Former Daily Echo salesman Philip Skeels celebrates 70th birthday

Philip Skeels, also known as Echo man, spent a quarter of a century selling copies of Southampton's own newspaper outside Westquay in Above Bar Street.

The pensioner from Itchen started working as a salesman in August 1977 and said he has loved the job.

Philip Skeels at the Echo stand (Image: The Daily Echo)

Speaking to the Echo, he said: “I was helping out at the time and someone came up to me and said there was a job at the Echo to sell the paper.

“I applied and got it. At the time, the Echo only cost seven pence.”

He added: “I loved (the job) and didn’t take one day off.”

Asked what advice he would give to fellow newspaper salesmen, Phillip said: “Just work hard and try to sell as many papers as possible.”

Philip now spends most of his days at Sembal House day care centre in Handel Terrace where staff are all familiar with his tales from his time at the Echo.

Philip's Daily Echo cake (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: Former Daily Echo reporter turned author writes book starring Woolston dogs

Kerry Green, 55, has been Philip’s support worker for four years.

She said: “He remembers certain points and moments while working there.

“When he sold the most newspapers, that period of time was the best time he has had.

“We’re trying to make this a special day for him because he always tells us about his job and we can see how he proud he was of working for the Echo.”

Kerry says Philip remembers the day Lord Mountbatten died in 1979 and the start of the Falklands War in 1982.

To celebrate his birthday today, Phillip will go to his day care centre and then host a party at home with his care team.

His birthday cake has a picture of him at his Daily Echo red stall with the writing ‘Happy Birthday Philip, also known as the Echo man’.