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Temples of Relief

  • Thread starter Thread starter glaciermint
  • Start date Start date
I have filled in the survey some questions I was not sure about. I would love to see the urinals preserved but I know they have some problems with the toilets in the Jewellery Quarter so wouldn't want them opened as urinals again.
 
There's the remains of one in the corner of key Hill Cemetery, corner ofCemetery lane. they are looking at finding funding to do limited restoration, but if it was ever re-opened, it would just be a druugie den.
 
That's the problem Brian when Michael worked in the area at night he said there was a real problem especially with the toilets. Drugs are the scourge of humanity!!
 
This is the problem with them really. i personally think conversion back into a modern toilet would be the best option but the council will not be opening any new toilets in the near future (FACT) there policy is to look towards having shops open up their toilets for the public so i cant see a bright future for them....a kiosk is a possibility but would it mean too much tampering with the historic fabric?????

Im still waiting on advice from the planning department but english heritage were certainly of the suggestion that unless you find a use for them eventually they will stop being maintained and fall apart which i think would be a shame. So what do we do with these things????

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGTYQX9


thanks for the responses everyone....survey is still open....


mark
 
What about asking the Victorian Society what they would suggest. The chairman comes on here from time to time. They seem a bit more grounded and down to earth.
 
I have had a very brief interview with the advisor for Birmingham from the Victorian society and he suggested -

"We would favour appropriate alternative uses & the preservation of at least one in working order, assuming that it is not possible or appropriate to bring them back into use generally."

i think sadly i wouldnt get our hopes up for seeing a restored temple of relief (for toilet usage) any time soon as if they arent open now i doubt they ever will be in the very near future.

For what its worth i personally am not sure what to do with them, i think as they are, they are very vulnerable to neglect and demolishment (remember not all of them are listed and are afforded any protection) and in an ideal world they could become toilets again....but id say this is a very very long shot with the current council policy. i think maybe the ones in better locations e.g. jewelry quarter, should face a bit of adaption and as for those in digbeth well maybe moving them is a horrible last resort but it could end up saving them for the future.....but thats just my opinion.


https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGTYQX9


Mark
 
Hmm seems sad but I understand what they are saying. The one in the Jewellery Quarter would be nice restored but would have to be closed at night I think. At least if some are saved if just for future generations to see what they were like. I suppose it would be nice to have a working one in a museum like the Black Country Museum. Not a perfect solution but a way of keeping these iconic (my opinion) buildings from decaying and falling apart.
 
That reminds me, I went round and photographed every temple of relief i could find in brum....i think most (if not all) of them have already been covered but ill have to upload my pics. Ps while ive been looking for alternate uses for the temples of relief i came across this place in Berlin where they used an old temple of relief type urinal and converted it into a fast food outlet....what does everyone think???

[URL]https://needleberlin.com/2011/08/01/getting-messy-at-burgermeister/



https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGTYQX9


[/URL]Mark
 
Got the train to the Jewellery Quarter today, and saw this one outside






Looks in good condition from the outside.
 
Why is there a requirement to do something with them. Why not upgrade them and use for the same thing. Is the need for a pee no longer a neccessity. In other cities around the world these features are noticeable by their absence.
 
Agree Rupert. Why not use them for their original purpose? After all, you can never find one when you need it. There was a TV programme recently on converting small spaces.One was about a former underground urinal in Crystal Palace being converted into a home. Well that's all very worthy, but who wants to live underground and find people using your front door as a urinal or as a place to sleep? Viv.
 
I think some of the old decorative urinals that still exist should be restored and put in a place such as the Black Country Museum. The lack of facilities in major cities around the world is problematic to say the least. In London they have these "pop-up" urinals which rise out of the ground at night and are sent back underground in the early morning. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2382831.stm

These are men's facilities only. They are very expensive to install and in Victoria on Vancouver Island they have installed an interesting urinal which is on the following
link:https://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05/08/victorias-60k-open-air-urinal-‘an-attraction-in-itself’/ The high cost of installation is probably one of the reasons why these facilities are not being installed in many cities.
 
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It is an interesting article though jennyann, I think the problems of mis-use of public toilets is world wide and there are fines here for urinating in public too, so I guess its better to have a building like yours at least there isn't the smell and embarassment for the public!
Sue
 
The victorians were great inovaters, where public hygene was concerned, where as in the 21st C, it is nearly impossible to find a public convenience, and so many people, (mainly the young), tend to relieve themselves anywhere, great advancment in the United Kingdom, "I don't think".!!!!!
paul
 
Hi Phil
Do you know whether the old Victorian public male toilets are still standing there at the top end of the high street
Next to the old indoor market it was an old Victorian toilet and the metal work is cast iron
I seem to recall quite area years back it was published in the mail that it was very smallie and the stalls ( meaning the urinal troughs
Was so badly stained as well it was stated in the mail a Birmingham councillor or two of them took it upon them selves to do the daily cleaning themselves
With a regular wash down one a week it was either way back in the seventy /early eighths because the council could not afford the costing
On public toilets cleaning but they said as they lived in the harbourne are they personally will clean it themselves
Armed with a bass broom and hose pipe because they said of its history and classic heritage they wanted to preserve it
Whilst on this thread about the high street may I say how the community as changed it is now more food original
More fast for take always and eating houses than ever.
And the rates of such property's are exstortionaly high and looking back to what was an village and a lovely place to live
Its my opinium that the place as gone to the dogs best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,,,
 
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Not sure it still there. I'll try to remember to drive down there tomorrow.
 
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Alan I found one still in that area on Google Street View. Not sure of the date it was covered.
 
Hi Bernard and leslam
Many thanks for coming back to me on this I will look at this on Google earth to see if the same one
And leslam should you get down there today do you think we could get a picture of it for us please
Well guys I have to get back into the garden now as I have been landscaping my garden make over and I have made my big Lawns into a two tear
High grounds feature and I Am freezing my paths and remove a very old crazy patching which must have been put down in the dark ages
Our house are built on the salt mines and its completely clay and fresh no matter how deep you dig its got the brown and cement mixture
With it and wet you can actually make things with it straight from the ground one side of our house and the rear end is slowly subsiding
As we are on salt mines with history of word,
Any way Bernard and leslam many thanks have a nice day best wishes Astonian,,,,,Alan,,,,,
 
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Alan,

The Victorian urinal is still (according to Google) there attached to the High Street side of the Junction public house.
 

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I can confirm it's still there - I drove past yesterday. Sorry Alan, it wasn't possible to stop there, but next time I'm down that end of the village on foot, I'll see what I can do - though I think that I might get some strange looks!
 
every time i look at that loo in gt bar st there is a different hording board above. it that poor woman looks like she is shouting WERE IS THE LADIES loo.
 

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