Crunch Time Scrappers

CLASSICAL WALTZ

'I'm Terry Walker and this is my scrap yard.'

-Morning, boss.

-All right, Coxy?

-D'ya want a brew?

Cup of tea, please. Happy days.

'There's profit in every ounce of a scrapped car.'

50 quid, pal.

'I buy 'em, strip 'em,

'squash 'em, and then flog the lot.'

What a good day.

'I started the yard over 20 years ago,

'a few years after I met Lyndsay - the wife.'

Don't go mad spending money.

Can I spend it on you, then?

Oh, yeah, no problem!

He just makes money, like. It's just this knack he's got.

I do it by employing lads that no-one else will.

Individually, they're good lads. They're all right.

But together, they're just like a load of hyenas.

THEY LAUGH

It's like a circus sometimes.

THEY LAUGH

You gotta keep laughing, cos if you don't, you'll cry.

Move these tyres! Move 'em!

I won't have the mickey took out of me.

If they do that, they're history.

There's more cars to come up. Get 'em sorted.

If they show willing and they've got...and I can see something in 'em,

I won't give up on them easily.

Can't get a job nowhere else. Nowhere else will have me.

It's the Metro family,

and it's the family that I've created from scratch.

ORATORIO MUSIC

Terry Walker is going back to work after a two-week break in Tenerife.

And he's in a good mood.

# You've got to fight for what you want and all that you believe

# You've got to fight for what you want. #

He comes back all refreshed, loads of brilliant ideas.

"We're going to do this, we're going to do that.

"I've had amazing ideas while we've been away." It lasts a day.

We get back and all hell lets loose.

Do you like that?

While Terry was away, two employees were sacked,

targets were missed and morale hit an all-time low.

Can he pull it all back together?

I'm feeling apprehensive but excited after me break.

I've got to go to the yard, organise the lads and basically get cracking.

Metro Salvage is the biggest scrap yard in the Northwest.

At its five-acre site in Bolton,

it processes anything up to 200 tonnes of car metal a week.

Right, 20 quid on your back, mate.

What if it doesn't work?

If it doesn't work, I'll give you another.

After a difficult fortnight,

the lads are looking forward to having the boss back.

I don't like it when Terry goes away

because nobody knows what they're doing.

You go to the office and ask what's happening with this and that.

You're asking five people and still not getting an answer.

I prefer it when the boss is back, and it is getting... You know, it's

busier but only because, you know, we're bringing cars in.

But this morning, Terry is heading to the other side of Bolton,

to a satellite yard he owns called Crunch.

Whilst we were on holiday, me and Lyndsay made a decision that we were

going to close one of our yards,

which is to totally clear the Crunch yard.

It's not making any money. It wasn't making any profit.

It was turning over money but that's not the name of the game.

So obviously I want to get it all cleared out

and increase the money so we have got a better cash flow for, uh...

to see us over the Christmas break.

Terry created Crunch as a specialist site, to break Citroens

and Peugeots and sell on the parts.

With his main yard regularly running out of cash,

he wants to take all the cars from Crunch and scrap them,

then close that yard and rent out the land.

I've swept all that corner out, mate.

-Just need to get the cars out now.

-Yeah, yeah. That's it.

-Did you have a good holiday, though?

-Yeah.

He can get £130 per tonne for the scrap metal this will generate.

Main thing is to get all the cars out.

Going to count them in a sec but I think there's about 150, 160.

There's about 75 or maybe 100 engines.

Plenty of pound signs reckoning up.

I wouldn't like to put a figure on it but he'll get quite a bit.

I think Lyndsay will be very happy.

Here! Here!

Straight back! Why you going up there?

You want to go here.

Don't start thinking - you'll be dangerous!

Just put it here. I'm back, Macker, I'm back.

These movements now, getting rid of these cars out of here,

gives us the cash flow to go forward, you know, a cushion of cash

in the bank so we're not under too much pressure,

as much pressure as what we've been under. Keep wife off me back!

Terry's made a good start.

But at the main site, trouble is brewing.

While he's been away, standards have dropped

and the sudden influx of cars is making matters worse.

The yard is a mess.

CATACLYSMIC CLASSICAL MUSIC

Tyres all over the show. The floor's not clean.

