Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Good news for visitors to our home

For a number of years - ten or more - now, the lock on our downstairs toilet has been acting up. If it is locked from the inside, which, of course, is the only time you would want to lock it, it can't be unlocked again. Not from the inside.

Whoever is in there has to shout and attract the attention of someone else in the house; the locked-in then has to pass the key out through the window to the free-man, who, if the locked-in is lucky, will unlock the door from the outside.

This has caused some embarrassment as well as much amusement to visitors and residents over the years. Regular visitors know not to lock it. Which is fine unless an irregular visitor walks in on you when you're mid-flow.

One friend asked why we didn't simply take the key away so that lock-ins couldn't happen. Pah, that's far too simple an answer.

When faced with the party for my uncle before Christmas, when I knew a lot of elderly strangers would be in attendance, I decided to do something about it, so I bought a very quaint American-Quakerish sign for the door. I was planning to suggest that people should hang this on the outside of the door while they're in there. Unfortunately I forgot to mention it. But, hey, I'm never going to see most of them again.

Today I came home from work to find husband in the process of changing the lock. 'What are you doing?' I yelled. 'That lock is one of the quirks of this house.'

It turns out that, a few weeks ago, while in the house on his own, he got himself locked in the toilet, and after battling for some time to get free (it would occasionally unlock from the inside), resolved that it was dangerous and that he should 'do something about it'.

For years I have been alone in the house with this dangerous toilet and he hasn't done anything. Even after I'd had to call the gasman to let me out. But now his dignity had been endangered ...

I feel quite sad for the demise of the unlockable lock.

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A few posts ago I said a silly thing. (Hands up who said, 'which one?') This particular silly thing involved me looking out for the next blood donor session and being brave enough to go again. Well, there's one in Mumbles tomorrow. Dare I go?

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Modern architecture, on the whole, has a very transient air, I think. Some of it is mostly well designed but it inevitably seems to be let down by the cheap factor. I'm not talking about museums or civic buildings but town developments generally.

There are loads of old buildings in Swansea (at least those that weren't destroyed in the three day blitz - our fifteen minutes - or three days - of fame) and they stand tall and elegant or small and neatly terraced but permanent. Built to last. Decorative features, interesting stonework. One of the new developments in Swansea has a lovely dome but come down to ground level and it has ugly aluminium windows and great swathes of blank concrete (or some sort of plain finish).

I assume it's partly cost but also it suggests that it's not there for good; it can change when times/trends change. Which is a good thing I suppose. Except for the people who have to live with it and look at it in the meantime.

3 comments:

Shirley said...

Quote "Which is fine unless an irregular visitor walks in on you when you're mid-flow"

Oh that did make me chuckle irregular in what way?

Anonymous said...

I'm glad Mike saw fit to sort out the lock...perhaps you need to list (mentally) all the other things you want 'sorted', then suggest how he'd feel if they also happened to him...you could have a perfect home.

As for the loo...make a sign anyway saying 'this door does not lock, you have to sing' and wait for the wee arias. Your quirk could live on but you can use the privy in total privacy.

Anna said...

That's my trick! Singing. When I'm in there. Better than a lock, anyway.