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Why don't French loos have handbasins?


CherryB
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[quote user="idun"]

And the most worrying thing about this thread is that I appear to have turned into Coop's Mother[:-))][:-))][:-))]

[/quote]There honestly cannot be two of those on the planet at one time!  Besides, I was talking to my cousin on the phone yesterday and he reckons it's a genetic thing passed down from my great grandmother who was a Simmons from Cornwall.  Any Cornish blood in you, Idun?
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[quote user="sweet 17"]I shouldn't worry too much, 5-e, they'll mostly only be your own germs, n'est-ce pas?

As long, that is, as you refrain from taking a RECIPE or Cookery book of any sort into the bog!

[/quote]

Funny you should say that, Sweet. On my little shelf next to the lavatory, I currently have four books:

- The Potato (from the Andes in 16C to fish & chips, the story of how a vegetable changed history) by Larry Zuckerman

- Taste (the story of Britain through its cooking) by Kate Colquhoun

- Hamlet

- Fables de la Fontaine.

Something for everyone. Very sorry, Idun.[+o(]

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I've come to this after a few days away, and have really enjoyed the read - not in the WC, I must add; musn't take the computer in there, although I've read here that my keyboard is the germiest place in my home! [:(]

Our first WC as a child in UK was across the yard, like everyone in the north-east in those days, with cut-up newspaper hanging up before we got a brand new council house. There we had 2 WCs, one upstairs separate from the bathroom and without a basin, and the other outside but under a covered way, across from the kitchen, next to the coal house, again without a basin. There we started using Izal toilet rolls - like sandpaper, but it was thought a luxury then, after being used to newspaper!

When camping with brownies and guides at Beamish, we could use the farm WC if caught short, instead of the dug out latrines in the field at the camp. I always made sure I was in the vicinity of the farm when I needed to go, and thought their double-seated WC was marvellous - lovely big wooden cover with 2 holes cut out, and newspaper squares ready at hand (and no washbasin within sight even, and that was the family's only WC!)  Imagine my dismay when the council emptiers arrived one day when I was in there mid-job - two workmen shovelling it all out from the separate compartment where it all piled up into their lorry! I stayed put until they were long gone, I was so embarrassed - but the smell was appalling!

Years later, Izal was available in loose sheets in boxes - still like sandpaper; when we married we bought lovely soft Andrex - so luxurious! We tried to buy some rolls of Andrex at a small village shop near Sheffield, to take to my parents-in-law, who lived nearby and still used Izal - with the factory nearby, I seem to remember. The shopkeeper seemed to think we were joking - soft toilet paper? soft in the head more like! (Similar story when we tried to get sticks of dried spaghetti at the local supermarket there - how would it fit in the pan? and what was wrong with it in a tin?)

We have a cloakroom in UK with a basin, which we installed. The WC didn't have a seat either when we moved in - I soon changed that! I learned as a 13year old what happens when a WC is flushed, from the mother of the clerk of works at the council. We also had a basin installed in our separate WC in France, much to our neighbours' amazement; they also tried to talk us out of putting it on the council form, as we'd have to pay extra tax which we do, but it's worth it! We also had a WC and bidet fitted in the bathroom instead of a washing machine. Again, neighbours thought that bizarre. I like to have full WC and washing facilities, so that if friends or relatives visit, there's somewhere to wash hands after using the WC; if the bathroom is occupied, I don't want people washing hands in the kitchen or even not washing them!

Our 2 sons learned at an early age that they could definitely control their aim; no splashes or soggy floors in our WCs! Little boys love to aim at a coin in their potty in the garden at the appropriate age - and once they've perfected their aim, no excuses for splashes etc are acceptable indoors! And if little boys can aim perfectly, there's no excuse for dad aiming badly either - he wouldn't want the kids beating him!  [:D]

 

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I am really enjoying this threadand it's giving me food for thought.

We have only just started our renovation on our house. A two up, two down. At the moment it's an empty shell but we were thinking of installing a shower room with toilet in each (two) of the bedrooms. There wouldn't be a 'main' bathroom.

Are shower rooms classed the same as bathrooms?

Also, would it make a difference tax wise if the loo was seperate to the shower room with basin?

By how much does the tax increase? Is it quite a significant amount?

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Being someone that has always taken up to 30 minutes to spend a bob, may I suggest a good volume or two to anyone who suffers in a similar capacity ie 'passing time in the loo' several volumes available and also available on kindle. It certainly helps to pass the time and other obstructions !!

Chris
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[quote user="idun"]I hate the idea of anyone reading on the toilet, I really do.[/quote]

Don't come to our house then. We have a veritable mini library in the separate toilet and both myself and Mrs Ern love to read whilst performing our ablutions and it's not uncommon to find us proping ourselves up on the walls or door afterwards because it's been that long that our legs have gone to sleep [:D][:D][:D]

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I can understand people reading in the bath, but on the bog, why. Go in, do what you need to do and get out. If it is the most comfy place in the house, well mine isn't.

Just sounds plain wrong to me. Not just me, my husband cannot be doing with it either.

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[quote user="sweet 17"]I am not the least impressed by any of your horror stories.  Gengulphus, are you paying attention?

[/quote]

Why me ?

No, of course not.  I was having an apéro

But I enjoyed the pictures of people sticking their heads down the lav  -  I gather that this is a popular pastime in England now.  You can't say that the Brits don't really know how to enjoy themselves. 

And it gave me a pleasurable reminder of something we used to do at school ;   but that was to other people. 

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We invited our elderly neighbours for dinner once, and towards the end of the afternoon, the old lady kept saying something in an undertone to her son which I didn't catch. It was only when they had left, I realised she'd been asking, "Il y a un WC?"  I didn't recognise the expression, poor old soul, she must have been crossing her legs all the way down the road to their own house. 

When we bought our French house, it had a toilet and wash hand basin, but no bath or shower. No hot water either for that matter. I know it makes some people shudder, but it is downstairs, just off the kitchen, and we don't think twice about that any more. To go upstairs chez nous, you have to go outside and up a flight of stone stairs to the grenier.

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Oh Idun, if only I could go in, do, and get out. The problem for me and many others as I understand it is quite a common problem in that I feel I want to 'do' but once on the throne I cannot 'do'. Therefore I have to sit and wait. If one reads a book it relaxes the vital organ whereas if one sits and waits one tends to start pushing - I know from experience as I have ended up with a twisted gut from pushing too hard for too long!
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Well I live and learn. At my age and I didn't know that.

I really did think that it was where people went to escape from others in the household. I did honest. And in there one is unobtainable too.

 

[:-))] Push, you have to push, my goodness me, I have remained in blissful ignorance of these things all my life.

 

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