It all began in 1885, when young William Glass of Wimbledon snapped up a vacant news-seller's pitch outside Surbiton Station.

He had left school at 13 the previous year, and eked out a living selling papers at Wimbledon Station.

Surbiton was a more lucrative prospect - well worth the effort of leaving home before dawn each morning and taking a train to Surbiton (fare twopence-halfpenny in old currency).

There he stood on the forecourt from 5am to 2pm in all weathers, selling national papers and, of course, the Surrey Comet.

"He loved selling the Comet because he could make more money, especially when a midweek edition was introduced in 1900," said William's son, Bob.

"In those days the Midweek Comet was a tabloid, which specialised in sport and cost 1d in old cash. The weekend, out on Saturdays, was a broadsheet costing 2d."

The extra revenue from the Comet was welcome at a time when national newspapers were sold for 1d, and William had to pay 1s 6d for a quire (i.e. 25, plus one for display).

Each quire sold for a 2s 2d - just 8d profit.

Only once in his working life did William leave Surbiton Station. That was during the First World War when Edith, his wife, took over the pitch while he served with the Inniskillen Fusiliers.

But years of rigorous pavement selling had taken their toll. He contracted rheumatic fever, was discharged early in 1917, and resumed sales.

"It was no good for his health, but he had no choice," said Bob.

William got a workplace roof over his head for the first time in the 1930s, when he took one of five new kiosk shops outside Surbiton station.

"It was good to be under cover, but it cost £3 a week," recalled Bob.

"Dad had never paid rent before, and he had to extend his hours from 5am to 8pm to cover the cost. We've kept the same hours to this day."

A decade of hard work later, the stresses of the job caught up with William. He collapsed in his shop in 1942, and died soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, Bob has been involved in the business since his schooldays.

"Dad bought me a brand-new Hercules bike for £1. 19s 6d on condition I delivered papers," he said.

"I used to leave Wimbledon at 5.30am each day, cycle to Surbiton, and do two delivery rounds covering 90 houses before cycling back to school in Wimbledon.

"After school, I would cycle back to Surbiton to look after the kiosk while Dad had his tea."

Bob left school at 14 and worked full-time with his father until 1939, when he was called up into the Royal Engineers until 1946.

In the four-year interval between his father's death and his demob the shop was looked after by an aunt.

Meanwhile he had married his girlfriend, Marie, in 1941.

"All single girls were ordered to join the Land Army or the ATS, and marriage seemed the lesser evil!" he said.

The couple's son, Keith, now runs the business from a shop built in the 1980s on a site only yards from where William began selling Comets in 1885.

Bob and wife, both in their 70s, still help out behind the counter.

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