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Dustbin fan from Caister documents interest with collection of photos

Dave Clark Dave Clark in front of some binsDave Clark
Dave Clark is fascinated by bins - all kinds of bins

A man with a life-long love of dustbins has documented his passion in a collection of photographs.

Dave Clark, 51, from Caister, Norfolk, said he wanted to be a bin man as a child, but now preferred to look at bins - and occasionally stand in them.

"One of my favourite bins is decorated like an ice lolly - it makes you want to litter-pick just, so you can use it," he said.

"I genuinely love a nice bin, and there are so many different types."

Mr Clark explained: "I think it all started back in the '70s when I got a yellow bobble hat and pretended I was a bin man.

"And my dad used to take me to the tip, which I just loved."

Dave Clark Bin on a beachDave Clark
Mr Clark said he was "genuinely excited" when this new recycling bin appeared on Caister beach
Dave Clark A binDave Clark
This bin, decorated like an ice lolly, remains one of Mr Clark's favourites

Bin designs and colours have changed over the decades, but he remains fascinated by this everyday item.

"I'm actually very lucky as my job brings me into contact with lots of different bins," he said.

Mr Clark is self-employed and does many things, including window-cleaning and gardening.

"I have a little stepladder, and I will climb in and stand in bins to weigh the contents down when I've filled them with garden waste - people are always surprised how much more you can get in a bin once you've done that.

"Going to the dump is still one of my favourite things. I just love looking at the bins there."

Dave Clark Incinerator binDave Clark
"A customer asked me to dump this for them, but it's still a classic incinerator bin"
Dave Clark BinsDave Clark
Mr Clark was thrilled to find these on a trip to north Norfolk: "They're so colourful, and clearly marked"
Dave Clark Bins at Colchester ZooDave Clark
He described these bins as "very smart - and a great asset to the zoo"

One of his favourite bins, decorated like a Fab ice lolly, is at Thrigby Hall, near Great Yarmouth, while a picnic area at the same venue was "just lovely, as there were bins all over the place, and you didn't have to search for them - they were just there".

Dave Clark Dave Clark with his own binsDave Clark
Mr Clark always tries to put the right things in the right bins
Dave Clark A bin in CornwallDave Clark
"I was fascinated by the shape of this one, which I came across while on holiday in Cornwall"

Most of the photographs of bins were taken in East Anglia, but when he travels further afield, he is still on the lookout for local bins.

"I took a picture of a really long line of dozens of bins outside a leisure complex near Derby. I couldn't believe how many there were - it must have been a nightmare when it came to emptying them," he said.

Dave Clark BinsDave Clark
Bins as far as the eye can see - spotted in a leisure complex on a trip to Derby
Dave Clark Cat on a binDave Clark
Even Mr Clark's cat Cobweb loved to sleep on a bin

He recently made a video collating some of his favourite images, which he called "Best of Bins".

"I know my hobby is a bit random, but I have a genuine interest in bins - and it's really just a bit of fun," he said.

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