Always anxious for more spending money, I had undertaken a morning paper round which paid 15/- a week. Fifteen shillings in old money (now equivalent to £0.75) was worth much more then. A pint of beer could typically be bought for two shillings (£0.10); a gallon of petrol cost four shillings and ninepence (£0.24). Imagine - four gallons (18 litres) for a pound!

It turned out that the first few months of 1963 - when I was doing my paper round - were the worst months for weather since the dreadful winter of 1946/7. Because of the enormous weight of dozens of morning papers (most of them were broadsheet in those days) the newsagent had supplied me with a delivery bike. This had a huge steel basked in front and, as a result, a very small front wheel. This wasn't usually a problem - until the snows started. 

After several days of snow, it had accumulated to six or seven inches deep and continued to build as snowfall persisted. Before long, the snow was above the axle of my delivery bike and this made it impossible to ride and very hard work even to push. Main roads weren't too bad but those on estates (where most of my deliveries were to be found) were often untracked. There weren't so many cars about in those days and the ones that were there often couldn't cope with the snow.

So, for most of my round, I had to push the heavy bike and papers through deep snow, wearing my wellies. When I finished and got back home weary and sweaty, I had to gobble down a rushed breakfast and change before cycling off to school. Fortunately, my own bike had bigger wheels but it was still quite difficult.