There's all cars all over, so, obviously, he wonders why.

But then he kicks off then, don't he?

What's the problem? Where do I start? Where do you want me to start from?

I'll be here all day.

Basically, this yard now, it looks like it's their yard and not my yard.

You know? There's nothing about this yard right now that is me.

The disarray is frustrating Terry's attempts at getting some quick cash.

Why have you left them three cars round there like that?

How are we supposed to get through to get some tyres?

Move them cars and get your working area back!

Terry's mood today is teetering on boiling.

Craig, move these tyres! Move 'em!

He's not happy, is he? He's not a happy chappy today.

Jason. Just get on with it!

I think you've noticed with his attitude, ain't ya?

It's your job. Do it! Do it!

How does Terry seem to be today?

Oh, no comment.

He works with the moon.

He does.

When it's a full moon, you have to stay away.

I keep saying it and people look at me like I'm daft,

but it's a full moon again.

I'm paying your wages every week! Ten grand!

What's that dustbin doing there? What's that all about?

Go to him and tell him to do them!

-'Just before it's full moon, he changes.'

-They need moving!

I can tell with his face, honestly.

He'll be different again tomorrow.

To make matters worse,

Terry's missing two key workers who were dismissed last week.

His staff think the fate of one of them is weighing on Terry's mind.

He might be in a mood because of Boyle.

The outcome might be looking grim for the kid.

Oh!

18-year-old Boyle has been Terry's protege since he was a child,

but recently, he's broken too many rules.

First, he got into trouble over a scooter

he brought in without permission.

I haven't given you permission to buy anything. Don't buy nothing.

-Crack on and do the job right!

-Then, when Terry was on holiday,

he sold some scrap metal he found in a car on the yard

-and was dismissed.

-Get in here now or you're going home!

Terry is at a crossroads.

At the moment, I feel like this is it for me and Boyle.

But I'll never say never. You know?

I'm not going to turn my back on him.

But I'm not going to go out of my way for him either.

Does it look all right?

But being suspended from his beloved scrap yard is not Boyle's

only problem.

Tomorrow, he's due in court for driving without a licence

and trying to run away from the police.

I'm a bit nervous.

They could send me to jail for six months or

they could just give me a tag and community service.

I'm not going to prison.

Just get it over with.

My reaction to Boyle is...see you later.

I'm not interested, to be honest. It's his life. He's ruining it.

I've not got time to pussyfoot around people like Boyle.

No time at all, and neither has Terry.

It's the day of Boyle's court case

and there's another bitter pill for Terry to swallow.

He had planned to join him in court to show his support.

So, this morning, I gets up early, text,

"Don't bother coming to court today. I'll go on me own."

Basically, he's gone to court this morning without any

representation from his employer. There's nothing I can do.

-I can't give him any advice. He's not asking for it.

-Terry, don't feel bad.

Such a lucky lad. Lucky lad to have two people like you.

Nobody could have ever done for Boyle what you two have

-done for him.

-Nobody did for us what we've done for him as well.

-He's got to sort his own life out now.

-Yes.

-He's got to do it himself.

Yeah. Yeah.

On the other side of Bolton, Boyle's court case is over.

He's avoided prison.

Instead, he's been given an 18-month suspended sentence

and banned from driving for a year.

Now, there's just one thing on his mind.

Obviously, I want my job back, do you know what I mean?

I don't want to have no job.

But he said, "Don't come back until you show me

"that you've got respect for me." I have got respect for him,

so I'll just have to show him more respect, won't I?

Terry's like a dad to me, isn't he?

You know what I mean?

He's like a dad, ain't he? Obviously, fell out now.

I don't know if he'll give me my job back.

I'll just have to wait and see, like, you know?

There's not much more I can do now, is there?

-My honest opinion on Boyle, there's no way back, Terry.

-Yeah.

There's no way back. The amount of things that you

and Lyndsay have done for him, come on, mate.

At his age, I would have loved to have had that support, but I didn't

have it. That's why I was always in and out of prison.

Half the time, it's like he's not even listening, innit?

-So...

-That's it. He has. He's done a bad thing to you, Terry.

-He's not even rang and apologised.

-Has he not?

-Has he not even tried ringing, or nothing?

-No.

