Monday, 10 January 2011

The best little sanitary station on the system?

Toilets: A favourite topic for boaters!
The sanitary station at Wheaton Aston seems to attract more than its fair share of trouble. The recent stupidity of a boater there is an extreme example, but only one of a long line of "incidents" that have led to the station being closed on many occasions in the past few years. 
We are more fortunate at Norbury Junction. In fact, I think the station here is probably the best on the system!
Located in a purpose-built building at the junction of the Shropshire Union main line with the old Newport branch (which now terminates abruptly after 100 metres in Norbury Wharf's dry dock) the station has all the facilities one would expect. Separate men's and women's sections each contain toilets (including disabled) and showers in a warm,well-lit environment kept in scrupulously clean conditions. A separate elsan disposal room is accessible only from the outside of the building.
The large entrance hallway also functions as a BW information centre and contains a book exchange, which now seems to have been extended to include videos, jigsaws, board games and even kitchen equipment! (Thank you whoever donated the cafetiere - very useful!) I can't quite award it full marks because on occasion the showers have been out-of-order and sometimes the drains smell, but I'd certainly give it 9 out of 10. Congratulations to all responsible for its design and upkeep.

3 comments:

Naughty-Cal said...

Oh, another one high in the ranks is the sanitary station at Ripon. Very well kept and almost like having a shower at home.

Carol said...

I agree that the facilities at this sanitary station are excellent, but 2 comments - there is no self pump-out facility and for some reason the laundry is in the ladies area only - don't single handed male boaters (or any males for that matter) do the laundry?

Jim said...

Carol,
Two very fair points. As a "casette user" I hadn't noticed the absence of a pump out, although Norbury Wharf has one opposite and as a male boater I didn't realise the ladies had a laundry!
Most single males would get a "service wash" done by Norbury Wharf!
Jim