Thursday, November 12, 2009

A garden toilet?

Last Saturday a group of us visited the Portobello Market in Notting Hill (where I took last WW's photo). None of us were familiar with the area, so while looking for a pub to have a drink and a rest, we chose the Churchill Arms purely based on its floral exterior.


The pub was full of pictures, framed newspaper cuttings and other memorabilia relating to ex-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. There was also an impressive collection of bed pans hanging from the ceiling. Apparently, the Churchill Arms is where Churchill would come to do his war time radio addresses. Not sure what the connection with the bed pans is though.


We had the biggest WOW! moment when we visited the ladies' toilets. To get to the toilets, you follow the signs round the side of the bar, through the Thai restaurant section and then down a short alley that's made to look like a garden path.


When you push the door open, this is what you see:


There are flowers (real) and butterflies (fake) everywhere, even inside the cubicles!


English pubs are often quirky, and no two pubs are ever the same, but this one really is quite unique. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it! The gents' toilets at the opposite side of the bar were reportedly quite plain, so I'm wondering if the Thai ladies who work at the restaurant are responsible for the garden in the female toilets.

Whoever it is, they've done an excellent job. Never has a trip to the loo been discussed so much as this one was amongst our group - and now it's even got its own blog post.

8 comments:

Lowell said...

The loo is luxurious! Great photos of a most interesting pub. Can't figure the bedpans, either. Maybe the place was used as a hospital during the war?

Margarita said...

Wow! I've seen a good deal of oddly decorative restrooms, but this takes the cake!

Tinsie said...

Those toilets really were quite incredible. If I manage to discover "the bedpan connection" I'll let you know. I'm gutted that I didn't ask when we were there!

Karen said...

Those are awesome! Is there any natural light in the loo? I can't help but wonder how those plants survive. I also can't help but think about the vast, vast differences between boys' and girls' restroom standards. :-)

Puss-in-Boots said...

What a fabulous old pub. I love the loos...very artistic.

Anonymous said...

Nice restroom!

Tinsie said...

Karen, that's exactly what we wondered, because there's no natural light in the toilets at all!

Betty Carlson said...

I've noticed some very brightly decorated toilets here and there lately too. Must be a new trend.