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David Wood’s story this time talks about his paper round and goes like this.

My paper round went from High Street through Willis Street to Heath Street, all the way up to the top of Charlotte Street, across North Street, down Alice Street including Andrew Street and finishing with Anne Street at the bottom.

On Saturday nights and Sunday mornings I could barely carry the bag because there were so many papers in it. It only became manageable about half the way up Charlotte Street, for this I was paid the princely sum of eleven shillings (55 pence) a week and half a crown for Sunday, (twelve and a half pence).

The half a crown I had to give to my mum to pay for the wear and tear on my shoes, father’s orders. The only days of the year when newspapers weren’t published were Good Friday and Christmas Day.

Good Friday was traditionally the day of the Stoke on Trent Paper Boys trip to Blackpool. The trip was sponsored by the Evening Sentinel and we travelled by train to that famous seaside resort.

The problem was that the season didn’t open until May or June and the weather was usually atrocious. Hardly any of the attractions were open, but never mind, we usually made a pretty good time of it and it was the thought that counted.