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Evening News Printing Office Rochester

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Mike Gunnill:
I don't remember the Evening News office in Rochester. I do remember when the Kent Evening Post from the Kent Messenger started though. They had the idea to send copies of the KEP up to Kent stations in London so that Kent bound travellers could read their local paper.  This system worked for two days. The delivery men at the Evening Standard got to hear about this and twice a day a man from the man was waiting for the KEP to arrive in London. He then took control of the papers and walked them over to the next Kent bound train where the arrived back at Maidstone station. The KM gave up the practice fairly soon afterwards. The Standard delivery boys, you didn't argue with!

AlanTH:

Hi Dave S. I finished my apprenticeship at Blaw Knox in 1965 and left 3 weeks later with another lad from Sittingbourne and went contracting at the Imperial Paper Mills at Gravesend. To get that money we worked 7 days a week and 12 hours a day until the job finished or until they sacked you. :) Fitters at BK used to have a yearly comp. to see who would reach the magic 1500 quid for the year by working lots of overtime etc.
I had many of that type of job over the next few years, hard graft some and nearly always away from home for long periods. I have had many jobs here in Oz doing the same for good money in the mines etc.
I too did a paper round for old Smithy who had a shop opposite the cemetery on the Maidstone Road Rochester. I did Warden and Breton Roads for 6 bob a week! Then graduated to Valley View Road and earned 7/6 a week. Bloody hard work especially at the weekend with rain pouring down and on Saturdays you had to return later in the morning to collect payment from the customers. When I first started I used to walk from Cookham Wood to the shop but used my earnings (with a bit of help from mu elder bro and sister) bought a racing bike on which I balanced the bag on the handle bars. Quite frankly it was child abuse but we didn't know any better back then. I chucked my bag on the ground and refused to do it a couple of times but my elder sister did it for me....
AlanTH.
 

Colin walsh:
Alan H,ref the cake shop question,yes it was the same buckets as in St Margrets st ,next to the school as you say ,unforgettable smells fresh bread,getting back on thread,most of my pals had paper rounds there was a printing press under Rochester station late nights extra results were added to evening papers,not certain if it was connected to the star hill establishment,most of the paper boys were collectively known as "the star boys"

Dave Smith:

MartinR:
Either formally for maths as 1s 6d or commonly as 1/6 but if you were down at the market you might write 1/6d for your carrot's, pea's and other veg!  ;)

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