Paperboy, 82, retires from his round after 70 years

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A man believed to be one of the oldest paper boys in the world has retired after 70 years.Sprightly Joe Wardman, 82, said he had finally decided to put away his bicycle clips as there was ‘nothing else to achieve’ following his decades in the industry.His dad Richard, who lived in Barrow, Cumbria, with his wife and their nine kids, co-founded Wardmans Newsagents in the town with his father, Joseph, in 1922.And after a short probation period, Joe began taking papers to homes and businesses in 1954, at the age of 11, while still at school.He later took over the family firm with his mum when his dad passed away in 1964 and ran it until his retirement in 2011 - working seven days a week.But even after this, he continued to voluntarily deliver papers until he handed over his final print issue to staff at the town’s White Lion pub on September 21.Joe said: “I’d done my 70 years and I thought there’s nothing else I can achieve with it now.“Part of the decision was because of all the recent storms, heavy rain and winds, but I’m still fit and involved in all my work in town.“It’s proved to be a good decision too because the young lad who has taken over is doing a really good job.“He does the round on an electric bike so he’s in his glory.”Joe began dipping into the paper delivery trade when his older brother was called up for National Service in 1951.But his job became more permanent three years later, and he then worked amidst the backdrop of the famous 1959 printer’s strikes, which lasted seven weeks.He remembered when there were two daily editions of his local paper, the North-West Evening, which cost just 1p per issue.And Joe also recalled many major historical events, both locally and nationally, that occurred during his