Beauty and the bog

Vital though toilets are, they’re not generally considered works of art or a natural subject for photography.

We’d like you to reconsider and view the loos you visit with an artistic eye, after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Our friends at Site Equip and Loos R Us have launched a photo competition to create a 2012 Toilet calendar supporting Toilet Twinning.

While there are many weird and wonderful toilets out there, don’t feel that you need to find the world’s most unusual toilet (although we’ll certainly want to hear from you if you do). The challenge is to look beyond the ordinary, to find images that give a different take on toilets. Site Equip and Loos R Us are looking for “scenes that are funny, inventive, poignant or exciting”.

If you’re in need of inspiration, or feel that this is all a bit amateur, why not take a look at professional photographer Richard Hanson’s collection of striking pictures (look for P*ssed off, under Projects).

Of course, some might say that you can’t beat a good framed certificate of a latrine in Burundi, but they might be biased.

The top 12 images will be published in the 2012 calendar and the overall winner will also receive a canvas print (of any of their photos – not necessarily a loo!).

All entries must be submitted digitally via email or on a CD. For more information on how to enter, what the judges will be looking for and all the t&c’s, visit the competition page.

You have until the 23rd November to submit your best shot. Good luck and happy snapping!





Photos courtesy of & copyright Richard Hanson, www.hansonphoto.co.uk. Top left – Mongolia; Middle – Brazil.

A brief history of toilet humour

Today is the launch of the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And as the festival has a history of linking laughs with loos (at the 2009 Festival, the tragicomedy ‘Waiting for Godot’ was performed in the St James public loos) we thought it only appropriate we devote today’s On The Blog to toilet humour.

According to Johnny Foreigner’s Guide to British Humour, humour was invented by John Cleese in 1066. Potty, or ‘toilet’ humour Mr Foreigner claims, is at once the best, worst and possibly the funniest kind.

Here is John Cleese explaining his recent discovery at the Science Symposium held in Brussels early that year:

Not ones to pooh-pooh the opportunity for a wee giggle, here at Toilet Twinning we’re quite fond of the odd pun. According to Mr Foreigner, “the pun is a rare and elusive creature outside of the UK”. Here it is in its natural habitat:

Those of you who follow us on Twitter will be used to our absolootely shameless use of puns in our, ahem, t[wee]ts. But it’s with good cause! It’s because we think it’s out of order that 40% of the world’s population doesn’t have somewhere decent to go to the loo. And this is just one of many shocking stats on sanitation.

So go on then, hit us with your best – and most hygienic – toilet jokes. Puns especially welcome. Leave them in the comments section beloo. And finally, we leave you with these words of blessing:

May your life be like a roll of toilet paper, long and useful.

Images:

John Cleese The Scientist from John Cleese Podcast #32 The Scientists

Pun from Johnny Foreigner’s Guide to British Humour

Toilet Twinning celebrates Burundian Independence Day: With dignity comes peace.

Ndagijimana Fulgence, Cord Burundi’s Programme Manager and a Burundian himself, gives his thoughts about the journey that his country has been on since its independence.

1 July 2011 will mark the 49th year of independence for Burundi from two successive colonial powers, Germany and Belgium. Since 1962 up to now, there has been some progress in terms of infrastructures, schools and life has improved in many different ways.

Some of the benefits of independence are being able to control one’s own destiny, to live without fear of an external master and to respond to basic needs. These elements are also signs and indications of peace.

In a life of a country, as in any living organism, there are good and difficult times. Burundi, as a country, has been no exception. A series of wars and civic unrest made it difficult to achieve the ideals that our ‘independence heroes’ lived for, fought for and died for. Destruction of livelihoods, lack of unity between the sons and daughters of our beloved country, exile to other countries, massive killings, inability to accommodate differences and cherish diversity have all been experienced in this country formerly independent from other colonial powers.

A number of organisations have stepped in to help heal the wounds of war and divisions; a much needed helping hand to contribute to the efforts of both government and civil society organisations to build a country where everyone is respected and his or her contribution to the construction of the nation is valued. Cord came up with innovative ideas to help people positively deal with root causes of conflicts, get the skills and mechanisms necessary to solve conflicts or mitigate their destructive effects, and along the way lead decent and a better life.

