One of my pet hates when travelling in any city is paying to use the toilet. I know - it's very petty. But going to the toilet is a necessity rather than a luxury. I resent having to pay for taking care of a basic need. And principles aside, I don't always have the money - or at least the change - to pay to use a toilet. And just think what that 50p could buy! (Okay, not much, but I'm thinking chocolate...)
It seems to be becoming more widespread now, but the first time I encountered having to pay for the toilet was in London, back when it only cost 20p. I was 16, I was at Victoria Station, I was desperate and I didn't have any change. My friend had change but I refused to take it on principle and tried to duck under the barrier. Needless to say, I got caught, pleaded lack of money and had to take my friend's 20p after all.
I don't duck under barriers these days - I don't think my back would let me. But I do try to avoid paying wherever possible, and am making it my mission to find as many free public toilets as I can. It goes without saying that using toilets in restaurants, pubs and cafes is one option, but that isn't always practical or convenient (nor fair if you're not actually a customer). But there are other options, and here are the ones I've found in London. I'm sure some of you have found other examples, and I'd love to hear about them. I'm hoping to keep updating this post, so if you know of any free public toilets in London that I've not mentioned, please comment at the bottom or let me know on Twitter @holidayobsessi1 (that's a 'one' and not an 'L' at the end!) and I'll add them to the list!
St Pancras International
These are my favourite. There may be others elsewhere in the station but there are free toilets behind the escalators going to the Southeastern trains (platforms 10-13 I think). Look for the Starbucks, Yo Sushi and M&S. I can't speak for the mens', but there are around 10 cubicles, all of which generally lock and have toilet paper. There is usually a toilet attendant about so they are pretty clean. Best of all, you feel smug, because you have to pay for the toilets in Kings Cross just across the road.
North Greenwich tube station
Sticking with stations, this is another option I use fairly regularly. On the Jubilee line, a few stops away from London Bridge, it's not somewhere you'd go from central London, but it's still handy if you're heading to the O2, the Emirates or the Thames Clippers. We often park here if driving into London, as it's reasonably cheap (especially on Sundays), so we always take the opportunity to use the toilets before heading into the city. There are plenty of cubicles, usually with locks and paper (though not quite as clean as St Pancras), and you don't often have to queue for long.
Museums and art galleries
Obviously, you'd expect to have free use of toilets at any paying attraction you visit, but the beauty of museums in London is that they're free - and they still have toilets! I won't use this blog to write an exhaustive list of free museums in London but just a few I've been to include: the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the V&A, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the Museum of London, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. There are museums spread across all of London, so they can prove a convenient option when you need the toilet. Extra benefits include the fact that they're usually very clean and pleasant (for toilets) with no queues, and you get to look at some interesting stuff while you're in the building!
Little Venice
I discovered these recently. For those who don't know, Little Venice is an area five minutes from Warwick Avenue and Maida Vale tube stations, where the Grand Union Canal and Regents Canal meet. It's picturesque, with little gardens, lots of water (obviously) and copious amounts of pretty canal boats/barges. You can take a trip on a narrowboat from Little Venice to London Zoo or Camden Lock. There are some free toilets here in the little gardens - only a couple of cubicles, and not the nicest of toilets but hey, they're free. I visited during a festival when the area was packed, so the queue was pretty awful, but I'd guess it isn't too bad the rest of the time.
Hyde Park
I spotted these while wandering through Hyde Park last week - they're south of the the Serpentine, just by the lido. I didn't use these myself, so can't make any further comment. It is vaguely possible that there was a pay point hidden inside, but they certainly looked like they were free. Maybe one of my readers can confirm!
Well, that's it - a pretty short list currently. I'm not sure if this is representative of how few public toilets there are in London or just because I haven't found many yet. So if you know of any free conveniences in London, let me know and I'll add them to the list!
Sunday 24 June 2018
Wednesday 6 June 2018
Swapsies!
