Bob of Small End (19 page)

“
I don’t
know. Selling has been fun so far. I like meeting and talking to
the retailers. They like the sets and seem glad to sell them. But
I’ve never thought about being a salesman and someone else making
the toys. I’ll have to think about that.”

“
It’s
just a suggestion Bob. You could do both jobs if you wanted.
Alright, you think about it. I’ll help you tomorrow and Wednesday
but I can’t come Thursday or Friday; we’re going to London. We’ve
tickets to a show Thursday night.”

“
Okay
Ken. Thanks.”

Both men were
rather quiet as Ken finished cutting the extra pieces for the set.
When the clouds suddenly cleared away and the rain stopped Ken
unscrewed the belt sander and took it outside, making enough room
for Bob to cut the long hedge blocks.

As he prepared
supper that night Bob rethought Ken’s ideas. ‘It’d be easier if I
stayed small; I know what that kind of life’s like. As long as I
make enough money for a couple of holidays each year I’ll be
satisfied. If I don’t try making more will I regret it later? And
what about all the extra money I’ll have to spend to increase
production? Well, I guess it wouldn’t cost much to buy the routers
and saws, surely I can afford two hundred pounds. I suppose the
biggest question would be, do I want to sell and let someone else
make the toys? Would I be happy doing that?’

He thought
through these questions during his supper and afterwards, when he
glued the train pieces together. ‘Do I want to become rich or
remain more-or-less poor? If I sold lots of toys then what am I
going to do with all the money I’d make apart from spending it on
holidays? Give it to the children? Take lots more expensive
holidays? I suppose I could go to Europe two or three times a year
if I earned enough, though that might not be so much fun if I
didn’t go with Joe and Jane.’

Bob finished
the gluing, washed his hands and sat in his easy chair, thinking
and rethinking, but finally he had to stop and go to bed. Perhaps
he would know what to do when he woke up. Funnily enough he slept
well and he also knew what to do when he woke up early the next
day.

When Ken
arrived carrying his stool Bob was in the kitchen, having added the
eyes and hooks that linked the engine and carriages and painted the
lines that added more realism to the toy. He told Ken to sit down,
offered him a mug of tea which Ken accepted this time.

“
Buy the
routers and the saws Ken and make the jigs. It’ll be great if they
worked. Almost any improvement in the speed of making the hedges or
other parts would be very welcome. And I think we’ll have room
enough to use them when the wood is moved into the
shed.”

“
I’m
pretty sure that the hedge jig will work Bob. Years ago we used
jigs like the one I have in mind in our factory; we made mouldings
with them. Later we bought a special machine to do that but I
remember how well the jigs worked. Just how many toys are you
thinking of making?”

“
I guess
that depends on how many I can sell. Have you got any more
ideas?”

“
Yes I
have. One of the first things you should do is copyright your
company’s name. Actually it’s not a copyright you need it’s a trade
mark.”

“
Why?”

“
Because
if you’re successful people will come to know your name. Once
bigger manufacturers realise how successfully your wooden toys were
selling they’ll make the same thing cheaper and quicker than you
and soon put you out of business. However, if people already knew
the company’s name they’re more likely to buy your toys not other
company’s.”

“
I see.
How do I obtain a trade mark?”

“
Go to
an agent. He’d do it. I know one in Southampton. What would you
call the company?”

“
Ah,
I’ve already decided that, it’s on my labels. It’s “Small End
Wooden Toys.”

“
Okay.
Lastly, here’s one other suggestion. Take time to think about it
and I don’t mind which way you decide to go, instead of you paying
me to work for you how about us forming a partnership? I would look
after making the toys and you would look after selling them. You’ve
told me that you don’t like the idea of making the toys under
pressure. From what you’ve said you’d probably like travelling the
country, visiting new places, talking to new people and seeing new
things. Of course that can become tiring but you need only do as
much as you want. You don’t have to continually revisit your
retailers, they can phone when they want more toys and we can hire
a man to deliver them. There’s all sorts of things like that we can
do, once we grow big enough. Now, take your time to think about all
this. It is a big step but something like that is needed if you are
to become much bigger.”

“
What
kind of partnership do you mean Ken? Are you thinking we would be
equal partners?”

“
We
could do whatever you want Bob. It’d be nice to be equal but it’s
your business not mine; you have to make that decision. All I’m
doing right now is making toys for you but making them faster than
you did.”

“
Oh no
Ken, you are already doing much more than making toys. You’re
giving me many new ideas. It’s a very interesting suggestion. I’m
sure you could create a toy manufacturing company, and a very
successful one, as long as I could sell all the toys you’d make.
I’ll think about us becoming partners.”

“
There’s
no hurry, as I said, take your time. Well, let’s start the days’
work.”

“
Would
you help me with the shed first Ken? I’d like to put the roof and
the siding on. Once that’s made we’ll put the wood in it and
rearrange the shop.”

“
Of
course. Let’s go.”

Cutting and
fastening the roof joists to the window wall and to the workshop
didn’t take long. Once in place they held the shed firmly in place.
Ken cut the siding and Bob nailed it onto the back and window wall.
They were completely covered by eleven when they broke for coffee,
drinking it in the kitchen and talking about how the shop should be
reorganised once the wood had been put in the shed.

“
We
could put the boxes that store the pieces and the boxed sets in the
shed as well as the wood,” said Ken. “We could even move the belt
sander there, the place is big enough.”

“
The
dust would coat everything if we did that.”

“
Not if
we made a plastic-enclosed sanding booth. I know a shop where we
can probably buy a second-hand exhaust fan. We’d have to have one
of those. Oh, another thing. I think that cutting the long blocks
into the separate houses or the dowels into engine boilers and so
on could be done much faster and more accurately if we used a band
saw.”

“
Yes I
know. I thought about doing that a couple of weeks ago but it
seemed an extravagance then.”

“
We
needn’t buy a new saw: an old one with a new band would
do.”

“
I
see.”

They covered
the front wall with siding then stopped for lunch. While eating Bob
thought a lot about what Ken had said and, unusually quickly for
him, made his mind up as he swallowed the last of his sandwich.

“
You’ve
lots of good ideas Ken and I think they are sensible ones so let’s
go for it. Let’s become partners and see what happens. We should be
equal partners for you’ll probably be doing more work than me if
everything goes the way you suggest.

“
Well
I’m glad you’re willing to take the risk Bob. We should do well, I
think. However, you’d better have fifty one percent, not fifty.
That way you’d always have control. It’s really your business, I’m
just joining it.”

“
Would
forty nine percent be all right with you?”

“
Of
course. I’m only doing this for fun. Then let’s see a lawyer and
formalise it.”

“
All
right. We should share the expenses and income from now
on.”

“
No,
that’s not fair Bob. This month’s income is yours; you did all the
work. Let’s share everything beginning next month.”

“
Well,
okay. The cheques arrive at the end of the month, so it’s easy to
arrange. I’ll tell everybody what we’re doing next time I see
them.”

“
Wait
until we’ve signed the agreement Bob.”

“
Okay.”

They boarded
and shingled the roof and fitted the windows after lunch but left
the door for Bob to fit later. There was plenty of wood left from
the shed’s construction. Bob planned to use it to make racks to
hold the wood and shelves to hold the boxes, leaving room by the
door for the sanding booth.

“
Let’s
go to Southampton tomorrow Bob. If we left at eight we should be
finished by lunchtime. I’ll phone the lawyer and agent when I get
home. If they can’t see us I’ll phone you tonight and we’ll set
another time or date.”

“
All
right. I must buy a cordless phone while we’re there. I can’t hear
the kitchen phone when I’m in the shop. Leo said a cordless phone
would solve that problem.”

“
It
would. We have one and I use it in my garage and in the garden with
no problem.”

“
Good.
I’ll see you at eight tomorrow then. If you have to call me tonight
don’t call before 6:30, I’m having a driving lesson.”

“
Okay.
Have fun. ‘Bye.”

Bob boxed six
train sets and put them in a bag ready to take to Leo then he
washed and changed. Peter arrived promptly at five.

“
You
drive Bob. We’ll go the route I suggested, along the back roads,
through Easing to Twinner then along the coast road. We’ll return
if the traffic gets bad along there. Keeping to the speed limit
when most people want to exceed it can be very
stressful.”

Peter quizzed
Bob on the traffic regulations while they drove. He could answer
most but didn’t know much about the penalties.

“
Read
the book Bob. There’s lots to remember. The most important thing,
though, is the way you drive and I don’t think you’ll have any
trouble with that.”

Bob
parked opposite
Toys and Gifts
in Twinner and carried the sets to Leo. “I was about to call
you because I have only one village set left Bob. Did you bring me
any today?”

“
Sorry
Leo. I’ve only got trains. I could bring you some villages on
Sunday. Do you need more farms?”

“
No,
I’ve still got five.”

“
You’re
selling almost everything I can make right now. Leo. I’m hoping to
increase production and I’ll tell you about it when it’s all
arranged.”

“
Good.
Lots of people want to buy your toys. Some are put off when I tell
them how much they cost but most of them buy.”

“
I’m
glad. Then I’ll see you Sunday afternoon. I’ll be here about 2:20.
Should I go to your house?”

“
No.
I’ll be working in the back of the shop. Just knock hard if you
can’t see me.”

Bob stopped
about half-way along the coast road, did a three-point turn and
headed home. In Twinner he practised parking between cars several
times.

“
I think
you could pass the test tomorrow Bob. It’s a pity it’s not until
the 26th. Are you interested in taking one earlier if there is a
cancellation? I’ll phone them if you are.”

“
I would
be, if you think I’d pass.”

“
I’ll
call them tomorrow and ask. I suggest we wait at least two weeks
because you must have some practice driving on the motorways and
through city traffic first. We can go along the A31 and the M27 on
Thursday. If we do that we’ll need a two-hour lesson. Is five
o’clock alright?”

“
Five’s
okay. I need to practice driving in the dark as well Peter. Could
we do that if we started later?”

“
No. You
should do that on less busy roads first. Next week would be best.
Drive to the garage and park at the back Bob.”

“
Okay.
If the date for the driving test is changed can you call me in the
evening tomorrow? I’ll be in Southampton during the day.

“
Sure.”

He thought
about all the things that were happening to him as he walked up the
road to his house. ‘It’s almost more than I can handle right now; I
hope it slows down soon.’

The skies were
grey and gusts of rain hit Bob as he ran to join Ken in his car on
Wednesday morning. “Hi. I look forward to the day when I have a car
Ken. It’s not much fun waiting for busses when the weather’s like
this. When’s our first appointment?”

“
Ten
o’clock, with Arthur Glone. He’s my lawyer and he’ll draft the
partner-ship agreement. The trade mark agent, a Mr. Smyth, will be
in his office all afternoon and we can see him anytime. That gives
us plenty of time to do our shopping. How well do you know
Southampton Bob?”

“
I’ve
been there a few times. I took Betty and the kids to the docks once
and we shopped there occasionally but I don’t really know the town.
The best part of going there, for me, was when the bus went through
the forest. We had competitions, like who could spot the most
horses.”

“
There
are lots there, not that you can see many from the road. They roam
all over the place.”

“
I know.
It was just a way to shorten the journey for the kids.”