London Loo Tour - seriously quirky

Its not every day you meet someone who is proud to call themselves a London toilets Amature Enthusiast. But Rachel is different, she is quirky, bright, friendly and is taking us around on a walking tour of London's Loos. Its "not a 'bog standard' London experience" and what else would I be doing for my first Saturday afternoon back in London?

Our tour guide Rachel

Following the Loo Lady and her plunger around London I learnt a few interesting factoids about London toilets. Did you know there was a loo with its own Facebook page? Its called the "Jubiloo" and its near the London Eye. There is also a nocturnal urinal near Embankment which i've walked past and over at least a dozen times and never knew it was there.

The Jubiloo - The loo near the London Eye

Also, there was the story of how The Big Stink got up Parliaments nose and forced them to find a solution to the Thames being used as a dumping ground - literally, the origins of the phrase "the wrong end of the stick" (its gross!), the privatisation of bathroom facilities in London and how the City of London is actually the best place to find a free toilet.

The Nocturnal Urinal - it rises in the evenings only!

It was one of the most unusual and quirky tours I have ever done in London and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I mean seriously, where else would you find a tour like that except the charming city that is London? The tour wrapped up in Cellar Door, a bar just off the Strand which, in keeping with the Loo Tour theme, was converted from public toilet.

Cellar Door - an ex-public toilet

Moving to the UK from the US as student, Rachel was interested in finding free things to do in London. She also refused to pay 30p to use a loo (who can blame her?) and when someone suggested she do a tour she thought why not? She has now being running Loo Tours for just over a year.

The last London street lamp powered by sewer gas

The thing she enjoys most about these tours is meeting the people who come along and hearing their stories - "almost everyone has a story, even if they don't, they do" - I was one of them, totally surprised by how much I knew and how much i'd noticed about different loos id been in!

Westminster has privatised public loos

So, if you are looking for something different to do in London why not let Rachel take you on a tour - I'm sure you will discover something new and have a few laughs in the process.

What other quirky and unusual London tours should I try?

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