Bob of Small End (54 page)

“
That’s
nice. Any day will do Bob. Jack’ll run the shop if I’m
away.”

“
Oh
that’s good. I was worried we might not find a day suitable to
everyone. Then I’ll let you know the date we’ve chosen as soon as I
can. ‘Bye Rose.”

He drove
directly to Lyme Regis and called at the two shops there then began
the return journey, following the road to Bridport, Abbotsbury and
Weymouth. He ended the day at Fortuneswell, tired, but happy,
having left toys at ten shops. The traffic in the towns, lack of
convenient parking spaces and having to explain who he was and what
he was selling took time. None of the owners or managers had heard
of
Small End Wooden Toys
.
However each one was interested to learn that other shops were
selling them and were willing to try. No one questioned the forty
percent rate he offered.

He arrived
home around six, long after everyone would have gone home so he
didn’t stop at the shop. He left the van parked on the road in
front of his house and loaded it with sets using his carry-on to
move them from his shed to the van. He looked at the Community
Centre’s new wall as he walked to and fro; it was about four feet
high. When he had finished loading he walked over and admired how
straight each wall was. There were four openings. ‘So they must
have four doors. One or two of them must be for emergency, I
suppose. I’ll ask Jane about that when I see her. I hope the main
door doesn’t face my house.’

Tuesday
morning he drove to Dorchester, handing out sets to sixteen
customers. The shops were busy and the owners didn’t have time to
chat. They heard what he said then simply said they’d take five of
each toy as a trial. He arrived back at the workshop at three and
everybody was in the meeting room having tea. No one was talking
when he entered and he filled the gap by telling them that the toys
they were making are now selling from Lyme Regis to Southampton and
up to Salisbury. “What do you think about that?”

“
We’d be
famous if you put our names in the boxes,” said Lori.”

“
We can
do that,” replied Ken. “It’s not a bad idea. We could include a
slip saying who made the toy.”

“
You’ll
have to put all our names on each one then because everyone’s
involved.”

“
All
right,” said Bob. “I’ll ask Jack to make the slips.”

“
Hey,
you don’t have to ask Jack,” said Lori. “I can do that and print
off as many copies as you want.”

“
Yes, of
course,” replied Bob. “We’ve always used Jack in the past. I wasn’t
thinking. Okay. How many do we need Ken.”

“
We’re
making seven hundred sets a week so let’s make enough to last ten
weeks. Oh! How long will you be staying with us Jose?
Luke?”

“
I’d
like to stay until the end of August,” said Jose. “I’ll have to
stop then to get ready for college.”

“
Okay,
and you Luke?”

“
I
haven’t found anything in South America I’d like to work on so can
I stay here until I find something? Let’s say until the end of
August, like Jose. That should be long enough.”

“
Well in
that case make seven thousand Lori. We’ll make more when we run
out. Don’t make them too big. Can you get fifty on a
page?”

“
Easily.
I don’t suppose we want to say much more than ‘Made by . . .’ and
list our names do we?”

They discussed
what they should say and asked Ken if they could include small
photographs of them as well. He politely said no to that. Then
everyone except Lori returned to the shop. She went into the office
and began typing.

While she was
typing Bob told Ken about the shops he’d visited, how busy they
were and that they’d all accepted sets. “They mostly said they’d
take them on a trial basis. I think that’s what they usually do
when something new comes along.”

They were
interrupted by Lori who said, “Here they are. We should buy a paper
trimmer; it’ll take a long time to cut all these with
scissors.”

“
Yes.
You’re right.” said Ken.

“
Can you
get it tomorrow so we can start adding them to the boxes? Didn’t
you mention that you were going to Big End?” she asked, as she
opened the door into workshop.

“
Yes,
I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“
Thanks.”

He and Bob
moved into the office after Lori left and Ken shut the door.
“Here’s the latest news. First, the new pails of paint arrived.
They’re stacked under the bench in the paint booth. I thought we
might be able to store some of the sets there but there’s no room
for that now. Second, Leon phoned to say that the two routers have
arrived so I’m going there first thing tomorrow. I’ll have to buy
some new blades for the belt saws.”

“
And the
trimmer. The stationers or the art shop would likely sell
them.”

“
I’ll
deposit the cheques too,” said Ken.

“
The
April sales ones?”

“
Yes. I
don’t think we’ll get any more now. It is the twenty
first.”

“
How
much did we get?”

“
£1,639.50. They sold 46 villages, 37 farms and 30 trains. If
we add what Rose, Jenny and Leo sold we made £2,581.50. We’re doing
well so I’d like to pay everybody a little more, they’re all doing
an excellent job.”

“
I agree
but can we wait until we see what we’ve earned this month?” asked
Bob.

“
Yes of
course. I didn’t want to do it immediately and only if you agreed
but I’d like to do it as soon as we can. I don’t think anyone wants
to leave and no one has asked for more pay but I’d like to give
them more because it demonstrates how much we appreciate all
they’re doing.”

“
Yes
you’re right. About tomorrow, do you want me to stay here until you
return?”

“
Yes
please. I’d be back before nine if I didn’t have the trimmer to
buy

“
Then
I’ll buy it. I can do that as I drive through.”

“
Okay.”

Bob
drove to the south of Dorset Wednesday morning, stopping in Poole
before heading home. He called at seventeen new shops and each
accepted the toys. Now there was only the north of Dorset to see
but he decided to leave that until he heard from Salisbury Boxes.
That way he could do two jobs at once. He stopped at Big End on the
way home and bought a paper trimmer. It cost £13.75 and he used his
credit card. Then he visited
Home and
Holiday
.

“
You’ve
come just at the right time Bob,” Jenny said, as he entered the
shop. “I’ll take another five of each.”

“
Then
I’ll go and get them.”

