Philip Jacobs

I must say I enjoyed David Hick reminiscing in Wednesday’s Beacon about his time as a newspaper delivery boy. I too delivered newspapers as a teenager.

In 1966, I delivered the Christchurch Star around the Christchurch CBD. The papers cost three pence (3d) each and I received a pound a week for my wages.

In 1967/68, I delivered the Greymouth Star around Greymouth and for a short time I also delivered the Christchurch Press in the morning in Greymouth.

The wages were much the same, but now in decimal currency – two dollars a week.

Alas, in these modern times most of our news comes via social media, the internet and to a lesser extent via radio and television.

But I, being of a mature age, and despite being a consumer of online news, prefer to read a real newspaper seated at home with a cup of coffee.

I did enjoy my time delivering newspapers and as David has said, it was not so much for the money, but as a community service.

Subscribers relied on you to deliver their paper every day, come rain, hail or shine.

And so, when in the latter part of 2025 I discovered that the Beacon had not been delivered into Galatea and Murupara for a number of years due to logistics issues, I decided to do something about it and return to the trade.

And so, it is today, in my early 70s, I am the newspaper delivery “boy” for the Beacon into Galatea and Murupara on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

I do it free of charge, partly as a community service, partly to maintain my relevance in society and, more importantly, to have a reason to get out of bed in the morning, to keep mobile, have some mental stimulation and, hopefully, to improve my personal longevity.

So, if you live in Galatea, Murupara, Kopuriki, indeed Te Mahoe or on MacDonald Road and would like the Beacon delivered to your house or place of business on Wednesday and Friday morning, then please ring the Beacon and organise your subscription.

If I can get another dozen subscribers, I will hit up John Spring for my $2 a week (inflation unadjusted) wages.