Barrie Gets His First Walking Frame

I like a practical joke, I do. My job is to purchase electrical equipment to build mining machines - bucketwheel operators, stackers, reclaimers, stacker/reclaimers and shiploaders. I liaise very closely with the design team and the electrical installation crew. My electrical site manager, Barrie, is an older guy and we get along very well. There's nothing better than having a good laugh while you're at work and we have a very similar sense of humour. Funny thing is, Barrie is situated on the
other side of the country and we've never met.

Barrie's not getting any younger and he works long hours. He's in the same mould as my father in that if he didn't work he'd probably keep over. We have several upcoming jobs that will take us through about the next three years. Now Barrie made the comment that by the time he finished those upcoming jobs he'd need a walking stick.

Being the practical joker that I am I got the idea to buy him a zimmerframe - a walking frame. I hunted around in the paper and in the Quokka. Managed to find one, with wheels, for $20. But the seller had someone coming from 700 kilometres away in a few days time to buy it. So, I bided my time and luckily the guy didn't show so I had the opportunity to buy it. Took it to work after I'd dismantled it and wrapped it up. My project manager flew to site a couple of weeks later and so we had it presented to him, basically for being an old bastard. A very jovial old bastard. I had a lady who works for a label making company, whom I've also never met, make a label for me (did it for free as she knows Barrie from way back) and send it to the assistant project manager who tied everything up at site. It was hard to keep this quiet and get so many people involved.



Barrie Gets His First Walking Frame

I know that when I finally get to meet Barrie I'm a dead man. But to see the look on his face from the video will be worth it. Probably my most elaborate practical joke ever.