A former regional press journalist who started at the very bottom of the profession has written an account of his early career.

Peter Deeley's working life began as a copy boy with Birmingham-based Caters News Agency, in 1951, earning 30 shillings a week.

In the days before fast-tracked journalism centres and Dictaphones, Peter was running errands for journalists, learning to type on the job and reaching 200wpm shorthand at evening classes.

Now, aged 73, his self-published memoirs – Copy! Boy! A 'Black' from Brum – detail a time in the 1950s and 60s which would probably be unrecognisable to many trainees today.

Peter said: "Everyone started as a copy boy, apart from a few graduate journalists who everyone despised. I started at 16 but some started even younger at 14.

"I had to go to court to pick up copy and take it to the various newspaper offices.

"I washed the dishes, cleaned the floor and filed copy for the reporters.

"On a Saturday we would do a football match with running reports for papers.

"The book is about that time – it's all fact, my memoirs of my early days in Birmingham and every word is true."

Peter's career spanned 50 years which included two years in the RAF.

His first job after leaving Caters was as a journalist working in Parliament.

He later wrote for Reuters and The Sun and even spent three years down under at the Melbourne Age before returning home.

Peter retired "on the first day he could" in December 1999, aged 65, and now spends his time cycling and learning French.

The book took him a year to write but he says he has no plans to write any more as he had to publish this title himself.

For a copy of the book e-mail Peter on pknapton@onetel.com. It costs £8.50, 50p of which goes to the Newspaper Press Fund.

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