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In the mid-1850s very few people living in Somercotes would have had the ability to read or write, although some may have had enough rudimentary skills to write their name. Although education was available, it was expensive and not mandatory for parents to send their children to school. The Elementary Education Act of 1880 finally insisted on compulsory attendance at schools for children between the ages of 5 and 10 years, and the numbers of children able to read and write rapidly increased. Most news would have travelled by the post or simply word of mouth, but as more people were educated, the availability of newspapers in semi-rural areas began to increase.

Before the invention of the radio, newspapers were the main source of news, and many local newspapers, like the Derbyshire Times & Chesterfield Herald, the Derby Mercury or the Nottingham Evening Post were purchased in the many thousands.

Eventually, the newsagent came to Somercotes. To supplement their income, they often sold other goods, including tobacco and sweets, although the trade directories do not record this.

Tobacconists were more common than newsagents in the early days. Many of them were also listed as hairdressers, but the majority of these would probably have been gentlemen's barbers.

Advert for Albert Morris, possibly dating from the 1930s