Public Urinals

Good morning Foxcote. On Google Earth select a place you want, then click view, then historic imagery, and it goes back in time by sliding the date back. It gets a bit blurry but it gives you an idea where roads etc used to be.

Thanks ever so NormK, I am glad I asked, it sounds great. I'll have a go.

Just to explain, just to the left of the urinal stood a police box (Tardis). It would have blanked out the rear end of the Triumph car and half the steps to the Glass entrance.

Brilliant photo - to think I've walked past there, for several years on the way to work, without knowing about this!!

I don't know where I got this photo, it may have come from an old newspaper that I took my own photos of, many moons ago. But this is the one you are after.

That's a great shot, Baz ! I found an aerial shot on the 'Britain from Above' site but I didn't think I'd ever see such a close-up of it at ground level

Same site today

Browsing the pictures on this forum has brought back many memories of my younger years in Coventry, but I never expected to find a picture of this little building! Many years ago, I was "making use of the facilities at this establishment" when about 5 fire engines went past. It was the first time I had heard fire engines with sirens and was only used to hearing the old fire bells. I thought it was the end of the world. Perhaps somebody could put an approximate date on this. It was long before the "City of Coventry Fire Brigade Yellow" saga.

Wasn't there another gents loo like that round by where the ice rink is now?

There was one of these in Adelaide Street, we dismantled it a long time ago. These things might have looked unsightly, but boy-oh-boy they were handy at times

The Adelaide Street one was near the junction with Castle Street, wasn't it? Memory fails me as to whether that one had a roof. Being female and very young at the time, I always viewed those structures with a mixture of fascination and horror!

Yes Primrose you are right on the location of it. Also I do not recall it having a roof either.

Sorry, but I don't have a photo of this facility. I do remember it however, at the junction of Ford St., Alma St. & Raglan St. I recall passing it on the way to the Highfield Road soccer ground. The toilet is marked on the 1:2500 map as Unl (urinal). As far as I remember, it was painted green, and I don't recall a roof either.

The urinal at Castle St, as far as I remember, had no roof and was smaller than the one on Lower Ford St, which had a re-enforced glass roof. The one at Castle St was used as emergency only, as that particular area for some reason was out of bounds at night time. I came from Hillfields and felt safe day and night but in that area, day time only?