Sunderland and East Durham’s newspaper deliverers get a round of applause from us today after the job and its benefits returned to the headlines.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the loss of traditional Saturday and delivery jobs is contributing to the youth unemployment crisis by stripping teens of early work experience.
Today, we are looking at some of our area’s paper boys and girls of the past and the great work they did.
It includes a Penshaw teenager who helped a man with a broken hip, a newspaper boy who helped a passer-by who had fallen, and one deliverer who made friends with a jackdaw.
There’s the Seaham grandmother who was still doing her round when she was 81 and the Sunderland paper deliverers who were rewarded for their great work in 2003 with a trip to Flamingoland.
Get in touch and share your own paper round memories by emailing [email protected]
5. Top performers in Roker
These newspaper deliverers also played as the Roker Baths football team and won trophies in 1990. They are, left to right: Chris Brown, captain; Ryan Bennett; Scott Davis; Lee Richardson; Steve Snowball. | se
6. Sean was a great help
On to 1988 when Echo newsboy Sean McAnaney was presented with Newspaper Boy of the Month award, for helping a stranger after he fell to the ground outside his home. | se
7. Flying back to 1981
Michael Woodward and his new friend who adopted him during his paper round in 1981. | se
8. Top of the shop
Michael McLoughlin, Edwin Arthur, Derek Winter, Michael Kennedy, John Anderson ,Gordon Surtees, and William Jackson were all hoping to be chosen as the Newsboy of the Year in 1975. | se