Xmas Sleigh Jim will-fix-it
F
or many years our Xmas float has served us well, both for static and mobile
collections throughout the borough, but it is apparent that age is beginning to show on some of the reindeer (as well as some of the collectors) so there has long been the aim to do something to perhaps move towards a different type of 'presentation'.
W N O
ord reached me through the grapevine that a Lions club in Dagenham
had arrived at the point where perhaps their members were even older than ours, their numbers were certainly much less than ours, and their Xmas float was languishing under cobwebs, detritus and other such unpleasant things but it was, in reality, doing nothing constructive for the foreseeable future
othing ventured, nothing gained............ In my normal innocent,
charming and polite way I approached their 'man with the van' (in fact he had just sold it so they were really in trouble) to see if they were minded to give it to us - for nothing - to use with our own equipment as a basis for a revamped, updated, modernised thingy that might bring us into the 21st century at the lowest possible cost.
f course, with the loss of storage and workshop facilities at our longstanding
site of Sullens Farm it was necessary to find somebody who was soft enough to agree to accommodate us, as well as to work with us on the actual project, so once again Peter at Latchford Farm was approached. Suitable
grovelling and wheedling brought about his - and his very helpful wife's - support, so in early January both the 'new' and the 'old' sled were sited under cover in one of Peter's many barns and outbuildings, where they have brought forth a number of ribald comments, but where we hope - when warmer weather deigns to arrive - to work some form of miracle and produce a 'better' unit for future collections.
M A
y current thinking - which I am happy to change if anybody has better ideas -
is to aim to achieve a float where FATHER XMAS is able to sit on a lighted throne and wave at everybody whilst the 'workers' knock on the doors. This is distinct from the current scenario where he has to leg it up many and varied paths to give screaming infants large lumps of chocolate to quieten them down whilst mum and dad dig deep into their pockets..........
nybody got any suggestions or - better still - contributions to the idea?
Photos & story provided by Jim Haines
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