Summer holidays… Something most of us look forward to as it means we can have a break from work and our daily routine… However, with schools and nurseries shut for several weeks, we adults have to find activities and trips out to keep the little ones amused. And while when it comes to paid-for attractions there’s certainly more to enjoy compared to when my daughters, (now in their late 30s) were little, days out in parks, woodlands and other beauty spots are harder to plan as so few of them – well in my neck of the woods, anyway – still have public toilets. Now, with a toddler granddaughter in tow, I’m doing it all again. This time around though we have to discuss whether wherever we’d like to visit has toilets, whether they’ll be open and if they won’t be, whether there’s a shopping centre or other facility nearby that can look after us if need be. When my girls were little we did a fair bit of travelling to various countries – never on a package holiday but trips where we could connect with the locals and enjoy the sights as well as the countryside. There was never an issue when it came to finding toilets – even at the top of a snowy mountain - and I don’t recall finding any that weren’t well-maintained. I wonder how things are now, and whether provision has become as bad as it has throughout much of the UK or whether it’s still good? Do please let me know! 

Of course, not having access to toilets means that those who still venture out to places without facilities, are likely to relieve themselves in bushes/behind trees/in alleyways, which isn’t the best thing to do either in terms of personal safety or hygiene. All too often we see used tissue wafting around in the breeze and occasionally a pile of excrement that’s clearly not been deposited by an animal. Not good! Which brings me nicely to news that’s just hit the headlines: Cambridgeshire Council’s spent around £1million building ‘squat toilets’ which it claims are preferred by foreign visitors. Despite them costing £1 to use, I’d say from press reports and comments on social media that the Council’s unlikely to recoup what it’s spent. What are your thoughts on this? And also on the news that some local authorities are considering ‘dynamic pricing’ – charging users more at busy times – along with contactless payment only. What happens, I wonder, if you don’t have sufficient funds in the bank to pay the charges, or if you’ve lost your card? Crazy ideas, if you ask me, but how do you feel about them? 

Cleanzine is now taking its annual maintenance break from today. The next Cleanzine will be with you on 3rd September…