Since I heard Kendall tell about Miss Effie's privy, I don't go down there no more.

My Granfer's toilet was a huge Victorian thing, with a polished mahogany seat about 4ft square. The hole was a little smaller than modern appliances, but you had room to put your cup of tea, your book or newspaper, a pipe and ashtray and the toilet paper, without danger of knocking them into the sink. The cistern was a proper overhead chain puller thing so you didn't get that nasty hard edge in the middle of your back like you do these days. Now Granfer's toilet seat would take up all the space in most public cubicles.

I was in a public cubicle last Sunday, where the door opened only so far because the edge of the toilet bowl was blocking it. To close the door, I had to squash up to the cistern and almost sit sidesaddle before I could move the door. Once seated, I could reach out and put my hand flat on the door without stretching.

LTS