Pooh Corner – the story of a toilet block
One of the things that makes Dorset Road Allotments special is Pooh Corner. For those in the know, that’s the name of our toilet block. We were one of the first allotment sites to have a proper flushing toilet and we certainly appreciate it! And it looks like we are not the only one. Our Secretary Donna came across this fascinating blog which features Pooh Corner (scroll down to the ‘not pubs’ section).
We’ve been lucky enough to have our ‘proper toilet’ since the 1990s. Some of you may remember the newsletter article I wrote back in 2011. I had been talking to Phil (who I’m sure many of you will remember) about what the allotment site used to be like and we got talking about toilets. I was curious to know what people did before ‘Pooh Corner’ was built, so Phil told me about the little-used chemical toilet, the difficulties getting permission from the council for ‘proper’ toilets and the hard work digging the drainage and plumbing them in. But the real gem was the original diagrams he still had in his note book.
Phil (pictured below with his mobility buggy) played a major part in Dorset Road Allotments over the years, including holding elected roles on the committee. We have him (and the other committee members) to thank for our wonderful facilities including the clubhouse and the toilets. Unfortunately Phil is no longer with us, but his legacy lives on. Thank you Phil!