It's a hard one because you've put all that effort into him,

you've got him his licence in grab and now he's done this to you.

Just seems like a waste of time. Waste of time.

Waste of time and effort, mate. It's a waste of time and effort.

Dave's advice on the Boyle situation is the same as Lyndsay's.

He's basically let me down more than once...

Three or four times, he's let me down.

We've put time and effort into him and basically,

he's done wrong again, so it's like, in a bit, see you later.

Call it a draw.

Terry's had a difficult relationship with his own

father and now, they rarely speak,

Even though his dad owns a scrap metal yard right next-door.

I told him that Lyndsay were pregnant and I was on ten quid a day.

I said to him,

"I need £100 a week, otherwise I'm going to have to leave," and he

basically said, "Well, you'd better find a job somewhere else, then."

Today, Terry's decided to make contact.

In the last 30 years, I've only been in this yard three times.

And my dad's only been in my yard once in 21 years.

Anyway, it's weird walking in here now.

It's like time's stopped still, isn't it?

Aye, yeah, it has.

-Come in, Terry.

-All right?

-I haven't seen you for a good bit.

-How are you? You all right?

-Yeah, I'm all right. I'm fine.

Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm sound.

-How's trade?

-It's not very good at the moment.

It were a bit quiet, but from time to time, it gets a bit brisk.

-It's hard work to get hold of the cars at the right price.

-Fortunes.

Absolute fortunes. Anyway, how are you going on?

It's like a while since I clapped eyes on you.

-I've not seen you for a bit.

-I know.

-You know I'm always flat out busy at work.

-Aye.

-The job never stops.

-No.

So...

-I should come down more often, really.

-Here, it never starts!

I know it's a while and...I'm glad to see you. Really am.

-Nice to see you, mate.

-All right, and you.

-Take care.

-And you.

Not another 21 years, mate!

-No.

-Please no!

12 months.

'Very edgy.'

You know? Silent things. Not the way I... You know, I'm not like that.

But, like, proper silent moments and just edginess. Felt a bit edgy.

You know, it's...

It's just the way my dad puts himself across and probably me

while I'm in his presence.

So it felt a bit weird to me, that.

Good to see him, yeah. Very good to see him. He's a good lad.

No doubt about it.

'Excellent businessman, a good-hearted guy.'

We've fallen out, yeah. Who hasn't? I bet you fell out with him.

A bet vice versa as well. Everybody falls out.

-As the week unfolds, Terry gets his own yard in order.

-Come on!

Shift it!

And the cars from Crunch come rolling in.

I've done about...a good 15-20 journeys back and forth.

These guys, you can see they're getting a bit...wiped out with it.

"What's going on?" But they'll be fine, they'll be all right.

About time they did summat.

Over 100 cars have now been brought to the yard.

Most of them have already been stripped of parts,

so they're going straight to the bailer to be crushed for scrap.

Oh, my God! So how many has he brought round, up to now?

How many? Do you know? Jemma?

Oh, bloody hell!

Hey, Mum. Lot of money there going in this week's account.

After months of cash flow problems,

it looks like Terry can now generate the cash cushion he'd hoped for.

It stood out when he said how many cars were in and what we're

getting per tonnage now, 16-17,000 here, could go in two days.

It will help us, keep us out of the red for a bit, you know?

Like, is it black or is it red?

-Red.

-Red, right.

That's what you call clearing a scrap yard in two days.

It's been a tough job, but Crunch has yielded a lot more cars

than Terry and Lyndsay had expected.

-So, let's crunch the numbers now. Hundred engines...

-Yes.

-So, that's ten tonne.

-Ten tonne, yeah.

Ten tonne times 315 a tonne...

It's three grand, isn't it?

The cars, it was 185 cars... That's, say, £150 a pop.

One and a half a pop.

So, hundred is 18 grand, then another nine.

Looking at about just over 25 grand for the cars.

So, altogether, roughly, in all the bits and bats,

you're looking at 30 grand, 30 grand job.

-I think Lyndsay will be pretty chuffed.

-Yeah.

It will keep her at bay for a few week, anyway.

'Hiya, Terry!'

Hiya. How're you going on round there?

'All right...'

Have you had quite a bit of stock?

Oh, so there's more than we thought, then.

Right.

See what I mean?

Now, there you go. That tells you, don't it?

All right, then.

See you later. Bye.

No, he's done well.

-Yeah.

-I'll cook him a nice meal.

-Job's a good 'un, innit?

-Yes.

-This job's a good 'un.

-Oh, yes!

Going to come and ask Terry for my job back, innit?

You know, come see him. Need my job back, don't I?

It's where I'm meant to be. This is where I'm meant to be.

I don't want to just say, "Oh, yeah, you've got your job back.

"Yeah, come back tomorrow," because it's too easy.

He can't just waltz back in and say, "Oh, give me my job back," you know.

He's not come here today, in my opinion, for his job back.

I've not invited him in for his job back. I've invited him in to find...

I've asked him to come

and see me, with regards to what happened in court.

-All right, pal.

-All right, mate?

-What's that?

-Coffee.

-Is that a peace offering?

It's a coffee, that.

Nice one.

What happened to...court and that?

Cos obviously, you said you didn't want me to come.

Well, I went and they've given me a tag, 18 months suspended sentence.

They've banned me for a year from driving

-and an extended driving test.

-Not good, is it?

-No.

Everything was going nice and plain sailing.

Just that one Sunday cocked job up.

I've realised that now, haven't I? Look what I've lost.

I'm not like trying to preach. I'm just...

I just want you to be all right.

-Yeah, I know.

-I just want you to be all right. There's nothing...

You didn't have nothing to worry about. You've got a job,

a roof over your head... You've just got to start respecting people.

Your mam needs looking after. And the people that are good to you, just...

-When you say summat, stand on your word.

-Yeah.

-That's it.

Um... So, can I have my job back, then, or not?

Um... I'm not just going to say bang straight back in there.

-I will help you, but I need you to help yourself...

-Yeah, yeah.

-You know the crack.

-Yeah, yeah. I will.

Just prove to people, you know, that you're all right.

You only get to turn your life around once.

Just got to assure you that I am willing to do everything

and keep my head down from now on.

As things happen, your word is your bond. Always remember that.

Your word is your bond. So if you give your word to someone,

that you're going to do something, do it.

'I want to see the lad do well,'

but I'm not just letting it go back to how it was straightaway.

He'll have to build up the trust, rather than just say,

"Yeah, get yourself back in, everything's fine," cos it's not.

Obviously, there's still the niggling doubt in the back of my mind

of what he did wrong.

But, you know, you've got to give people a chance.

Come here, you little cabbage.

-Still love you.

-I know. I love you, too.

Went all right. Better than I expected it to be.

Just got to prove to him that I respect him and that now, innit?

So, what's the crack with Boyle?

Thought he weren't never to come back.

Yeah, well, that's Terry for you.

-Where my rules have not come into place on that one yet.

-Yeah.

I want to bring the rules in of....when somebody's sacked...

-They stay sacked.

-They stay sacked.

-They don't come back.

-Yeah.

Cos they've not been sacked for nothing in the first place.

-I know why he's given in to Boyle.

-Yeah.

He's just got a soft spot for him, to be honest.

Everybody's got a soft spot...

Because he's been coming our house from being a child.

It's just, how many chances is he going to get, do you know?

I just think he feels like he needs to point him in the right direction.

-It's like flogging a dead horse. He's no chance.

-No.

Terry is gradually getting the yard back together

and the cash is starting to flow again.

-For now, he can sit back and enjoy a special treat.

-Tea tonight...

or dinner...

is fillet steak, pepper sauce, vegetables

and potatoes roasted in duck fat.

Oops.

I don't know about all this modern man stuff.

It's just...go to work, earn a few quid,

come home with more than I went with.

Well, three days through the week, I come home from work,

Terry might have been at home two hours before me.

I come in, cook the teas for everybody.

No matter what time I get in, it's me who does it.

Very old-fashioned, actually.

It's an old-fashioned way of how we do it.

Have you heard of the phrase "metrosexual"?

No. What's all that about? Metrosexual?!

What does that mean?

Whoa, whoa. I don't want my tea, love. I'm all right, me.

I'll put it over your head in a minute. Get hold of it.

All right, then. Thanks very much. Ooh, you cheeky little...

