Bob of Small End (30 page)

“
I want
to paint all the walls white,” said Ken. “It’ll make the place
brighter.”

“
Right,”
said Jack. ‘You’ll need an electrician t’wire walls before we
gyprock ‘em.”

“
I’ll
get one, and someone to install a telephone,” said Ken and added
them to his list.

“
Can we
park our cars and the van alongside the long wall Joe?” asked
Bob.

“
Sure as
long as you leave room for the tractor and wagon to pass. There
should be enough room.”

“
Good.
Thanks.”

“
Jack
can you order the wood and other materials? Asked Ken.”

“
Aye,
termorrow. If it comes Tuesday might finish nex’ week.”

“
Wow.
I’d forgotten how big the parlour was,” said Jane who had just
joined them. “What are all these lines for?”

“
Let me
show you,” and Joe walked her around the building and explained
what each area was as Jack re-measured each line and annotated the
sketch. Bob walked slowly from room to room thinking about what
would be done there.

“
The
lines for the benches are a bit vague Ken.”

“
I know.
There’ll be two twenty-four foot benches but I’m thinking I might
have to make one longer. We can decide about the length
later.”

“
Who’ll
make them?”

“
I want
to do that so I’m sure my jigs fit. Jack might have to help if I am
squeezed for time.”

“
You
will make the train and village sets as soon as you
can?”

“
Yes. In
your workshop Bob. I’ll do that this week. We could get all of it
done this week if you can help.”

“
Glad
to. I want to keep busy, it’ll stop me from worrying about
everything else that’s happening!”

“
I won’t
be in early tomorrow Bob. I have to make several phone calls and
visit the Post Office. I’ll come as soon as I can. Well if
everything’s okay I’m off now.”

Ken drove away
and Jane returned to the house while Joe talked to Jack.

“
How are
you going to cover the gap where the big doors used to
hang?”

“
Iv’ a
big tarp. Do it tremor.”

“
Do you
want any help?” asked Bob.

“
Nay,
John and I’ll manage.”

As Bob walked
home he noted that another day had sped by. He felt tired as he
walked up the road, thinking he still had to put his washing away
and make supper. He’d leave the cleaning to next weekend but he
must call the kids; he had a lot to tell them.

Monday morning
Ken went to the Post Office and told the woman behind the counter
that he wanted an address for a company he and Bob Barns had
started.

“
It’s to
be in Joe Smith’s old milking parlour. You’ll know Joe’s address,
it’s 100 Big End Road.”

“
Of
course I know it and him. Went to school with Joe. How’s he
doing?”

“
He’s
fine, busy, like always. So’s Jane, she’s working with the
committee on the new Community Centre and organising the Spring
Show.”

“
Say
‘Hello’ to them from me when you see them next. So you’ll be using
his milking parlour. All Small End will be reviewed next year and
everyone’s address might change but, until then, call it “110 Big
End Road.”

“
Okay.
I’ll do that. Thanks.”

He returned
home, went to his office, called the telephone company and
explained what he wanted.

“
At the
moment there’s a phone in the building that’s connected to the
house. I want it to be connected directly to the system not to the
house. How soon can you do that?”

“
The
house is in Small End?”

“
Yes
that’s right.”

“
Well we
can’t do it before Thursday. Sorry.”

“
That’ll
be alright. Thanks. What will be our new number?”

“
You’ll
have to ask the installer. He’ll tell you when it’s connected.
He’ll be there Thursday afternoon and there has to be someone to
let him in the building when he comes. Will that be
okay?”

Ken told her
that he’d make sure someone would be there and made a note to tell
Jack about this.

Then he called
Arthur’s office and spoke to Jennifer. He told her their new
address and said he’d be there during working hours most of the
time and would let her know the phone number later that week.

Ken called
their trade mark agent next and told him the new address.

“
Then
you’ll have to stop using your old envelopes and stationary and buy
new ones with the new address. I’ll change the address on the
forms,” he said, and Ken made a note to tell Bob about
that.

The last thing
he did was call Pat, an electrician who had worked for him when he
set up his garage. Pat was not there but his wife answered. Ken
told her that he would like Pat to wire the new workshop this week,
if he could. She said she’d ask him to call back but didn’t expect
him to be home until the evening.

He took a
break then and told Mary what he’d been doing over a cup of
coffee.

“
How do
you feel about everything?” she asked.

“
Marvellous. It’s like a promotion, like opening a new branch
in the factory. No, it’s better than that. There’s an added
dimension. I can design and build jigs and new equipment and try
them out without other people wanting something different. I like
that very much.”

“
Have
you finished for today?”

“
No, I’m
off to Bob’s shop. We’ve lots to do this week. Can you make me a
sandwich for lunch?”

Monday morning
Jack was busy also. He phoned the lumber yard and ordered the
four-by-twos, gyprock, metal siding, nails and screws, doors and
windows, hinges and paint. The man he spoke to promised to deliver
them first thing Tuesday morning and he spent the rest of the
morning helping Rose in the shop. In the afternoon he walked to
Joe’s place to review, once more, how the work should be organised.
When he arrived Joe had just cleaned the toilet and was about to
turn on the water.

“
Hello
Jack. Glad you’re here. Can you flush the toilet while I stand by
the tap. If it doesn’t run there’ll probably be a leak in the line.
Let me know what happens.”

After a gurgle
or two the toilet flushed and Jack opened the tap on the sink to
see if that was connected. It was but the water was brown just as
it was in the toilet so he let it run until it cleared. There was
only one tap. Joe’s Dad had never seen the need to have hot water
because the water was mostly used to cool the cans of milk that
were put in a big metal tub in the yard. That tub had long-since
rusted and been thrown away.

