WBHQ Outing 2004

The WBHQ outing to Manchester City Council's bin depot at Hammerstone Road in July 2004 proved to be our most successful event to date with over four people attending if you count the mini bus driver.

We managed to get "up close and personal" with the full range of refuse collection vehicles operated by the City Council and found some real gems tucked away in the forgotten corners of the depot. To the staff who work there they were just old broken bins but to us they were heirlooms of a glorious past!

We found two red wheelie bins which were a limited edition design commissioned to commemorate the night Arsenal beat Manchester United to win the Premiership title at Old Trafford in May 2002. This immensely sporting gesture by the Council was not appreciated by the rate payers of the city however and the bins were withdrawn after only two months.

Rear view of two bin lorries Front view of two bin lorries Two red wheelie bins Blue wheelie bin

Even more rare was a blue bin found being used to hold up a fence. This was a prototype of a design intended to be used to celebrate the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester in August 2002. Sadly it was never possible to produce plastic in the correct shade of jade and the Brand Protection team at the Games refused to allow the bins to go into production.

These coloured bins are possibly the last few in existence and WBHQ is currently in negotiation with Big Dave at the depot to see if we can buy these wheelie bins to preserve them for the nation.

The bottle bank debate raged again during the outing but the official WBHQ position on non-wheeled refuse receptacles remains unchanged. There were some fine examples of permanently sited recycling facilities on show however.

Three red bin lorries Battered old metal wheelie bin Two blue bottle banks Mystery new recycling lorry

The biggest revelation was saved for the end of the tour when an eagle eyed WHBQer spotted this newly delivered lorry with open sides and large wheelie bins mounted on its back. When he realised what we had seen the depot manager became very keen for the tour to end and ushered us off the premises forthwith. Luckily one member took this photograph of the vehicle - it would appear to be a mobile recycling facility that uses industrial sized wheelie bins. Remember you saw it here first!

All in all it was a most excellent day out.