Bo Bo’s Working Bee

Bo Bo’s Working Bee

By Paul McCann

In the back entries around the town some of the rubbish bins had not been collected due to the shortage of collectors ,For a month the mess was increasing and the binmen were not able to clear it up and the corporation were not helping by putting om extra workers so as always Bo Bo offered to help with emptying the bins and the binmen were very grateful  of his help . Bo Bo also asked Charlie and a few of the lads form the boxing club to help clear up the mess around the town .

So, the small team answered the call . Charlie , Lefty , Spider, Skeeter , Tully and of course Bo Bo offered to clean up the mess unpaid .

They began early one winters morning as they went about the alleys with a shout and call for people to put their bins out . It was always different around the village when winter came around the old dam froze; men were seen wearing donkey jackets and women wore scarfs over their heads  . Children put on woollen gloves and early in the morning as people spoke there was a mist that appeared from out of their  mouths when their warm breath kissed the cold air of winter . As the snow lay on the ground the task of emptying the bins became harder ,

Bo Bo started to get to work on bringing some spirit into the team for the cleaning and began by shouting out to the streets ,

As Bo Bo lifted each bin, he would give out a shout as he bent his back with two hands on the bin on his back and he went ,

“Keep the rubbish off our street “

Charlie joined in by shouting ,.

:We’re going to crash your trash for free “

One by one all the team added their own thing to the call .

Spider called out l ,

“We’re going to chuck  your muck in the back of our truck:

So now it was more like fun than hard work .

As Bo Bo and his binmen crew were busy at work you could hear the shouts ring out from Bo Bo and his crew,

Charlie and some of the other lads had got colds but kept working away through the coughing and sneezing as they dumped more of the rubbish from the bins into the back of the garbage truck .

Charlie had a good idea and began banging the bin lids together like a set of cymbals as he shouted out  .

‘Ah Achoo . Bring out your bins half full or not , we’ll take the lot”.

It was almost melodic as the rest of the crew echoed out with their own calls for the rubbish collection .

Lefty screamed ,

“Achoo ..any more rubbish , don’t keep it to yourself  “

Skeeter shouted  

“Time to get your bins emptied now, don’t wait until its too late . “

Spider shouted out  

“Up and over we go,  ah choo , with your bins and we’ll even come back for more “

Together their morning chorus was heard up the and down the back alley’s.

It was all part of the job nut more like being part of a musical rubbish removal  serenade in the snow .

In the freezing temperatures Bo Bo and the binmen crew worked liked trojans with a touch of happiness because when you work free its not about the money. Its all working from the heart and the pride they all got from seeing the town slowly getting cleaned up was a reward in itself .

Some of the older folk around the town began giving tips for the Bo Bo and his crew , Othe people gave warm soup and even some warm clothes as gifts for the effort they were making in the working bee .

When the corporation saw the difference the lads were making they offered to put on a free dinner for them and all their families at one of the large fancy restaurants in town . The sight of clean alleyways around the town gave encouragement and hope to everyone and shortened the winter no end .

As the snowy path’s melted what a joy it was to walk along through the town and see the clean village streets and alleyways with the smell of clean air in your nose and sound of laughter return again among friends . The winter chill had gone and the community gathered to thank Bo Bo and his binmen and present them with a honour board with a all their names engraved on it . The honour board was placed on a wall were people walked past everyday .

After the winter working bee Bo Bo had another plan for a spring clean working bee with an idea to plant flowers in baskets and them from the alleys that once were filled with rubbish .The proposal was put to the corporation who approved and funded the work to bring the colours of spring to the streets and alleyways around the town .

All the community of the village got involved with Bo Bo and the spring working bee . As the sun fell down on the streets , the sight of flower baskets brought a sense of pride back to the village and the memories of rubbish piled up everywhere was forgotten . In the springtime evenings people stood at their gates talking and young couples were out walking together and there were  smiles on all their faces  .
There was more than a warmth of spring in the air, there was a welcome for everyone to enjoy the new life seen around the village .

The colours of spring were the herald of a new day and a future where everyone could do something to keep their town clean and beautiful.

What a great job they were doing for everyone, bit by bit , bin by bin all the rubbish was being cleared ,. Weeks passed and they had emptied all the bins and cleared the mess ,no more did the smell of rubbish reek in the air . The lads had all worked.

like clockwork as a team week after week to evict all the garbage out of the village .

The dirty nappies and the empty tins , the stinking bins , the bottles and tins all of the food scraps and clap traps , the dirty rags and rubbish bags had all gone up and down and round and round into the back of the rubbish truck with the help of Bo Bo and the binmen who got their head down and got stuck into it until it was over and done , every single bit of rubbish was gone and Bo Bo and Charlie and the boys from Bosco’s Boxing club had dome the dirty job for free .

After the great work Bo Bo and the crew had dome the corporation put on extra workers and two collections were put in place instead of one .

Once on the weekend and the other midweek . The little town had now become known as tidy town . People were encouraged by the reputation their town  had received and always kept an eye out to make sure the tidy town remained as such .

The End