A trip down memory lane

[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

My first job was a paper round delivering the evening paper after school plus the sporting pink paper saturday evenings during the football season. I actually worked for the paper itself, rather than a newsagent. About 2pm monday to saturday one of their vans would chuck a roll of papers onto our garden and when I got back from school I would deliver them round our estate. Even now I can remember the paper cost 7p and I added 1p per week for delivery adding up to 43p per week. I took in all the money then once per month a bloke from the paper would call on saturday morning and tell me how much they wanted for the papers. I ended up with about £4 per week and more when I was delivering the pink in football season. This was good money at the time as paperboys working for newsagents would be on £2 per week if they were lucky.

I had forgotten I too had an after school paper run. I recall my customers would give me sweets and other goodies as I handed them their paper. I actually was talking about your first real job.. post school.

[Mulletino]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I shared an evening paper round with my brother, we delivered the free weekly paper so never took any money and got paid by the newsagent. It was a massive round with a fair few long roads which had to be delivered to every house. There were also inserts, which had to be folded and put inside every paper, although we got a bit more money for those. As we didn't collect money we didn't get an "Xmas Box" from any of the customers as we only put papers in the door, till we worked out that knocking and handing over the paper and saying "Merry Christmas from the Standard Recorder" sometimes got us a little extra.

[Richard1978]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I delivered a local paper for 2 years & was normally paid in cash which the distributor would hand over with the papers. I also remember getting more for leaflets.

One of my friends did the weekly papers, & one Saturday in December he used to do the whole round knocking on the doors asking for tips.

[staffslad]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I had to collect my customers' money every week, so at Christmas I didn't have to knock specially. On saturday evenings during football season I also delivered the sporting paper with football results and reports etc. This cost 6p but some would give me 10p and tell me to keep the change, which was very nice. As the round was my estate I could do it within 30 minutes and about 23 if I really tazzed it. I actually worked out that for the time I spent on the round each week and money I got, I actually got more per hour than I did in my first job after leaving school, plus I had tips and no travel expenses on the round. I inherited the round from my older cousin and passed it on to my younger one.

[beccabear67]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I did two paper routes for a couple of years in Canada, but one was mostly all apartment buildings, which was really nice to have in the winter or if it was pouring rain! I also had a 24 hour gas station on that route that also sold cigs and there was a cold soda pop machine. The real headache was collecting the subscription money every two weeks, and when the trucks with the papers would drop my bundles at the wrong shack. Also I had a creep in a car follow me a bit one morning and asking if I wanted a ride, brrr. Was too dumb to think to report them or get details anyway.

[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Do like sound of the creep following you. So what was you first real job beccabear67

[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

What was your first job promotion? I spent several years in my 20s working in sales for a major Sydney department store.. I started floor walking but one day the promotions manager told me he liked my attitude with customers and offered me a job in the upmarket Promo Dept. Wow what a step up from floor sales this turned out to be. I had always fancied myself as a bit of an actor so to get to dress up as various characters.. some Disney cartoon faves.. was a hoot. Tho I did get some ribbing from my mates. In partnership with my characterizations I had a microphone and would go to various depts and spruik away to my heart's content. A spin off of this job was becoming a member of the stores acting troupe..putting on plays not only for store employees but touring plays to various Sydney and beyond locations. They were fun days.

[Mulletino]

Re: A trip down memory lane

So Donald the Great was a great Donald!

[Zincubus]

Re: A trip down memory lane

What was your first job promotion? I spent several years in my 20s working in sales for a major Sydney department store.. I started floor walking but one day the promotions manager told me he liked my attitude with customers and offered me a job in the upmarket Promo Dept. Wow what a step up from floor sales this turned out to be. I had always fancied myself as a bit of an actor so to get to dress up as various characters.. some Disney cartoon faves.. was a hoot. Tho I did get some ribbing from my mates. In partnership with my characterizations I had a microphone and would go to various depts and spruik away to my heart's content. A spin off of this job was becoming a member of the stores acting troupe..putting on plays not only for store employees but touring plays to various Sydney and beyond locations. They were fun days.

How bizarre .. my son is still on the Disney payroll as an occasional Disney character in the Florida Disney parks !

Is wife also plays a rather important Disney character and that's an understatement


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[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

How bizarre .. my son is still on the Disney payroll as an occasional Disney character in the Florida Disney parks !

Is wife also plays a rather important Disney character and that's an understatement


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Pity then there were no Disney parks in Australia. After my in store Promo job I went solo flogging myself to whoever wanted to hear me. I did some good stuff at various social functions and made quite a living.. as a single man. Then along came the wife and a reality check.

[tex]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Who remembers the rag and bone man?....more to the point why was he named rag and bone? for anyone unfamiliar this was a guy who would ride a horse and cart around the streets shouting "RAG/BONE" people would then take out any old clothes in exchange for a balloon or a donkey stone which was used to clean the front doorstep. keen gardeners would shovel up the horseshit for the roses

[Zincubus]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Who remembers the rag and bone man?....more to the point why was he named rag and bone? for anyone unfamiliar this was a guy who would ride a horse and cart around the streets shouting "RAG/BONE" people would then take out any old clothes in exchange for a balloon or a donkey stone which was used to clean the front doorstep. keen gardeners would shovel up the horseshit for the roses

Yes !!

My mum gave me some old clothes or material to give him and I think he gave me some toffees .... I think !?


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[zabadak]

Re: A trip down memory lane

There is some guy who comes round my partner's street in an open van, ringing a bell - she knows him as the "ting-ting man" - who is the closest thing I've seen to a rag 'n' bone man in recent times (people give him stuff to use or scrap)...

[Richard1978]

Re: A trip down memory lane

There is some guy who comes round my partner's street in an open van, ringing a bell - she knows him as the "ting-ting man" - who is the closest thing I've seen to a rag 'n' bone man in recent times (people give him stuff to use or scrap)...

There are a few scrap men I see around near me. I can remember they used to offer to pick up TVs when it was the digital switchover.

[tex]

Re: A trip down memory lane

There are a few scrap men I see around near me. I can remember they used to offer to pick up TVs when it was the digital switchover.

Yeah, scrap men are still a familiar site but rag and bone men have long since gone the way of the dodo. We now have clothes banks sited in supermarket carparks dont we?