NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTION IN BROADSTONE

I wonder if any of our members who enjoy the luxury of a morning newspaper being delivered to their door spare a thought for its short journey from the newsagent to their home. Printed by the hundred thousand and delivered to wholesalers by the tens of thousands, its final journey while still in pristine condition, may be in a rounds bag rubbing pages with an average 25 other newspapers.

In Europe it's a very British tradition for newspapers to be delivered. Broadstone is no exception and there are about 40 rounds every morning and about 20 rounds every evening except Sunday. Broadstone is firmly in an area dominated by The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail although all titles are delivered. In addition to a daily national newspaper some households have the Radio Times or their favourite magazine delivered. Keen observers of the financial markets have the F.T. delivered daily and for some it's enough to have it just once per week.

If we did stop to think about the logistics of newspaper delivery we could consider both the newsagent and the paper boy/girl. First the newsagent. He or she has to recruit enough reliable boys or girls. Not an easy task thanks to the more affluent society in which we live. Newsagents are bound by Bye-laws made by the Dorset County Council in pursuance of the Children and Young Persons Acts 1933 to 1963 with respect to the employment of children and street trading by persons under the age of 18 years. In fact they must be over 13, may not start before 7am and must finish so that there is a minimum 1/2 hour break before school. Newspapers and their supplements are bigger and heavier these days. Although the maximum permitted weight a paper boy/girl may carry is not specified, there is a Royal Mail guideline for 16 year old trainees which is a yardstick used by some news agents. This guideline is set at 26lb.

There is not a flat rate for a round because this would result in keen competition for the easy rounds near the newsagent and without steep hills or drives. No takers for Lancaster Drive for example. And so the payment is weighted. An average round would earn between £12 and £15 with some being over £20.

There are many reasons why some boys and girls are not attracted to this way of 'supplementing their pocket money. Sometimes it is the parents themselves who would prefer to fork out extra cash rather than have the household routine upset by a son or daughter waking them up earlier than would have been necessary. Some parents worry about the safety of their children on dark mornings or dark evenings. Of course some teenagers find it harder than others to get up in the morning. And who could blame them for being put off by the cold and the wet or a combination of both. There are worries about having bicycles stolen but a more streetwise approach has seen a reduction in this problem.

I understand that there is no shortage of boys prepared to earn extra cash on Baker days. These days are so called after a Minister for Education who introduced teacher training days when pupils do not attend school and are not therefore bound by the same time limits. I also learned in my investigation that there is an upsurge of interest in doing a round starting in October. 2 months later you are likely to find a Christmas card on your mat wishing you a Happy Christmas from your paper boy.

I think that paper boys and girls deserve a big thank you. There must be many like your editor who enjoys starting the day with a mug of tea and the daily paper. Coupled with that is a big thank you to the newsagents who are starting work while some of you are still partying. It doesn't bear thinking about.

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