Where's Tha Bin

A fortnight ago I had this Twitter Exchange

@Bentonbag Aug 19

Put recycling bin out this morning intact and complete. Son has brought it back. No caddy! @NTCouncilTeam webpage says "The bin is provided for your use by the Council and it is your responsibility to ensure that it is safe." and wants to charge £5 for replacment!

@Bentonbag  Aug 19

Not sure how we are to ensure safety, other than staring at bin until binmen have been then dash out immediately. Most of us have other things to do of a morning.

Seriously displeased @NTCouncilTeam and considering using another emoji entirely.😡

@NTCouncilTeam Replying to @Bentonbag

Ah don't Ben. You can give the folks at envirolink@northtyneside.gov.uk a shout or on 0345 2000 103 (option 2). They can request that the team check for reported tipped caddies. I'd check with neighbours first, just in case it's been put in theirs by mistake.

 

I texted, messaged and had Thunderthighs deliver a note to the neighbours, but none had an extra caddy, and some were missing a caddy too.

I waited a week in case the caddy had been tipped and would make its way home with the Council.  No joy.

So I phoned Envirolink and spoke to a nice young man called Jimmy who did an online check for strayed caddies.  Again no joy.  I decided to cough up for a new one.  Jimmy asked if I could collect it from Wallsend.  As I’m usually in Wallsend on a Friday for LDNE knit’n’natter I said I could.  The next morning I presented myself a the Customer First Centre, where I was expected, and the caddy was handed over to me.

 

This morning as I got out of the shower I heard a waggon pull up outside our house.

Towel wrapped and turbaned I opened the bedroom curtains and there was one of those cage type refuse waggon and a bloke in hi-viz pulling a caddy out of the back.

He looked up and saw me, pointed at the bin and my front door.

I smiled delightedly and gave him the thumbs up.

He deposited the caddy on my front doorstep and we gave each other smiling thumbs up as he went back to his waggon.

 

I have given the spare caddy to Ernextdoor who had none.