Blast from the Past: Paperboys
Recently, this writer’s son, let’s call him Little Alan Sugar, asked for suggestions on how to make more pocket money.
I suggested a paper round, before realising that boys on bikes delivering newspapers isn’t such ‘a thing’ anymore, certainly not where we live.
Little Alan Sugar had never heard of paperboys and asked me to explain. This is what I told him….
‘In the olden days boys keen to earn a few quid to squander on comics, pellet guns and Spangles, would go to their local newsagent and ask for a job delivering newspapers, such as that produced by your mother’s esteemed employer. (Others would simply sell single fags outside the school gates...but we’ll not go there).
‘The paper boys would get up early in the cold and dark before school, bolt their bread and dripping and drag a heavy bag full of papers round the streets, posting them through letterboxes or on the doorstep to get wet.’
‘It was hard work, but could be shared out, especially if you happened to star in a Tudor Crisps ad and could bribe a mate to deliver newspapers to the top floor of a high rise set of flats...’Tudor Crisps? I’d climb a mountain,’ was the well-known refrain.’
‘What are Tudor Crisps?’, asked Little Alan Sugar…….