[Finance] How big was your paper round?

Stat Brother · Feb 16, 2020

I accept this is now ripe for a 'Yorkshireman' thread, it's logical conclusion being:-

"I started in the Winter of '75 and am yet to finish"

But I shall continue anyway.

Just back from taking Jnr round his 12 (TWELVE) houses, half a bag, in utter disbelief.

100+ houses.
3 bags.
At the shop for 6:30, out by 7, home by 8:15.
£5 a week up to £7.50.
Return to shop Fri (local paper day) and Sunday's.

Pa Stat would take me on Sunday's but I had to run along side the car and wasn't allowed in.

Unsurprisingly I spent this morning saying "stealing a living".

That said I did bloody well at Christmas.

Super Steve Earle · Feb 16, 2020

Never had one. Sang in church choir instead. But drove Earle Jr on his weekend round. No idea how many houses, but a couple of bags filled a good hour.

Jam The Man · Feb 16, 2020

For about a year autumn 89 - summer 90 I delivered Property News to 180 houses in the Flint/Forge Close area of Portslade. It took about 90 mins and was just once a week and I got paid 2p a paper, so was well chuffed when I got a Christmas tip of a quid!
It was dead boring though, so I jazzed it up a bit by doing it in a different order/ route most weeks.
I gave it up because I didn’t want to miss any afternoon games of Italia ‘90.

Is it PotG? · Feb 16, 2020

Didn't have one of my own.

Helped a mate out once, early evening and full of enthusiasm.

Shut my fingers in a highly sprung loaded letterbox, no more heavy bags and Sunday Supplements for me.

BNthree · Feb 16, 2020

About 80 houses but spread over quite an area. Sunday papers weighed a ton with all the supplements in so used a shopping trolley on Sundays.

bhafc99 · Feb 16, 2020

Do people still read physical newspapers, let alone have them delivered?

Stat Brother · Feb 16, 2020

bhafc99 said:
Do people still read physical newspapers, let alone have them delivered?

For only 12 (twelve) houses Jnr had an alarming amount of Mail on Sunday's.

So I assume the lady of the house still likes a newspaper delivered.

vegster · Feb 16, 2020

It was a long long way back but my round was about 40 houses weekdays and a few more on Sundays, hated Sundays as the extra supplements almost doubled the weight. Had lots of Mail/Telegraph and a few Expresses. Had one Daily Mirror to deliver at a house where it would be a daily race between the owner and his Dog to get to the letterbox first... If the dog won he would shred the paper instantly.

Westdene Seagull · Feb 16, 2020

What's with all this pathetic 'I drive round with Jnr' lark ?? It's a bloody paper round, they should walk as I had to do with 50 papers ( had a trolley on Sundays ).

Lush · Feb 16, 2020

Eldred Avenue/Tongdean Lane/Colebrook Rd. Pretty much every house had a paper. Sunday’s was really heavy, but got paid extra. Also remember the cloth bag filthy with years of newsprint. You don’t see many paper girls these days.

Stat Brother · Feb 16, 2020

vegster said:
It was a long long way back but my round was about 40 houses weekdays and a few more on Sundays, hated Sundays as the extra supplements almost doubled the weight. Had lots of Mail/Telegraph and a few Expresses. Had one Daily Mirror to deliver at a house where it would be a daily race between the owner and his Dog to get to the letterbox first... If the dog won he would shred the paper instantly.

Jesus wept I could have written exactly the same.

My one Daily Mirror house's LB was 3/4 ers of the way up the door.
The terrier in question would charge at the letterbox.
I'd be watching through the frosted glass.
As it leapt I'd smash the paper through.
Just to see how many backflips it would do.

Every bloody day - The idiot.

GREASED WEASEL · Feb 16, 2020

had one in the 70's (Newhaven) when almost everyone had a paper delivered

remember the black hands and trying to pinch a bottle of milk off the milkman's float

Horses Arse · Feb 16, 2020

Too long ago to remember how many houses but I did it on a bike and the bag was so heavy that if it leaned at all the bike was gone. Hard work.

Also remembered getting whinged at for late delivery of a paper to a house within sight of the shop. Told him to go get the paper himself if he wanted it earlier. Got my first lesson in customer services from Dave the newsagent owner.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Skuller · Feb 16, 2020

I had a round in the late sixties which I enjoyed. I got a bit extra money for helping the owner pick the papers up from Seaford station and slipping the magazines into the Sunday Times. I also wanted to do the marking-up (especially when the weather was bad) but never achieved that career goal. I had to give-up in 1970 because of the really dark mornings (the clocks didn't go back in the winter then) and I couldn't see a bloody thing and always ended-up with a spare paper at the end of the round. I'd rip the house number off the top of the paper and throw it in the gutter.

golddene · Feb 16, 2020

that takes me back!!!!!
early morning round, six days @ 6am, about 50 papers all up hill=9.0 shillings (45p)
Argus round after school and Saturdays, again around 50 papers (nice and thin Monday &Tuesday, heavier as week went on)= 7/6 (35p)
Sunday morning round (twice to the shop as so heavy) = 2.0 shillings = (10p)

ShanklySeagull · Feb 16, 2020

Evening Argus c.1980...did the afternoon run when I came in from school. About 30 papers and it paid £3 per week. A year or two later I started delivering a weekly free paper - I had several days to deliver it which was just as well as it was 400 papers! Paid £15 though but back breaking when you've got a bag over each shoulder that's full up!

Quinney · Feb 16, 2020

Had about 25 houses, mostly Telegraph and Times readers (delivered to expensive part of St Leonards) Monday to Friday. Thursdays were a nightmare due to Radio Times and local Observer being published. I think I got £3.00 - £5 back in early to mid 80’s. Used to pay for home games.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Iggle Piggle · Feb 16, 2020

That was mine. The orange was the walk to and from home and the blue the round itself. . It took ages!

portlock seagull · Feb 16, 2020

Best part of two evenings a week for several years doing the freebie. Leaflets were bonanza time! 1/2p per house. Cat used to love playing with those plastic strips that wrapped a bundle of papers. Happy days and all weathers!

B-right-on · Feb 16, 2020

I must have started mine in about 74 when I was 11, lied to say I was 12 as could not do it until 12.

Did evening round of about 100 houses. Bloody bag was real heavy as was at the other end of village to the shop and I didn't want to go back too many times. Loved how it got lighter and lighter. Seemed to be about 2 out of every 3 houses got a paper. Did it for a couple of years. Hated those with dogs and those with letterboxes that had a really strong spring basically on the ground (don't see that anymore) that you really had to force the paper thru.

Tried doing an early morning round and an evening round together for about 6 months but gave up the morning round as too hard getting up so early in the winter before school. Morning rounds were much quicker, less papers.

Really shows how times have changed. Yoof today.....

Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Finance] How big was your paper round?

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Thrifty non-licker

Plastic JCL

Well-known member

Well-known member

Sanity Clause

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch

Mods' Pet

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Justice for the 96...

Well-known member

Well-known member

Why? Why us?

Living the dream

Share this page