You'll have a crack round the lughole in a minute, you.

Oh, I could eat a pickled shire horse, I tell you what. No, Max!

You're not having none!

Hop it!

Move it! Scap!

-Good morning, Debs!

-Hello, chicken!

-You all right?

-I am, love.

How are you?

-I'm all right.

-So, what's going on? Are you back, or what?

-Yeah. Yeah.

Back.

I'm on tag and all that.

-On tag?

-18 months suspended sentence. What? You want a look?

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look.

-Oh, yeah!

-It's like a watch.

-It's got a metal wire through it and everything.

-Has it?

-You're a lucky lad.

-Are you going to behave?

-Has it learned you a lesson?

Yeah.

You've got to pay your bill this week.

Yeah, I'll pay it off this week.

Will you, love? We've missed you, too.

You know we love you, don't you?

Boyle's back in the fold, albeit it part-time.

-He's been given one last chance.

-Here's Lyndsay!

Terry's almost got things back the way he likes them.

Don't go mad spending money! I mean it!

-What on?

-Cars!

-Can I spend on you though?

Oh, yeah. No problem.

All right then.

But there's one bit of unfinished business.

Father of three Chris is an old school friend of Terry's

and has worked for him for eight years.

Hiya. How you doing? All right?

But while Terry was on holiday,

Chris was caught drinking a can of lager at work.

The only action I can take is to sack you with immediate effect.

You've let yourself down, mate.

Chris claims to have learned his lesson,

so Terry's agreed to see him and discuss his future.

Yeah, I miss the lads. Yeah, course I do.

I've been here a long time, haven't I?

-All right, Terry?

-Yes, Chris.

-All right, mate?

-All right, mate?

-How are you?

-Yeah. All right.

I wanted to, you know, like, get to the bottom of what happened.

When I was on holiday, I don't want it where you're not here.

-I do feel I let you down, but...

-I would never fall out with you.

I know that.

I wouldn't fall out with you, but the fact is I don't like it,

-knowing that you've been here that long and you can do the job.

-Yeah.

And it's just something like that that's letting you down.

I know, but these few weeks off have done me good.

I went to my daughter's the other day and were walking home

and I started jogging home. I've not jogged in years.

I started jogging home cos I were that full of energy.

-And I do feel better in myself.

-You look it.

What I was thinking is...maybe you could help us out at the weekend.

-Yeah.

-Like, Saturday and Sunday.

-That's great.

-At least it's summat.

Yeah, yeah, that's good for me.

I let him down.

So...I'm lucky he's giving me a chance to prove myself again,

you know what I mean? So... Yeah, I'm happy.

Somebody give it to me today. I forgot I had it.

You forgot you had one of them? Nice one!

-A little pinky, mate.

-I can use this for tonight cos I'm skint.

He looks bright as a button. He looks really...you know, fresh.

As fresh as I've ever seen him,

and so, I'm thinking, on one hand, it wasn't so good sending him

home and sacking him, but now it looks like it's done the trick.

So, yeah. What a good do.

With the whole team back together again,

Terry's decided to celebrate with a bit of team building, Metro style.

This is pointless. I've tried this. He nearly tore my arm off.

LAUGHTER

Yes!

LAUGHTER

I'm ready!

'In the circles of Metro Salvage, you have your ups

'and you have your downs.

'But we always get there in the end.'

'We all make mistakes.

'And I think Terry wants to give people a chance.'

You can't judge a book by its cover.

CHANTING: Off! Off! Off!

-Me with him?

-I'm not strong!

-You're not strong?

You don't look it either.

A lot of people say, look, don't mix business with pleasure.

But in my case, we do.

It's extremely important for me

to look after all the people that work for me.

And it's not only an employees situation, it's about friendship.

CHANTING: Lyndsay! Lyndsay!

It's the Metro family, really. It's a family that I've created.

I'm going to be a good lad now.

Just took a consignment of salt. 20 tonne of rock salt. Hold it!

By 'eck, petal! Tha' looks gorgeous tonight!

-I think semi-nude calendar.

-Get me kit off, get in the yard?

-Yeah.

Are you for real? I'm a shy guy!

My arse cheeks are not being shown.

We've always been a bit batty at Metro Salvage.

THEY LAUGH