Somewhere else in loo

Those of the frequently cross-legged fraternity (or sorority) will be encouraged by a recent article in the Scottish Review-read here about the emergence of free comfort stations for tight bladdered and impecunious persons caught short in remoter areas of Scotland and don't want to brave a noisome and expensive public facility. In the case of Aberfeldy, apparently, public minded cafes throw open their cubicles to all in need and are no doubt rewarded by extra custom from a relieved patron-who no doubt has then to revisit the loo to get rid of the Latte he/she felt morally obliged to purchase.

Loos are thin on the ground in the Borders but then so are potential beneficiaries. No indigent and desperate coach parties descend on Hutton in search of relief.If they did and the post office happened to be open (9-12-30 Mondays and Thursdays) no problem but I doubt that the travelling post office due, possibly, to replace the present one in the village hall will be equipped with a mobile urinal (Where will the van driver/post master 'go', one wonders-bladder clenched 'til Greenlaw, perhaps?)Plenty of hedges on empty roads if all else fails. Those pensioners waiting for the post bus on a cold November morning with the wind whistling through their underwear will have to hope that it is on time and business briskly dispatched or it will be a mad dash home, pension uncashed and second class stamp less.

Mind you I can think of times when public facilities would have been useful in Hutton. Those were the two instances when the village was closed off for 5 hours during stages of the Jim Clarke Rally. Villagers were ok in the comfort stations of their own homes but there were a couple of hundred visiting rally 'groupies' scattered around the main road waiting for the 15 seconds or so that the cars actually were visible in down town Hutton. Village Hall closed, no pub, no loo in tne Church so nowhere to 'go'. Bladders must have been strong as I was not aware of behind the hedge or tree activity while I was waiting for the first lot of cars to roar by-some two hours after they had closed the roads and quarantined the village.

Now I mention it I vaguely recall somebody being rather surreptitious in the vicinity of his touring bike's saddle bag.


I hope he had removed his sandwiches first.

(The image is the Hutton Village Hall-nice loos, when open)

Labels: Border Loos, Comfort stops, Jim Clarke Rally, public toilets

  ¶ 9:11 AM