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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Patrick Edrich

Boy, 13, spent hours washing cars to treat crush to £20 McDonald's date

A schoolboy has been hailed an 'old-fashioned gent' after washing his uncle's entire fleet of vehicles so he could take his crush out to McDonald's and pay for her.

Lloyd Catlow, 13, messaged his uncle Lee Robinson asking if he had any odd-jobs available in exchange for some pocket money.

Lloyd never thought of asking for money and instead hoped to earn a "few quid through hard work" so he could take a girl from school out on a date.

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Uncle Lee, an operations director of a commercial cleaning service company, said Lloyd spent two hours washing the exterior of six vehicles and was "over the moon" with the £20 he earned.

Lee, 36, was so impressed with Lloyd's can-do-attitude he offered him a job - and he'll now be cleaning the vehicles every month.

A post from Lee shared online praising the 13-year-old's work ethic has amassed nearly 15,000 likes and comments.

Lloyd even managed to upgrade his date from McDonald's to a local milkshake parlour.

Lee, of Colne, Lancashire, said: "Lloyd just messaged me out of the blue and said that he wanted to take this young lady to McDonald's and asked if I had any work for him.

"I was really buzzing because I've always had a job since I was 13, paper rounds and whatnot.

"He's always expressed an interest in being a Saturday boy, earning a bit of money and having a job to pay for his boxing classes and stuff like that.

"He never even had an inkling towards receiving any money for free.

"I said 'no problem, I'll find you something. I'm sure you can wash the vans and get them ready to go'."

Lloyd added: "It felt really good to finally be able to take the young lady out and it was just so much better with it being money that I earned myself through hard work."

Lee said that Lloyd is a keen boxer and boxes around two to three times a week and that he's also expressed interest in going into the armed forces in the future.

Lee said: "He did a really good job. Once I'd shown him to start at the top and work down and to make sure he was just doing one panel at once so there would be no smears that way, he was over the moon when he got the hang of it, and it gave him the appetite to come back.

"He was only expecting to maybe sweep the car park or tidy up my office or something and get a few quid.

Lloyd ended up taking his date to a milkshake parlour instead of McDonald's (Kennedy News and Media)

"When I said I'd give him £20 for washing the vans that weren't out on jobs, he was over the moon.

"We're going to invite him back every month to do the vans inside and out, so he's gained himself a job from it, by just having that little bit of initiative and asking.

"I just wanted to show that to him, it's about getting off of your backside and he seems to be wanting to work and he showed that, I was really over the moon for him.

The schoolboy earned £20 in exchange for washing his uncle's fleet of vehicles (Kennedy News and Media)

"I've got two boys and a girl and I hope that they have that same ethic and drive that he's got, which is really good for a young lad."

The doting uncle shared a LinkedIn post about Lloyd which he said received half a million views and that Lloyd was overwhelmed with the response and the messages of positivity it received.

Kim Billy Leipold commented: "This is indeed inspirational. I used to do this when I was a kid, but not with car washing instead in our shoe factory.

"I help every weekend and summer vacations to earn money, helping to put on shoe laces, polish shoes, and box them.

"As my parents taught me, if I was something I have to earn it either with good grades or by working! This kid will be in the future very successful! Kudos Kid!"

Lee Haworth said: "You've obviously taught him well. What a good lad, he'll be a valuable asset to any firm when he's ready for a job.

"A proper old-fashioned work ethic which is sadly not as common these days. Someone who's prepared to graft to get what he wants - he could probably teach a lot of grownups a lesson or two. I'm sure this young man has a bright future ahead of him."

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