1972: Alan Barker - DONCASTER's Amazing BLIND PAPER BOY | Nationwide | World of Work | BBC Archive

"It's only once in about ten years that he got the paper wrong."
Nationwide reporter David Lomax visits the Yorkshire village of Sprotbrough, near Doncaster, where Alan Barker - who is completely blind - is preparing for his daily paper round. Alan has been delivering the papers to village residents every day, without fail, for the past 31 years. Each day Alan sorts and delivers papers to 250 houses, walking some 20 miles in the process.
Alan demonstrates how he identifies the various newspapers, and how he negotiates his potentially treacherous paper route.
Originally broadcast 24 November, 1972.
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[@emilian7052]

RIP Alan December 1912 to January 1996. He was about 60 here

[@cpmahon]

Even if Alan wasn't blind, that would have been a very long day and a hard job to do. The fact that he was blind as well shows his determination, I bet he was a real character.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

Bless his heart. What a lovely, courageous and clever man. Thank you BBC Archive for bringing people like Alan Barker to a modern audience.

[@anythingbootneck]

What a wonderful man, truly amazing.

[@pauljames3058]

What a top bloke👍

[@ianstoys13mgs]

I deliver in High Melton today !! but I have a van and can see, this man is dedication personified.

[@ianstoys13mgs]

I can see, I just dont look somtimes@@algrant5293

[@moominmay]

He’s not ever had a weeks holiday and works 362 days of the year. His courage and spirit amazes and humbles me but I find it a little heartbreaking also that he has so little time off. I wonder if being blind he feels isolated and working such long hours almost everyday makes him feel less so. I hope he had family or good friends and he wasn’t lonely in the few hours he wasn’t working.

[@user-xh9pp8ix9q]

I'm 47 and tears just came too my eyes. God bless you Alan.

[@WearertheRESISTENCE]

I know.🥹

[@whatamalike]

Absolute legend

[@andydixon2980]

This is so heartwarming. Love the community warmth in this also.

[@mistercutts]

Glorious.

[@holgerandersengrn3457]

What an energy that man had, I get tired just watching him👍

[@robbflynn4325]

What an inspiration. Bloody wow!

[@chelamcguire]

What an amazing gent he was. Alan lived until 1996, when he was 84 years of age.

[@justonsullivan3807]

Alan was an amazing man. Just simply incredible. 🙏🇺🇸🗽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🙏

[@bickle81]

I'm not moved by much, but I was moved by this. What an amazing person he was.

[@fredo1070]

If Daredevil was a paper boy. Not all heroes wear capes.

[@richardsharpe2966]

A very remarkable man only wish we had more like him today

[@2639263926392639]

Remarkable. And listen to the speech of all filmed; how did we lose the ability to communicate so well?

[@iloveboxing677]

What a man..... Amazing

[@matt01506]

We were a more gentle, kinder and cohesive country back then. Could you imagine this wonderful gentleman doing this today in city's like london ! I despise what labour started and successive governments have done to our once civilised communities. PS. did you notice he used a sentence that has almost been removed from society now. "MY OWN COMMON SENSE"

[@WearertheRESISTENCE]

👍💯

[@electroencephalograph]

In 1972 we had a man called Alan, who literally blindly delivered newspapers. In 2023, we have someone running our country who can't even deliver a speech.

[@jasonayres]

"..and he always remembers what people owe him.." Well, he was blind. Not blind drunk. Great testimony.

[@davedogge2280]

how did he manage that ? I switch the lights off in rooms I've been in 10,000 times and I don't know where I am.

[@WearertheRESISTENCE]

😳 wow.❗❗😭❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@markbrown4039]

I wonder what became of him.

[@frankmurphyburr3598]

they dont build people like this anymore

[@WearertheRESISTENCE]

Hey ! a real police man. 😮

[@NickMullet]

Sad to think he delivers all those papers yet can’t enjoy reading one himself. Now we have people who refuse to work for very trivial reasons.

[@countkafka]

Whilst sorting the papers prior to delivery he keenly senses which of the papers is the Guardian..... because he can detect its characteristic stench of self-righteous liberal piety!

[@astra47420]

The tax man will get him for the fages black market and the big paper round he will be gowing to jail for benifit and tax evasion 😂

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

Get tae.