As a reporter on the Peterborough Evening Telegraph, Hannah Davies is used to helping to produce the paper.

But as part of Local Newspaper Week, she decided to have a go at selling it – by becoming a vendor for the day.

Helping show her the ropes was vendor Mick Patchcott, who has been selling the Evening Telegraph for nearly five years to thousands of customers including singer Alvin Stardust and actor Christopher Timothy.

Before the day’s newspapers arrived, Mick chatted to Hannah about his job and gave her a few pointers.

He said: “I first started when I left the building trade. It’s a really great job if you like talking to people, but you have to be polite six days a week, and be kind to them as well.”

After spending the day greeting customers, selling the news instead of writing about it, Hannah said: “Anticipating the next customer breaks the boredom, and you can’t beat that rush of adrenaline when the money changes hands.

“But I couldn’t get used to the rain, and felt I let the side down whenever I took a toilet break. So although I will be keeping in touch with Mick, I don’t think he’ll be inviting me back in a hurry.”

Do you have a story for us?
Ring the HoldTheFrontPage newsdesk on
01332 291111 x6022, or to e-mail us now – click here