A couple of years ago, I wrote about one of the real reasons behind my holiday obsession (What's really important). Much as I love sun, exploring, doing new things and seeing new places, a major reason for my love of holidays was the quality time I got to spend with my family. Up until a couple of years ago, my husband had been a teacher (as was I, pre-kids). Anyone who has been or known a teacher will understand that the 'long holidays' thing is a bit of a myth. My husband spent evenings and weekends working. He spent much of the 'holiday' time working. And when he wasn't working, he was thinking about work. It was only when we went away on holiday and he physically couldn't work that he would actually start to relax. He would spend the first day or so visibly uncomfortable, clearly thinking about the things he should/could have been doing, and feeling frustrated that he couldn't do any of them. But after that, once it was clear that he couldn't do anything about it, he would relax and start to enjoy the holiday, and we would actually get quality time together without the spectre of work hanging over us. Since he gave up teaching, things have been so much better. We get evenings and weekends together. And much as I still love my holidays, they have become less 'necessary' in terms of ensuring family time.
My last blog was all about going on too many holidays (Too many holidays? Okay, I concede). At least, that's what it looks like at first glance. Dig a bit deeper, and you'll realise I'm moaning about two things: too many short holidays and too much work. And it's just started to dawn on me that in many ways I've swapped places with my husband.
First things first, let's make it clear: I haven't actually got too much work. I only work part-time, and this year was the first time in years I've earned enough to pay tax, so I'm clearly not working 'too much'. However, because I 'only' work part-time, I'm also responsible for the children and for the house, and this means that only a little bit of work can feel like a lot when it's on top of everything else. You see, as well as the obvious jobs, like the washing, cooking, cleaning, school run and cooking, there are all those niggly little things that also need doing - things like paying bills; making sure birthday cards and presents are bought, written, wrapped and sent; filling in school forms; making sure homework is done; and a whole host of other things that don't sound like much but actually take up a lot of time. I could spend an hour a day doing things that don't 'show' and don't feel productive but without which things would start to quietly fall apart. For example, in the last couple of days, I've filled in a whole bunch of forms for Cubs and Scouts; logged onto online banking to pay a credit card bill; organised a costume for my son's French day at school; remembered to feed my son's triops (look it up!); and ordered and collected a prescription for the cat's flea and worm medication, among other things, and top of work and the usual chores. Ask most working parents and they'll tell you that it's staying on top of these 'little' things that often pushes them over the edge.
The other reason why work can often feel too much is due to the nature of being self-employed - I work as a freelance copy-editor and proofreader. And while there are many advantages to working from home and being in charge of your own time, there are disadvantages too. Work is like buses - you can go some time without much or any work and then all of a sudden loads comes at once. And the trouble is, because you've spent time without work - or you know you might do again in the future - you don't feel like you can turn work down when you get it, and so you agree to everything. The trouble is, if you turn down a job, you're not necessarily losing just that job - the client will have to go elsewhere, and there's a risk they may return to that 'elsewhere' for their next job too, so you may be turning down future work as well. And because you don't get paid sick pay or holidays, you feel extra pressure to take on work when you get it. As you can imagine, holidays can be a particular issue, as no one covers for you while you're away - I often end up working all hours before I go away and as soon as I come back so that I don't have to turn anything down. The end result is that although sometimes I have very little work, and can comfortably fit in a little 'me time' as well as housework and childcare, other times I end up taking on more that I can comfortably manage, and have to work evenings and weekends just to get it completed. And when I'm not working, I'm thinking about work and all the things I should be doing. Yup, I sound just like my husband.
So why did my last blog post complain about having too many holidays? At the beginning of this post, I said that holidays were the only time when my husband managed to relax, so why isn't it the same for me? The key is in the word 'short'. At the beginning of this post, I also mentioned that my husband would spend the first day or two worrying about not being able to work, and it would take him a couple of days before he could relax. And because the majority of my 'holidays' this year have been short breaks, I've not really had the time to chill out and forget about work. I have spent the first couple of days or so worrying about the work I should be doing and then, just as I should be able to start relaxing, I have had to come home again. Add the extra work needed to accommodate the holiday in the first place, not to mention the usual holiday organisation, and the holidays have actually ended up adding to the stress rather than relieving it. We end up with a vicious circle where I'm working all hours and in desperate need of a holiday, and then said holiday results in me working all hours to make up (and pay) for it. And as my husband takes the kids out at the weekend so that I can get some work done, and as I say no to watching a film together or going out for lunch because I can't spare the time, I realise: I have become my husband.