Toilet Twinning has been one of the genius ideas. The simple concept is about having toilets in the west twinned with latrines in the remote communes of Rutana Province. The process helps support more people in getting latrines and provides privacy and dignity, improves personal and domestic hygiene, resist water born diseases and build peace.

Our ‘independence heroes’ had dreams of a Burundi where people are able to cater for their basic needs, lead healthy and quality lives and where conflicts are positively dealt with when they arise. It is amazing how the work that Cord and Toilet Twinning does is continuing the legacy of our heroes, building peace and improving people’s lives. Wish us luck as we make this a reality.

Notes
Toilet Twinning was started by Cord in 2009, and is now a partnership between international charities Cord and Tearfund.

Cord has been working in Burundi since 1996, to enable sustainable and peaceful resettlement of returnees and vulnerable people in Rutana province.

Photos

1. Ndagijimana Fulgence, Cord Burundi’s Programme Manager. Photo copyright David Morphew / Cord.

2. Fulgence talks with a family in Burundi. Photo copyright Cord.

The art of queuing

Or, how do you get from Wimbledon to Burundi?

An obsession with whether or not it will rain, strawberries and cream, queues of newsworthy proportions and, all too often, sporting disappointment – it could only be Wimbledon. What other occasion gives so many opportunities to flaunt Britishness?

Talking about the weather and queuing are two quintessentially British traits, and Wimbledon gives us the chance to enjoy both. Although centre court’s multimillion pound roof means rain won’t stop play, there are still many times when weather and tennis collide: Will Murray Mount stay open? Should people take extra sunscreen? What’s the strawberry crop like this year?

There are few certainties in today’s world, but an obsession with a Brit winning Wimbledon is a sure thing. As are the queues of people waiting to see whether this year will be THE year. The Wimbledon queue is such a tradition that it even has its own code of conduct.

Of course, Wimbledon isn’t the only time when our ability to queue comes in handy. Any woman will be only too familiar with The Queue. (Why are the queues for the ladies always worse than the gents? Answers on a postcard please… or in this digital age, just comment below).

Although we might despair at toilet queues, whether at a festival, on a night out or just about anywhere else there are public toilets, at least we have something to queue for. They might not always be spotless and chances are the door won’t lock, but there is some provision for privacy and at least a nod towards hygiene.

Compare this with the situation for 2.6 billion people in the world. They’re not queuing because they don’t have a loo to queue for. While we might complain that the toilet roll’s run out or the flush isn’t working, millions don’t have the luxury of a flush. Or a seat. Or even walls.

Since Toilet Twinning’s launch over 1,600 latrines have been built in Burundi. With an average family size of 6, that’s nearly 10,000 people who now have somewhere safe, private and hygienic to go. As well as safe sanitation your donations help to fund access to clean water and hygiene promotion. What are you waiting for? Twin your toilet and help give others something to queue for.

Pictures from: BBC Sports News, The Metro's Guide to a Day out at Wimbledon

Festival Loos: A Survival Guide

As Glastonbury kicks off today, festival season is in full swing – bring on the wellies and hot pants!

The line-ups, the food, the rain – it’s all part of the fun. But by far the biggest fear for most people will be….dum dum DUM….the loos.


(Photo credit: www.telegraph.co.uk)

It can be a pretty grim experience, and may well put you off eating and drinking for the rest of your time there, but thankfully we’ve put together some handy tips to help you get through it!

First of all, you will need:

• Your own toilet paper
• Anti-bacterial hand gel
• Wet wipes
• A torch
• Water
• Anti-diarrheal tablets
• A strong disposition

(Photo credit: www.videojug.com)

Learn to hover – You may need some strong thighs, or if you don’t, you will do by the time you leave the festival.

Wash your hands – Considering that most food you will eat a festival will not involve a lot of cutlery, make sure you wash your hands often. Keep an antibacterial gel in your pocket at all times! You don’t want an upset stomach at a festival…

Take a torch – You want to be sure where you are sitting at night time. If you can, make it a head torch – no chance of having to fish around on the floor – or worse – when you drop it!

Go in the morning – Most festival toilets are used over the course of the day and emptied over night. You do not want to go late into the evening, the stench would be at its peak!