Bob, Monday
morning, unable to sleep any longer, was in his workshop at six
o’clock making the bases and bodies for fifty train sets. He worked
until eight, stopped for a couple of slices of toast and a pot of
tea and, when Ken arrived at eleven, had everything, including the
dowels for the wheels and the chimneys ready for sanding. This was
the first time he had made that many in one go and in such a short
time. He and Ken sat in the garden, sanding, and Ken told him what
he had done that morning.

“
The new
shop’s address is 110 Big End Road and I’ve told Arthur and Simon.
Simon says we must use that address on our letters and business
cards from now on. We will have the shop’s telephone connected
Thursday afternoon and we’ll know the number then. Once we know
that we can order the new stationary and cards. I’ve spoken to the
electrician’s wife. She says he’ll call me tonight and I’ll ask him
if he can install the wiring, sockets, lamps and switches this
week. His name’s Pat.”

“
Tremendous. I hope he can. Have you heard from
Jack?”

“
No.
He’d call one of us if there was a problem.”

They stopped
for lunch at three o’clock, after the sanding had been finished and
agreed to continue until the first paint coat had been done. Ken
phoned Mary to tell her he’d be late that night and he and Bob were
back, painting, at three fifteen. They had a quick tea-break at
five and finished at six.

Bob was
exhausted. “I’m going to have a pot pie and go to bed.”

“
Mary
will have saved something for me but I’m not ready for bed
yet!”

“
I hope
the electrician calls.”

“
Me too.
Jack can’t install the gyprock until the wires are in place. We’ll
do the rest of the painting then glue and box. We’ll be able to
start on the villages in the afternoon. Okay Bob?”

“
Yes.
You know I never thought two people could accomplish this much in
one day!”

“
One day
for you but only two-thirds of a day for me. But it’s been a long
one. Of course, making fifty at once speeds things up.”

“
And the
jigs,” said Bob. “They made all the difference.”

Bob was
tidying the kitchen when Ken arrived on Tuesday morning.

“
Hi
Ken.”

“
Hi Bob.
Ready for another long day?”

“
No. I
don’t want a long day! I want a short one and a good night’s sleep.
It’s my driving test tomorrow and I’m supposed to be relaxed when I
take it.”

“
I’d
forgotten all about it. Okay. Let’s stop at five regardless of how
much we’ve done.”

They went to
the workshop and painted, finishing before their coffee break.

“
Pat
called and said he would fit our work in,” said Ken, as Bob poured
the coffee. He’ll come first thing on Thursday and should have
everything in place by five if Jack or John can help by drilling
the holes for the wires and pulling them through.”

“
But the
telephone man will be there that afternoon won’t he?”

“
Yes but
I don’t think it matters. The phone’s in the office and I’ll ask
him to put an extension on the back wall of the workshop as well
but that shouldn’t be a problem. His wires can run across the roof
joists and just drop into position.”

Just then the
mail flap banged and something dropped on the floor.

“
I think
that’s the mail Ken. Can you fetch it while I look for some more
biscuits?” Ken shouted from the front door, “One letter, that’s
all. Addressed to both of us at
Small End
Wooden Toys
. It looks as if it’s from Arthur. Here you
are.” He handed the letter to Bob who opened it.

“
Yes it
is. His bill. He’s charged us £35.”

“
That’s
very good.”

“
Yes.
I’ll put it with the others. They’re all in this box if you want to
see them.”

The coffee
break was another short one and they returned to the shop to begin
gluing.

“
When
I’m in Big End I’ll go to the art shop Bob. I want a thinner
acrylic paint if they have one. If they don’t have it I’ll try the
Bournemouth or Southampton shops. I want it to try dip-painting the
first coat. That’ll be much quicker than using a brush.”

“
I
thought you were going to use a spray gun.”

“
I was.
But we can’t afford the proper kind of spray booth yet. Dipping
will be the best for us right now.”

“
How
would you hold the pieces when dipping so all of it gets
painted?”

“
Using
needle-holders, narrow boards with needles pointing out of them.
You push the pieces onto the needles. A couple of eye-hooks on the
other side will hang the holder on a rack while the paint dries.
The racks will be on a trolley and that can be pushed from the
first booth to the next.”

“
Have
you ever done that before?”

“
Years
ago, when we were experimenting in the factory.”

They stopped
for lunch at twelve then returned and screwed on the wheels, fitted
the hooks and eyes, then wrapped and boxed the trains. It was all
done by three thirty.

“
Well
that’s excellent. We’ll not start on the villages. Let’s go and see
what Jack’s done Bob.”

“
Good
idea. Yes let’s.”

They tidied
the shop and Bob locked the door. “I’ll get you the spare key to
the shed Ken. You’ve already got the one for the shop.”

They drove in
Ken’s car to the milking parlour, entering the farm yard and
parking along the side of their new workshop. The opening in the
wall where the big doors used to hang was now covered with a grey
metal siding. There was a hole on its right side where a delivery
door would be fitted. They walked into the building through that
gap and looked around. The work area was now twelve foot shorter.
Wall studs covered the end on their right except for the
twelve-foot space that was on the right of the waiting room. Bob
pointed to it. “That’s a perfect place for the wood to be
stored.”

“
Yes it
is. Jack’ll make some racks and shelves for it when the rest of the
work has been done.”

John was
holding a spirit level against one of the office-wall studs and
Jack was nailing its top to a ceiling joist as they entered; Ken
and Bob stood and watched until the wall was fastened.

“
You’ve
done a lot today. I particularly like the outside wall Jack. The
join between the old siding and the new is hardly
visible.”