For once, there's no real conclusion to this post. I still stand by everything I said at the end of my last post. I need to practise saying 'no' more - no to more work than I can comfortably manage, no to badly timed days/nights out or short breaks, and no to those little mundane things that shouldn't stress you out but somehow impact so much on your time. I need to switch off from work when I'm not actually working, making use of my auto-reply, not checking my emails and making a concerted effort not to think about work during my spare time. I need to schedule in time to enjoy the simple things like reading, exercising, getting out in nature - even just watching Netflix with my husband and sharing a tub of Ben & Jerry's. I had already realised the importance of these things, but it's only since noticing the parallels between my behaviour and my husband's that I have realised just how important it is to achieve that work-life balance. I don't want to spend my life living for my two-week summer holiday or my week in October - that's just wishing life away. I want to live the rest of it, to enjoy my evenings and weekends and my short breaks - hell, to enjoy my work (which I actually kinda do, when I'm not feeling pressured). I don't know a magic answer, but I'm working on achieving this. It's hard to change your habits or your mindset, but I'm well aware of the trap I'm falling into, and I'm determined to drag myself out of it rather than fall in deeper. Things are slowly changing for the better. Despite being super-busy with work the week before, I made sure I didn't think about work when I was away for my sister's wedding recently. I refused to check my email and we made time to catch up with friends, go for a walk and have fun with the kids. I can't say I was physically relaxed when we got home (I was shattered!) but I certainly felt better mentally. Work was very busy in the week after I got back, due to an unavoidable deadline, but I made sure I took time off at the weekend (even though it was tempting not to) to enjoy the sun and spend time with my family. This week, work has calmed down. Instead of using the spare time to do all those other jobs I keep putting off, I have fitted in some exercise, activities with the kids and some good old time in front of the TV. Tomorrow I'm catching up with some friends for brunch, and I won't feel guilty about it. I have spent enough of my spare time working recently that I shouldn't feel guilty about enjoying the spare time I have this week. I confess I still really can't wait until my two weeks in France in August, when it will be impossible to do any work and I really will be able to relax and forget about it. But until then, I am going to enjoy the other things in life: the bigger things, like the two other weddings I have coming up, the night away to celebrate my mum's birthday and the concert in London with my husband, but also the 'smaller' things, like just spending time with those people who matter to me. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, life really is short and we shouldn't waste it worrying about work. Much as I generally enjoy my job, I work to live rather than the other way round - and if that's you too, make sure you get out and live that life you're working so hard to have!
My last blog was all about going on too many holidays (Too many holidays? Okay, I concede). At least, that's what it looks like at first glance. Dig a bit deeper, and you'll realise I'm moaning about two things: too many short holidays and too much work. And it's just started to dawn on me that in many ways I've swapped places with my husband.
First things first, let's make it clear: I haven't actually got too much work. I only work part-time, and this year was the first time in years I've earned enough to pay tax, so I'm clearly not working 'too much'. However, because I 'only' work part-time, I'm also responsible for the children and for the house, and this means that only a little bit of work can feel like a lot when it's on top of everything else. You see, as well as the obvious jobs, like the washing, cooking, cleaning, school run and cooking, there are all those niggly little things that also need doing - things like paying bills; making sure birthday cards and presents are bought, written, wrapped and sent; filling in school forms; making sure homework is done; and a whole host of other things that don't sound like much but actually take up a lot of time. I could spend an hour a day doing things that don't 'show' and don't feel productive but without which things would start to quietly fall apart. For example, in the last couple of days, I've filled in a whole bunch of forms for Cubs and Scouts; logged onto online banking to pay a credit card bill; organised a costume for my son's French day at school; remembered to feed my son's triops (look it up!); and ordered and collected a prescription for the cat's flea and worm medication, among other things, and top of work and the usual chores. Ask most working parents and they'll tell you that it's staying on top of these 'little' things that often pushes them over the edge.
