered a few Sundays for mates...horrible really heavy...still have a grudge that the guy who owned the shop charged me full price for light batteries...never ran them on the round but needed on main road to shop and home and to get to scouts etc
despite some of the horrors that we've all experienced, like the weight, dark, rain, hail, early morning weirdos, asshole shop owners that were tighter than sailing knot - i still enjoyed it, someone mentioned earlier - stick on some headphones and plod away..