After
collecting the receipt Bob said “I still want to take you to lunch,
Jenny. In fact, Ken and I want to take you, Rose and Leo to lunch
together. Is there any day that you could be free to do that?”

“
Yes of
course. I’d like to see Ken and Rose again but it’d have to be a
Monday or Tuesday. There’s too many customers for Susan to handle
on the other days.”

“
Then
it’ll be on one of those days. Rose can manage any day so I’ll find
out what suits Leo. I’ll phone you and let you know
when.”

When Bob
walked into the workshop office Ken told him that the plastic boxes
had arrived. “They’re stacked behind the boxing part of the bench.
I’ll make some shelves for them tomorrow. And
Salisbury Boxes
called. They said our boxes can
be picked up anytime after lunch tomorrow.”

“
Oh,
that’s good. Then tomorrow I’ll do Dorset north.”

“
We now
have our own electricity meter Bob. I don’t know what it cost,” he
added, knowing that was likely to be Bob’s next question. “We’ll
have to wait for the bill.”

Bob
squeezed in seventeen more shops before calling at
Salisbury Boxes
on Thursday. Bill
helped him load the paste boards in the van then told him he had
something to show him.

“
It’s in
here,” and he opened the door at the back of the room that led to
the workshop. Don saw them enter and walked over carrying a piece
of plastic.

“
Hello
Bob. I’d like to show you this, it’s a new lid for your box. It
replaces the pasteboard lid you’re using now. Look, this is how it
works.” He picked up one of the
Wooden
Toys’
pasteboards, carefully cut off the lid portion
then rolled the pasteboard into a box. “This plastic piece fits
into the hole and makes the lid. Look.” He pushed the larger end of
the plastic into the hole in the log, bent it and slipped an
extended portion on the opposite side into the other side. “See,
the wider plastic sides stop the lid from falling in. Now anyone
can see what there is in the box.”

“
That’s
very interesting. Let me try fitting it,” said Bob.

“
Okay.
Of course the side you fit first into the box will have a
quick-fastening adhesive on it. That will keep the lid in place
when the box is empty but I haven’t added that yet.”

Bob removed
the plastic and refitted it. “Yes. It’s nice to be able to see
inside. How much would this cost per box?”

“
If you
ordered five thousand it would cost an extra fifteen pence per
box.”

“
Oh.
Well I’ll have to talk to Ken about it. Can I take this to show
him?”

“
Of
course. Let me know what you decide as soon as you can. There’s
another company interested in the idea and they might want
exclusive use of it but I told them you had first choice since you
were the first to use this kind of box.”

“
Thank
you. I’ll phone in a day or two.”

The shop was
empty when he arrived at five-thirty so he left the van by the side
door and walked home. One of the boys would unload it tomorrow.

The Community
Centre’s walls were at the roof height now and were level, ready to
take the supports for the roof trusses. There were plenty of
openings for windows, several of them on the south side, facing his
house. ‘That’s where the noise will come from in the summer,’ he
thought.’

There
was a small package by the front door and he opened it in the
kitchen. It contained five newsletters from the
Gift and Toy Association
and a note from Julie
inside. “Here’s our newsletter Bob. Hope you like what I wrote.
Good luck with your venture. Julie.”

A colour
picture of Bob and his stand was on the third page, under the
heading
Small End Wooden Toys
was Julie’s article. She explained that Mr. Barns started
selling his toys in 1992, shortly after his wife died and
continued:

“
Rose Tyne was the first to sell the toys in her Gift Shop in
Small End. Early this year Jenny Wood in Big End began selling them
in her shop, Home and Holiday. Then our past treasurer, Leonard
Tinnet, Leo to most of us, tried them out in his shop, Toys and
Gifts, in Twinner and has sold many. A couple of months ago Ken
Smith joined Bob and formed a partnership and shortly afterwards
they built a larger workshop in Small End. The first and the second
workshops are shown in the pictures on either side the stand that
Bob had at our conference. He told me that he hoped all our members
would sell his toys and Rose, Jenny and Leo told me that they sell
quickly and easily. I suggest you call Bob and have him bring some
of his toy sets to you. At the moment he sells trains and
carriages, village and farm sets. Children can build their villages
or their farms in many different ways and they have been scaled to
suit the animals that many of us sell, generating more animal
sales. Let’s hope that Bob and Ken make a zoo set next; we need one
to house our giraffes, lions and elephants!

“
I’m sure we all wish them success in their new
venture.

“
Julie Mayor.”

‘
What a
nice article’ thought Bob. ‘Ken and the others will be most
pleased. And it’ll help me sell to association members who haven’t
heard of us. I’ll call Julie tomorrow and thank her!’

Bob was
pinning the article he’d cut from the newsletter to the clipboard
on Friday morning when Ken walked in.

“
Look at
this Ken. It’s the
Gift and Toy
Association’
s latest newsletter.” He gave Ken one of
the extra copies. “Turn to page three. There. Isn’t that
nice?”

Ken read the
article and beamed at Bob. “Yes it is. We should have lots of
people calling us once they’ve read this. We’ve already got a lot
of new requests. Lori has a list of at least ten who want more toys
soon.”

“
That’s
great! I’ve collected the next batch of pasteboards from
Salisbury Boxes
and they gave me
this,” and he handed the sample box to Ken.

“
It
looks nice, easy to open.”

“
Don’t
worry about the lid falling away, it’ll be held on by an adhesive
band. This lid adds an extra fifteen pence.”

“
Well I
rather like the idea and we can afford the extra price.”

“
Yes,
that’s what I thought when I first saw it. However I thought a lot
about it on my way home and I now think we shouldn’t use it. Our
chief feature is that we are part of the Green Movement. That’s
what Craig said, remember? We shouldn’t spoil that image. But a
plastic lid does exactly that.”