| Unique Urinals | The Urinal Photo Gallery |
For some time I have been intending to put together a page devoted to the humble urinal. Finally I have made a start on it - now I need content. How can you help?
Why a page on urinals you ask? When I was a younger man, pub-crawling around Sheffield, I remember some magnificent porcelain monuments to pee in. One in particular stands out because of it's name.
"The Bertha" was a piece of craftsmanship you just don't see today. I remember individual porcelain segments, joined together to fill a length of wall, floor to top of your head height with the name "The Bertha" proudly printed at eye-level in a fine scrolled script. Who was Bertha? And why was she remembered by a urinal manufacturer? We may never know. This urinal graced the men's room at The West Street pub in Sheffield. I don't know if Bertha is still there, perhaps one of you can answer that for me?
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The
Golden Ball, Poulton-le-Fylde, October 2004 |
Urinals nowadays are just not the same. In England many now seem to be custom-formed stainless steel contraptions like the one pictured right.
If porcelain is present it's often a single bowl, usually an Armitage Shanks model.
In Canada the brand name is usually American Standard and there is often a privacy wall between the bowls so you're not able to peek at your neighbour (who would want to?).
No such bashfulness in the UK. Crowd in shoulder to shoulder to take a leek!
On my last visit
to the UK, I had hoped to capture some classic privys to create this web page.
I didn't get to visit as many pubs as I would have liked, but what I saw was
a disappointment.
The Old Town Hall, Poulton-le-Fylde, Oct 2004
Take the above example. Looks like porcelain but I think it was actually moulded PVC, the same as those plasticy bath tubs. Nothing like the good old Bertha!
How many old-fashioned urinals are left out there? We need to record them before they all disappear.
I need photos of your favourite old-fashioned or otherwise interesting urinals, so take your digi-cam to the pub - make sure no-one is watching you and that no-one is pointing Percy at the porcelain - then snap away. Please - no photos of your private bits, this is not a porn page.
Send your pic to me at webmaster@mcclellandmedia.com along with the location name, date you took the photo and any other interesting information like the manufacturer or date it was made, etc. Also let me know if you want your name in the photo credits. Once again I remind you - Photos showing body parts WILL NOT be used.
With your help we can preserve the memory of many Unique Urinals
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FRANCE This oddity was captured for me by David Fullerton while on a trip to France. The reason for the rubber pipe is unknown, but seems to be some flushing device rigged by the owner. Unless the French have some use for it that we are unaware of :-) This was located in the town of Grimauld, close to Saint Tropez. |
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SACKVILLE, N.B. This Canadian duo are a high-tech pair. Two American Standard (3.8 Lpf / 1.0 Gpf) units with an automatic flushing mechanism that senses you moving away after using it and flushes the bowl for you. One quirk here. The bathroom lights are also movement sensitive so the lights come on when you open the bathroom door - this makes the right-hand urinal flush itself so you get a very fresh bowl. Note the wall of privacy between the urinals. |
