The joy of a lockdown paper round
After Robert Strang, 14, fell and bashed his knee while sledging with friends he thought he was going to have to give up his morning paper round.
But his mum Alice Strang knew how much the job meant to her teenage son and decided to take on the role in his place until his injuries were healed.
Up and out of her home in Merchiston by 6am on Sunday, December 27, the 47-yearold office worker presented herself at Gillespie’s Newsagents in Bruntsfield to the surprise of shopkeeper, Atique Minhas.
After a brief explanation, Mrs Strang was kitted out with a satchel full of papers and she was off trudging through the cold, dark Edinburgh morning.
For the first hour Mrs Strang delivered papers in the darkness but at 8am paused to watch the sunrise with Edinburgh Castle silhouetted in the background.
Realising she was having the most fun she’d had in a long time Mrs Strang, who still works part-time at the National Gallery of Scotland, said the newspaper round quickly became her favourite part of the day.
She said: “The alarm goes off at 5.30am and I get up, leaving notes for home schooling and head off dressed head to toe in winter clothing.
“I get a few double takes when I am out from people surprised to see someone my age with a newspaper bag. As I did the round more I realised what a great way it is to cope with lockdown.
“It gets me up in the morning with a purpose and has just been a fabulous way to start the day. The first hour is in the dark but I get to see the sun rising over Edinburgh Castle.”