Paper round is good first step in world of work
OUR paper boys and girls are a vital part of the Evening Times supply chain.
Every weekday more than 500 junior agents stock up with papers printed that lunchtime and set out on their rounds.
Supporting these young people as they get their first taste of earning a wage is an important part of the equation for a lot of our home delivery customers.
And it is worthwhile for the junior agents, who keep 16p of the price of every copy, every day, and can earn a tidy sum.
As an Evening Times paper boy I went down a less lucrative route. Working for my local newsagent in 1983 I used to deliver 26 papers five days a week, and 10 on a Saturday, for the princely sum of £1.40.
The same round working directly for our home delivery team today would earn £25.20.
And then there are the tips. Because my customers paid at the shop I only got one tip a week. That was from a gent who gave me 10p on a Friday.
Today’s junior agents often get a bit extra from their customers and it all adds up.
The paper boys and girls, just like our street vendors, are part of the role the Evening Times occupies in our shared experience of city life. Graham Shields Editor