The Wild Wheelies In "On The Street"

One lovely sunny day in Bintown a group of young colourful and animated wheelie bins are rolling down Recycle Street. These are the Wild Wheelies and they meet at the corner of their street.

They are quite extraordinary children. They are the shape of wheelie bins. Their eyes and ears are on the lid. The mouth is the gap between lid and body of the bin. Their long arms reach the ground and are flexible so they can pick up things and put into them in their mouths.

Let's meet them. Grubby is the eldest boy. He is a general rubbish wheelie. He is dark green. He is the leader. He is the one with the good ideas and is always the one to urge the others to clean up. He is sensible and pragmatic.

Jarman is the second eldest boy. He is a glass, cans and plastic wheelie. He is dandelion yellow. He is a bit more reserved but is more intellectual. He is the first to make jokes and offer witty observations.

Shreddy is the youngest girl. She is a paper and cardboard wheelie. She is sky blue. She is the more exuberant and naïve of the three. She asks the awkward questions but is enthusiastic and caring.

Now let's join them on the street corner and find out what they are up to.

“What a windy day it’s been”, says Shreddy.

“I agree”, says Jarman, “look at all the paper. The wind has blown it all over the street!”

“Come on!” says Grubby, “let’s clean it up”.

So, off they wheel, chasing the paper. Grubby and Jarman stand on the fluttering pages so that Shreddy can gather them up.

Grubby wonders why there is so much paper on the streets. “Most of this is the local newspaper”, he observes. “Why is it flying around all over the place? “

“There must be a reason”, says Shreddy.

It takes them half an hour to gather up all the paper. Once they have finished, poor Shreddy is full. “I’m stuffed”, she says.

“Let’s go and find Tubs”, says Grubby.

Shreddy burps. “Oops, sorry”, she apologises.

They soon find their friend Tubs, the paper recycling truck from the Waste Management Centre, on the High Street. He looks cross.

“Hi Tubs! What’s up?” they ask in greeting.

“What’s up?” replies Tubs. ”I’ll tell you what’s up, it’s all this paper. It’s everywhere!”

“It’s the wind”, explains Jarman.

“We’ve cleaned our street”, says Shreddy proudly, “I’m absolutely stuffed”. She burps again. “Oops, sorry”.

“Well done kids”, commends Tubs. “Now stand back. I’m going to lift up little Shreddy and empty all the paper into my articulated rear receptacle”. Then he reaches out with his big arms and picks up Shreddy and empties all her paper.

"Weeeee!” says Shreddy as she moves through the air and back down again, “that always makes my head spin”.

“Come on”, urges Grubby, “let’s help Tubs with the rest of this paper”.

“Good onya, kids”, thanks Tubs. “The sooner we pick up the paper, the sooner the streets will be clean!”

So, the Wild Wheelies wheel up and down the High Street, collecting the strewn paper. As they go about their business, they sing a little song.

Soon, they have picked up all the paper on one side of the street. Poor Shreddy is full again. Tubs reaches out and lifts her up again.

“Weeeee!” she says as Tubs’ strong arm lifts her again and empties more paper. She giggles as all the paper comes tumbling out. “It tickles”, she says.

But, there is so much paper it takes another three loads to clean all the paper from the High Street.

“I’m feeling sick”, says Shreddy.

Grubby and Jarman tell her she has done a great job. “We couldn’t have cleaned the High Street without you”, they say. Her friends’ kind words make her feel a little better but her head is still spinning.

“It’s terrible”, bemoans Tubs, “every time it’s windy, there’s newspaper blown everywhere. Why can’t they do something to stop the newspapers being blown about by the wind?”

“Where does all the paper come from?” asks Shreddy.

“From the piles of papers that people put outside their houses to be recycled”, answers Tubs. “The problem is that I can’t get to them quick enough”.

“Hmm”, ponders Grubby, “I’ve an idea. Come on, Wheelies. Let’s go and see Mr Read the newsagent”.

Off they trundle to Read’s Newsagency around the corner form the High Street.

“Hullo there, Wheelies”, greets Mr Read. “You all look hot and bothered. What have you been up to?”

“We’ve been chasing newspapers all over the town, Mr Read”, says Grubby.

“And look at poor Shreddy”, says Jarman. “She’s feeling sick with all the stuffings she’s had!”

Shreddy burps again. “I’ve got a headache, too!”

“Goodness me!” exclaims Mr Read, “I had no idea!”

“It’s the wind”, explains Jarman. “It blows the paper that people leave for recycling”.

“We’ve spoken to Tubs”, says Grubby. “He wishes that something could be done to stop the paper being blown about”.

“Well, the Council has already provided recycling bins for each house”, says Mr Read. “That cost quite a lot of money. I don’t think the Council will pay any more”.

“You need to put something heavy on top of the pile of papers”, deduces Jarman.

“What, like a brick?” asks Shreddy.

“A brick would work”, confirms Jarman.

Grubby has a great idea. “What if you spoke with Mr Brickley the builder. I’m sure he’d have some spare old house bricks. Then you could talk to the Waste Management Centre. I’m sure they would help too as it would save Tubs extra time and effort trying to catch all the paper!”

“Hmm”, mused Mr Read, “you know, it’s worth a try. I’ll call Mr Brickley and Mr Fowler right now”. So, he picks up his phone and rings Mr Brickley’s office.

He speaks with Mr Brickley and tells him the idea. Sometimes, Mr Read nods his head. Other times he shakes his head.

Soon the phone call is over. “There you are”, he says. “Mr Brickley is only to glad to help. He has a pile of old bricks that he doesn’t know what to do with. So he says we can buy them off him dirt cheap!”

They all agree that this is good. Maybe their plan will work.

Then, Mr Read picks up his phone and, this time, rings the Waste Management Centre.

He speaks with Mr Fowler and they discuss the issue. Sometimes, Mr Read says yes yes yes. Other times he says no no no. Sometimes he waves his hands around. Other times he scratches his head.

Eventually, the phone call is over and Mr Read hangs up. Mr Read turns to the Wheelies and says “Well, well, well. Mr Fowler agrees that something should be done. Good old Tubs has had a word with him too! So he’s agreed to pay the cost of Brickley’s bricks!”

“Hooray!” shout the Wheelies in unison.

“Looks like our paper chasing days are over!” declares Grubby

“I wonder if this will be in the papers?” wonders Jarman

Shreddy burps. They all laugh.