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Scrapwagon

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Two bumbling rogues, Dinny and Watcher, are the central characters of Scrapwaggon, and their life as city dustmen is peaceful and profitable, for they also indulge in a spot of rubbish-disposal which the City Council don't know about.Their only trouble is that Dinny, accumulating gigantic quantities of miscellaneous rubbish in his own garden to the fury of his prim suburban neighbours, loves the stuff so much he can't bear to part with it...And then this girl turns up to stay - Dinny's long-forgotten daughter. He and Watcher try every kind of trick to get her to go away again, but she's inherited her Dad's streak of obstinacy, and it's not long before she, too, is on the Scrapwaggon and in the game.Irate and disgusted neighbours try to banish the whole squalid setup. The City Council discover the racket - and also discover that Dinny and Watcher aren't so easily sacked, after all. Romance moves in next door...Barry Crump, with a plot of characters of this kind, is in top form, His characters are true-to-life, down to the last tiny detail of dialogue and behaviour, and you see them all, every day, in any city.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

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About the author

Barry Crump

50 books83 followers
New Zealand author of semi-autobiographical comic novels based on his image as a rugged outdoors man.

Crump worked for many years as a government deer-culler in areas of New Zealand native forest (termed "the bush"). He wrote his first novel, A Good Keen Man, in 1960, based on his experiences as a government hunter. It was a fictional account of a young hunter who has to suffer through a series of hunting partners who are often unsuitable for the job. This novel became one of the most popular in New Zealand history,

Crump died in 1996 of a suspected aortic aneurysm. At the time of his death he was living at Ohauiti with his fifth wife, Maggie.

abridged from Wikipedia

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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
244 reviews
February 14, 2025
Nice, easy, summertime read. Funny Crumpy characters, rough around the edges and recognisable in the community. Enjoyable but not Crumps best book.

"you are inclined to be a bit over-enthusiastic about perk collecting, you know."

"Oh we're not whacked yet, by a long shot. She's just got us temporarily stonkered, that's all."

"that's going to be awkward," said Dinny unsympathetically.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews