The Original London Loo Tour

How much do you know about the bewildering history of London’s toilets? Did you know that before London had a proper functioning sewer system, everyone’s waste went into the Thames, the same Thames that people actually drank from? Butt really, what a stinker!

I recently had the privilege of going on the Original London Loo Tour; A tour all about the history and intricate toilet system in London, quite conveniently starting off in WaterLOO (ha!). I met the host, known as Loo Lady, who was particularly easy to spot with a plunger held up high, and we set off to our first stop. I won’t give too much away about where we went first, but let’s just say it could be the most patriotic toilet in the whole of the UK!

The Jubiloo really is a thing!

We got to learn a range of funky facts about toilets, as well as a bunch of reasons as to why toilets are placed where they are. There’s a whole load of politics behind the world of toilets in London too, as well as a very clear gender imbalance…

We wandered through some lovely parts of London and saw toilets that you’d never even realise were toilets; there sure are a lot of hidden loos dotted around London. Not only did I learn where the most expensive place in London is to spend your penny, but I also discovered a few places where you can actually go for free, and if you’re a frequent Londoner, then you’ll know just how valuable this information is.

Although the London Loo Tour is, like it says, a tour of London’s intricate toilet system. It is so much more than that. It’s an important message to today’s society; it demonstrates how far we have come and just how far we have yet to come. Since going on the London Loo Tour, I can’t help but walk around with a vision of what lies beneath London’s busy pavements – so much more than just a hectic underground system, there’s an intricate sewer system in place, built by a man who deserves a lot more credit than he’s got!

So for that reason, I’m dedicating this post to Joseph Bazalgette, because without him, London would be, quite simply, crap.