Saturday 1 May 2010

Totheloo...

On a mission this morning. Rumour has it there's a changing places toilet in Oxford. Whispers of its presence in the Westgate Centre. A rather pressing need this morning spurred us on to go and take a look. First stop, the regular toilets. Not here, and no signs suggesting where it might be. But a vague memory of hearing it linked with the Shopmobility centre was enough to send us off in search of that instead.
Follow the red line - easy enough, right?
Off we go.Helpful signs reinforcing the red line on the floor, until finally we get to the door.
Ah.

Still, February 2008, that's only two years ago; hardly worth taking the signs down just yet is it?

Never mind, retrace our steps, find the correct level, and hunt for orange signs.
Oh.

Closer investigation reveals a large blank wall with the all important Changing Places sign, and a doorbell. We ring it.

Silence.

And then the wall unfolds, and a woman greets us, and ushers in past several rows of Shopmobility scooters, and into the Changing Places loo.
Someone appears to be taking the "Changing place" in a slightly different way than originally intended.
But, move past the clothes and shoes and turn around and ooo
A bench! A hoist! Behind them, a loo and a large incontinence bin, a sink nearly low enough for Little Fish, and space for all three of us. Great. And it only took us half an hour to find it from first entering the Westgate Centre. Good job it had that large bin really.

Still, a really useful thing to have, and I'm sure a few more signs would make it even more useful for even more people. Although the caretakers might have to store their clothes somewhere else if more of us did use it.

Meanwhile, a stealth photograph - someone seems to have been borrowing my camera
Anyone know a small boy with new shoes?

Tia

5 comments:

Yvonne said...

Hmm, I'd be tempted to send this link to the shopping centre!

Swift said...

Ooh, interesting!!! (I've only ever found the 'technically accessible' ones in Westgate...)

Doorless said...

How awesome! I am so impressed. There should be something like this in every shopping center and every medical center at the very least.
What a hassle to try finding it!
I am so happy for all of you to have this resource.

MOM2_4 said...

Wonderful! I wish these were more common and easier to find. So glad you were able to find in because now that you know where it is, it will be easier to find in the future!

Here the accessible toilets, more often than not, have a baby changing table - not overly helpful unless you have an infant. Occasionally, there is a bench - YAY! Hoist... what's a hoist ;-P Sadly(?) the big shopping center we go to has MUCH better facilities than the hospitals. Someday, people will get a clue...maybe.

Anonymous said...

no comment on those shoes....I deny all knowledge!

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