The other reason why work can often feel too much is due to the nature of being self-employed - I work as a freelance copy-editor and proofreader. And while there are many advantages to working from home and being in charge of your own time, there are disadvantages too. Work is like buses - you can go some time without much or any work and then all of a sudden loads comes at once. And the trouble is, because you've spent time without work - or you know you might do again in the future - you don't feel like you can turn work down when you get it, and so you agree to everything. The trouble is, if you turn down a job, you're not necessarily losing just that job - the client will have to go elsewhere, and there's a risk they may return to that 'elsewhere' for their next job too, so you may be turning down future work as well. And because you don't get paid sick pay or holidays, you feel extra pressure to take on work when you get it. As you can imagine, holidays can be a particular issue, as no one covers for you while you're away - I often end up working all hours before I go away and as soon as I come back so that I don't have to turn anything down. The end result is that although sometimes I have very little work, and can comfortably fit in a little 'me time' as well as housework and childcare, other times I end up taking on more that I can comfortably manage, and have to work evenings and weekends just to get it completed. And when I'm not working, I'm thinking about work and all the things I should be doing. Yup, I sound just like my husband.
So why did my last blog post complain about having too many holidays? At the beginning of this post, I said that holidays were the only time when my husband managed to relax, so why isn't it the same for me? The key is in the word 'short'. At the beginning of this post, I also mentioned that my husband would spend the first day or two worrying about not being able to work, and it would take him a couple of days before he could relax. And because the majority of my 'holidays' this year have been short breaks, I've not really had the time to chill out and forget about work. I have spent the first couple of days or so worrying about the work I should be doing and then, just as I should be able to start relaxing, I have had to come home again. Add the extra work needed to accommodate the holiday in the first place, not to mention the usual holiday organisation, and the holidays have actually ended up adding to the stress rather than relieving it. We end up with a vicious circle where I'm working all hours and in desperate need of a holiday, and then said holiday results in me working all hours to make up (and pay) for it. And as my husband takes the kids out at the weekend so that I can get some work done, and as I say no to watching a film together or going out for lunch because I can't spare the time, I realise: I have become my husband.
For once, there's no real conclusion to this post. I still stand by everything I said at the end of my last post. I need to practise saying 'no' more - no to more work than I can comfortably manage, no to badly timed days/nights out or short breaks, and no to those little mundane things that shouldn't stress you out but somehow impact so much on your time. I need to switch off from work when I'm not actually working, making use of my auto-reply, not checking my emails and making a concerted effort not to think about work during my spare time. I need to schedule in time to enjoy the simple things like reading, exercising, getting out in nature - even just watching Netflix with my husband and sharing a tub of Ben & Jerry's. I had already realised the importance of these things, but it's only since noticing the parallels between my behaviour and my husband's that I have realised just how important it is to achieve that work-life balance. I don't want to spend my life living for my two-week summer holiday or my week in October - that's just wishing life away. I want to live the rest of it, to enjoy my evenings and weekends and my short breaks - hell, to enjoy my work (which I actually kinda do, when I'm not feeling pressured). I don't know a magic answer, but I'm working on achieving this. It's hard to change your habits or your mindset, but I'm well aware of the trap I'm falling into, and I'm determined to drag myself out of it rather than fall in deeper. Things are slowly changing for the better. Despite being super-busy with work the week before, I made sure I didn't think about work when I was away for my sister's wedding recently. I refused to check my email and we made time to catch up with friends, go for a walk and have fun with the kids. I can't say I was physically relaxed when we got home (I was shattered!) but I certainly felt better mentally. Work was very busy in the week after I got back, due to an unavoidable deadline, but I made sure I took time off at the weekend (even though it was tempting not to) to enjoy the sun and spend time with my family. This week, work has calmed down. Instead of using the spare time to do all those other jobs I keep putting off, I have fitted in some exercise, activities with the kids and some good old time in front of the TV. Tomorrow I'm catching up with some friends for brunch, and I won't feel guilty about it. I have spent enough of my spare time working recently that I shouldn't feel guilty about enjoying the spare time I have this week. I confess I still really can't wait until my two weeks in France in August, when it will be impossible to do any work and I really will be able to relax and forget about it. But until then, I am going to enjoy the other things in life: the bigger things, like the two other weddings I have coming up, the night away to celebrate my mum's birthday and the concert in London with my husband, but also the 'smaller' things, like just spending time with those people who matter to me. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, life really is short and we shouldn't waste it worrying about work. Much as I generally enjoy my job, I work to live rather than the other way round - and if that's you too, make sure you get out and live that life you're working so hard to have!
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| Taking the time to appreciate the beauty of Corbridge on my recent trip to Northumberland |
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