Bob sighed when he thought of all the work he had to do, but he agreed. After all, Bob and Wendy made a good team. 鈥淔irst of all,鈥� Wendy said, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to show you what鈥檚 going to happen in National Construction Week.鈥� Bob was pleased 鈥� last year, he had been the star of the show. 鈥淓veryone wants you to attend their events,鈥� said Wendy. 鈥淭hat nice Mr Raynsford wants to shake your hand, and you鈥檙e going to be guest of honour at the launch of the whole week at Lord鈥檚 on 3 April. Then you鈥檙e going to Exeter City football club to play a penalty shoot-out with some local schoolchildren, then you鈥檙e off to Belfast to meet lots of children there, too.鈥�
First of all, Wendy phoned Nick Raynsford, who said he was thinking of getting Bob in to help fix the government鈥檚 anti-cowboy policy. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen Bob recently,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 hope he鈥檚 up in Birmingham getting quality marked!鈥�
Then she phoned the organisers of the events. Gina Martin is the Construction Industry Training Board鈥檚 educational adviser for the South-west. She organised the penalty shoot-out. 鈥淲e had the football idea at the end of last year. It鈥檚 been tricky to arrange, but Bob鈥檚 visit gives us a great vehicle for publicity.鈥� Anne Mcgivern, from the CITB in Northern Ireland, explained that Bob was going to encourage primary school children taking part in a 鈥渏ob-sampling鈥� day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 his first time in Northern Ireland, and we鈥檙e really pleased to get him over.鈥�
But Bob was still feeling down. 鈥淧erhaps these people just wanted any old children鈥檚 TV character to visit them. Perhaps they didn鈥檛 really want me at all,鈥� he said in a gloomy voice. 鈥淣onsense,鈥� said Wendy, and to prove it, she phoned David Scott. He is managing director of Rainbow Productions, which arranges bookings for Bob and other children鈥檚 characters. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a good barometer of what people like, and Bob鈥檚 become a modern classic very quickly,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 booked every day for the Easter holidays. Bob鈥檚 in our top three 鈥� he鈥檚 up there with the Simpsons and Rugrats.鈥�
Bob was feeling a little more cheerful, so Wendy decided to tell him about some of his younger friends, like the children at Blundells Nursery in Battersea, London. The principal, Susan Stephens, wrote to Bob about them. 鈥淭he series was an instant hit. All the children love him, boys and girls equally. They鈥檝e got hard hats in the dressing-up area, and there鈥檚 lots of role play.
As soon as they make some rubber building materials, I鈥檒l buy some.鈥� Mrs Stephens is hoping that all 78 children, aged from 18 months to five years, will soon be able to work on a construction-themed project.
Then Wendy reminded Bob about the success of his merchandising. In the past year, Bob鈥檚 fans have bought 拢12m of toys, clothing, stationery, toiletries, gifts and accessories. Next year, there are going to be interactive games and electronic learning toys made by IQ Builders. And every month, 80 000 people buy Bob the Builder magazine. Bob cheered up even more when he thought of all those children growing up the with right idea about the industry he loved.
Can we fix it? Yes we can! Clients and shareholders need to hear this message
Jim Armstrong, Chairman, Laing
Now Wendy needed to show her boss just one more very special example of his popularity. 鈥淪ome of your fans are even younger than the nursery children 鈥� one is only three months old, and he鈥檚 called Bob!鈥� The baby鈥檚 grandmother, Christine Waters, was on the phone from East Grinstead, where her husband Richard and son Adrian run Waters Construction. 鈥淲e definitely chose to call the baby Bob because of the influence of the character. He鈥檚 got no chance of doing anything else when he鈥檚 older!鈥�
Bob was thrilled to think that his name would be passed on to another Bob the Builder. Another Bob who would be just as polite, reliable and clever as him. But then, a worrying thought struck him. What if he was really only a children鈥檚 character? 鈥淲hat if grown-ups don鈥檛 take me seriously?鈥� he asked Wendy. But Wendy just smiled, because she knew the answer.
First of all, she called Bob Haycock, the South-west construction director of housebuilder Beazer Homes. This Bob had made a special study of the real Bob, and thought of him as a role model. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a first-class tradesman, he always wears his hard hat, and he鈥檚 always the customer鈥檚 champion. He has the right tools for the job, and he never has to come back another day,鈥� said Beazer鈥檚 Bob, who finds that his friends and colleagues are starting to call him Bob the Builder!
Wendy had a few more surprises up her sleeve. An e-mail had arrived at Bob鈥檚 web site 鈥� www.bobthebuilder.org 鈥� from Jim Armstrong, the chairman of famous construction company Laing. It said: 鈥淭he construction industry should learn the jingle 鈥楥an we fix it? Yes we can!鈥� Clients, employees and shareholder who want a different industry need to hear this message.鈥�
Bob was very pleased.
Then the producer of his TV show, Jackie Cockle of HIT Entertainment, rang to say he was the most successful new character in the pre-school market and a big hit with adults, too. 鈥淲e were really chuffed when Bob was adopted by the construction industry. I was even asked to talk on Radio 4 about how he was such a good role model for the industry.鈥�
Postscript
Catch Bob and his friends at National Construction Week events around the country.
