The Twelve Posts of Christmas - Day Two: Tin bins and their uses. What A Load of Rubbish!

Back in the 1960s and 70s, every house in Britain had one (at least) of these. 

The tin rubbish bin. 

This was long before recycling and different coloured bins being collected on different dates. Everything went into this one bin, and it was small. It would be collected every week and occasionally would go missing. Sometimes there would be a heated argument between neighbours if they picked up your bin, which just happened to be newer or shinier. 

Some would paint their number on the bin.  But if you were number 7, and number 27 nicked your bin, all they would have to do is paint a 2 next to the 7.

There was even a television comedy series called The Dustbinmen, which was very popular at the time.

 

As kids, the tin bin also served another purpose. The lid made a great shield for all those street battles playing soldiers with your mates. Until they started throwing real stones and bricks, that is.

However, it was not only kids that used them as shields. Long before the days of riot gear, the police, during the occasional riot back then, would also use them. 

This is from 1981. The car door and dustbin lid shield protection method in use.

Merry Christmas!