Waited until 11.26 for my Sunday paper. Delivered by shop owner, who informed me that from today there would be no more deliveries because he can’t get paper lads/lasses. When I was a lad you had to go on a waiting list for a paper delivery job.
I've got it in my head that you live in Consett....if you do I would be more than happy to drop a paper off for you mate.
Remember it well, sometimes I’d help my mate so I could get a foot in the door, didn’t see a penny of what he got though and also never got a job lol
we must have all done that at some point, help a mate with his round until we realised he was doing half a job for full pay and we got nowt. paper rounds dropped off steadily, i seem to remember our local newsagents, sadly shut down now, just getting in the car and driving round doing the deliveries.
As a kid I had a Sunday round, based on 10% commission. I had to collect the money as I delivered the papers. Sulgrave was just being built at the time and I always put it xtra papers in my bag so I could call on the houses who had just moved in to get them on my books. I was earning more on a Sunday morning than my mates doing Monday to Friday morning and night. Because I had a chat with each house every week the Xmas tips were very good. In the end I needed a wheelbarrow to carry the papers.
I used to do the vegetable market with the village green grocers. Up at 4-30 3 times a week, picked up at 5 in a van and off to gateshead to buy fresh fruit and veg. My job was to load the pallets with stuff and run it to the van and load that. Then unload it all at the other end. Finish in time for school bus, or if not he would give me a lift. Once a week down to local farm to load the van with bags of spuds and unload at other end. Back breaking but best paid job in the village. Did it for 5 years and paid for all my early away trips with the lads.
Yeah I did some newspapers delivery.. Then, in oldet student days, life guard swimming baths, barman, labourer for the local council...etc
I had a Sunday morning round and a weekdays evening round. Then in the October holidays it was always tattie picking, dragging a sack up and down picking up spuds. That was hard work.
Stone picking was a thing round our way. I used to spend summers 'beating' as well on the fells. I would do anything for cash as a teenager. A neighbour was tearing down an outhouse and coalhouse but needed a labourer. I spent hours on the roof wielding a sledgehammer for a few quid. Bought new trainers.
did mon-sat papers, out at 6am, back by 7.30, then one thurs night round for weekly free paper. Good money for a 12 yr old, and nicked loads of ***s and kets from stockroom,(made more selling ***s than paper round paid) the owner got done years later for ***** stuff so no guilt or regrets, paid all my teenage bills and more!
when i was in the regiment we only looked at page 3 or adult material no one was interested in the news
the amount of gardens i tidied up, cut, weeded, dug over usually followed by tatie picking for a bit cash is mental, try getting the kids these days out and earning and they look for a joypad to help them.
Thanks for the generous thought mate, but I live in Shields. Bit of a trek unless you’ve got a ‘copter or a bloody big drone! I’ve signed up for an online newspaper. Won’t be the same but I suppose I’ll get used to it.
You’re right, roger. But it ain’t the same as starting the day with a mug of field rations tea (remember that?) and a newspaper in front of the fire.