But for a change of perspective: As disgusting and as embarrassing as some festival loo experiences may be over a matter of a few days, it’s got nothing on the 2.6 billion around the world for whom not having a hygienic and safe place to go to the toilet is a daily experience. Just imagine for a moment if everyone at Glastonbury had to go out in the open? Now imagine 2.6 billion people doing that every day!

So when you’re getting frustrated in the loo queue this festival season, waiting for what seems like hours, take a second to remember the millions of people who walk miles to get to a hole in the ground.

One of the latrines Toilet Twinning is helping to build.

For £60 you can twin your toilet and make all the difference in the world, to transform the lives of the poorest communities and give them somewhere safe to go to the loo. Just like festival toilet supplier Andyloos did last year by twinning some of their portable loos – so have a look out for them at this summer’s celebrations, send a photo to us if you spot them!

Stay safe and happy loo queuing!

No. 2 gifts for No. 1 dads

I don’t know about you but I find that fathers are particularly tricky to buy presents for. If your dad’s anything like mine then if he needs something, he’s gone out and got it already.

With this in mind, at Toilet Twinning we’ve done a little bit of research into unusual gifts for the man who has everything. No prizes for guessing the theme!

Our recent poll highlighted the controversial issue of toilet paper orientation, so where better to start than novelty toilet roll. There’s a good line out there in special toilet paper, whether you want to share a heartfelt message …

(thanks to www.buzzfeed.com)

… make night-time toilet trips easier with glow in the dark loo roll …

(from www.iwantoneofthose.com)

… or simply give your dad the opportunity to show that men CAN multitask, given the right environment.

(from www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk)

Or what about the LavNav – a handy little gadget that’s essentially a night light for your bathroom. Not only does it mean you don’t have to turn the light on, there’s also an in-built toilet seat up/down indicator.

(from www.iwantoneofthose.com)

If you’re looking for something less practical and more for a practical joker, there is the inspired talking toilet roll dispenser. You can record your own message or jingle, which will play whenever someone takes any loo roll.

(thanks www.asseenontv.com)

(A word of caution – some time ago my friends had a musical toilet roll holder. While undisputedly high on amusement and originality, their downstairs neighbours did complain about the noise. True story.)

For the more altruistic dad, there’s no need to have read all this – just twin your dad’s loo and tick Father’s Day off your to do list.

So go on, show your dads how much you love them!

Changing the world from Norman's bathroom

We love hearing from our supporters! Norman Colville, a Toilet Twinner from Edinburgh, recently dropped us a line about how the view from his loo is helping raise awareness of the sanitation scandal facing poor people all over the world.

When faced with the statistics on water and sanitation in far-flung places it can be tempting just to ignore them and carry on with our own lives. After all, what difference can one person make? Toilet Twinning makes it possible for anyone to change the world … from their bathroom.

Without people like Norman, Toilet Twinning simply wouldn’t work. If you’ve got a story about raising money for Toilet Twinning or have been inspired by Toilet Twinning we’d love to hear from you. And now, over to Norman...

When I discovered Toilet Twinning I thought it was a fantastic idea. The certificate constantly reminds me of the plight of the 2.6 billion people who do not have the basic luxury of going to the loo in privacy, safety or with the most basic hygiene.

Some people may say that issuing a certificate is a gimmick. I would disagree because for me, having the certificate on display in the toilet is a constant reminder of how privileged I am to have had the basic resources of fresh water and sanitation all my life.

Also, it can be a relatively easy thing to make a gift to those in need and then carry on with life feeling quite pious that you have done your bit to help. The certificate acts as a stark reminder that these problems are long term and require constant resources to overcome them.

I have found the reactions of visitors using the toilet very interesting. They usually fall into two categories: some visit the loo and say nothing about the certificate; others, however, find it initially quite amusing but are interested to find out more about it.

A friend of mine who is a retired Marine Engineer used the loo recently. On returning from the loo, he pointed out that the flush mechanism required some maintenance. That spoke volumes to me – for him to have noticed such a minute detail as the flush handle he must have also noticed the certificate, but chose not to mention it in conversation.

I have been deeply challenged and humbled by Toilet Twinning and Tearfund’s Make Life Flow campaign [check out the campaign video], so much so that I am planning to serve in some practical way in the future (God willing). I recently took early retirement from my work as a Marine Engineer after 35 years service, and I believe that I have God given talents and skills that I can use to help bring these most basic of facilities to people who so desperately need them.

Norman Colville