Take your own luv....

I have just spend the Easter weekend, and some, repairing the fence and refurbishing the front gates. As I was applying the third coat of wood stain, and wondering what Michael Caine must be thinking about (a) the Wood Preservation Society, and (b) his support for the Conservative Party, I cast my mind back to Easters past when I was a lad, and I was forced into that scouting tradition 'Bob a Job week.

In years gone past Bob a Job was one of the biggest events of the year for Scouts and Cubs and one which, in general, scouts hated! So what was a Bob? well it was a shilling in those days, five new pence in later times For the week of Easter scouts spent their school holidays going around door to door all over the area, walking miles, knocking on door and saying 'Hello, this is Bob a Job week, do you want any jobs done?' Scouts took on tasks like cleaning out garages, walking pets, gardening, car washing, shopping, and so on....and the charge? One Shilling.....a BOB!,

Newspapers always cashed in on the good stories and it was a great publicity week for scouts, people thought it was great for young boys (no girls back then) to earn money for scouting....through slavery!!! This Bob A Job week went on for years and years until someone decided that it should be changed to Scout Job Week as the shilling was consigned to history when decimalisation took over. Five pence a Job week just did not have the same ring to it!

As time went on the idea of any young child knocking on any strangers door became a no-no and the great Bob a Job week came crashing down! Bob A Job was phased out, but it had generated much needed funds for scouting, and the days were more innocent then...and perhaps....dare I say....a lot more fun.?

Some Scout and Cub packs continue to embrace the concept, although work is confined to family, friends and near neighbours. There must have been undesirable adults around when we did it, but I can't recall any incidents in our area.

Ah well, looks like the fence will have to last a few years until the grandkids are old enough to join up, then they can all have a dib dib dib at it.