I refuse to accept that refuse collections were easier in times past

Grant says…

NO, I shall not be reapplying to work the bin trucks again at 87.

Did it for 42 years back in the day when work was work and not just a matter of putting your time in.

For my first 19 years it was called the Ashcart. We went down each ginnel 20 odd times a round, to fetch the galvanised steel bins, (or cans as we called em’) from every house’s back yard and returned em’ too.

No gloves, high viz or all weather gear. Just hobnail boots and a leather shouldered donkey jacket.

Each can was full of rubbish and Firegrate Ash and “shoulderd” to the cart to be tipped by hand from off your back.

Each time you got a face full of dust and got home looking like a Miner.

Bathtime was only a Saturday night after the afternoon match and afore church Sunday morning.

You didn’t need a gym or a gadget to count ya steps. You just got stuck in to bring the misses two shillings and sixpence home a day to keep the rent man at bay.

That’s why you see so many gyms around town nowadays, cos folk have stopped doing a proper hard day’s graft.

What the lads on the rounds do now is about as hard as our Sunday morning walk was to church and back.

However if you think I am mistaken please correct me, as your experience is possibly far superior to mine

!! P.s. This has reminded me, the lads gave me a nickname at the depot, Grunter or Grunting Grant as I apparently let out a grunt as I heaved each can off my back and over my shoulder and into the cart.

I won’t even mention the stench of the dog and cat p–s that rubbed into ya neck off the sides of the cans.