Newspaper Deliveries


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As a teenager, I was a paper lad, before moving on to work at the local Co-op delivering groceries.

I remember having to go for a medical at 13 before they would let anyone employ me. Started out at Purdy's top of Aspley Lane for the grand total of 2/6 a week. My round used to take me down Denewood Crescent and then along the road that connects to Wigman Road - starts with a 'C' I think but can't recall the name just now. Half way down there was a Co-op and the back entrance onto the new Harvey Hadden stadium.

Thursday nights were a b*ll ache as it was the day that the Radio Times and the TV times came out! My paper sack was well heavy. I moved on to Swinbourne's on Denton Green later for the princely sum of 7/6 a week but that also included doing the collecting on a Sunday morning. The Sunday papers were so heavy I used to have 2 sacks and used to hang them each side of me handle bars on me bike. 21" frame with fixed speed gears - great.

On a Saturday we used to get an extra 2/- for delivering the Football Post - you know - the Pink one. Some of the customers used to stand at the gate waiting for you and give you a bit of a verbal if you were late.

Anyone else do the paper rounds?

I remember saving up to buy my first reel to reel tape recorder and would try to tape the top 20 every Sunday afternoon - difficult at the best of times with a poxy microphone. Them were the days.

My grocery deliveries weren't too clever either, as the bike with the great big basket on the front was way toooooo heavy for me. (Just like in the Hovis advert) One of the old dears used to make me bring the box of shopping in and then stand there while she checked every item off against the receipt - and only when it was all there would I get my 3p tip yada.gif Smelly old girl if I remember right.

One week it was shelf stacking on a Wednesday night and deliveries on Saturday and then swapped around with the other delivery lad the next week.

Happy days.

What do the kids do these days? Is the Football Post and Racing Post still printed?

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My 15 year old son works at the local post office/mini market for 2 and 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week, for this he gets £40 pound a week. Not a bad amount for someone his age, all his mates are jealous to death of him. On top of that the owners who are Sikh's think the world of him and treat him like a son and are taking him to America with them and their son next year..all expenses paid bless em. For xmas they brought him a pair of trainers for £85 as well as giving him a cash bonus. Tonight he walked in the door with 9 packets of bacon that had today's sell by date on, bet you can't guess what we are all having for our breakfast in the morning?

P.S. I can't wait for him to hand his notice in so i can take his place.

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the road that connects to Wigman Road - starts with a 'C' I think but can't recall the name just now. Half way down there was a Co-op and the back entrance onto the new Harvey Hadden stadium.

I remember that old Co-op on Chingford when they knocked it down they left just the concrete base for years , as teenagers we used to spend hours chiseling the red quarry tiles of the floor to lob/skim/chuck at each other.

My 1st paper round was for Jacks on Graylands Road then news-card on Bracebridge Drive for Mr Peck (who later also gave me a reference for my 1st job) i always believed i had the best round Staverton Rd/Baythorn Rd/Burnside Rd/then the top half of Bramerton , So when Mr Peck used to say "take this new lad with you show him your round" i used to tell then they could go home , so i could guarantee that if i was ever late in my round would still be there , cause no one knew it.

I remember Friday nights Evening Post was twice the size than it is now , i used to have to go back for my 2nd sack , think the pay was about 4-5 quid in 1978.

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I did a news paper round for Craggs in Carlton Square for a couple of years for 10p per round and 20p on Sundays , I then got a job as a butchers Saturday morning boy for a quid, and all the Bacon butties you could eat !!! laverly

My butchers round took me up Cavendish road, to near the 'Cavo' pub (Which incedently is closed down!!) then across 'Russia' to the Campbell drive area and back down Foxhill road.

The second trip out was down towards Manor road and Conway road areas, I used to get 10p and 4 Nutall Mintos in tips. This used to pay me in at Nott's games, and sometimes an away game.

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I did a paper round for about six months - then the "order boy" job opened up at the local Coop, so I went there. Hated the paper round, but I loved working at the Coop. Work and hour each on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, two hours on Friday evening and four hours on Saturday morning. Tuesday and Wednesday were mostly stocking shelves, Friday was delivering orders, and putting orders together, Saturday was mostly order delivery. I think I was originally paid a little over a quid a week.

At Christmas we got a load of overtime - that was great! Still have fond memories of riding the old order bike!

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First job was delivering hardware for the Co-op on one of those great big delivery bikes. I could hardly handle the brute. This would have been about 1958.

Then moved on to Hawthorne's paper shop in Netherfield and ran a route morning and evening. Started in Netherfield and ended up on Redland Grove in Gedling. Ten bob a week. That was the days of the Evening Post and Evening News. Sundays were the heaviest. Everybody seemed to like the "News of the World" Hmmmm!

Saved up the cash and got my first racing bike.

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That's the one!

I think Radford Red beat you to it.........cheers.gif

On the opposite side of the road to the Co-op was a chip shop and you could get your 6 pen'eth served in a half a Batch of bread. they used to cut a batch in half, scoop out the soft bread inside and then fill the crust with your chips.....mmmmmm loverly. I think it cost a shilling if you had the bread and chips.

I also remember the chip shop at the top of Sherbourne Road, next to the Cocked Hat, used to sell you a Sanderson's pie in your own bowl with lashings of gravy. My sister used to send me up there on a Saturday night when me mam and dad were at the Cocked Hat playing bingo in the back room.

Dad always used to but a quarter of monkey nuts on a Saturday and then fill his suit pockets up just before they went out for the night so he could eat them with his pint of mild.

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