The last Vespasienne

My friend Kevin ( his day today on the calendar.. St Kevin pray for us…) has recently discovered that there had been a pissotière in Manchester, and I told him we had pissotières called Vespasiennes in Paris, but that they had disapeared.

But in fact only one remains, on the Boulevard Arago, and it looks bucolic, under the trees, doesn’t?

The high wall you can see behind is the prison “La Santé” ( strange name for a prison!) why is there still a pissotière here? as a sort of memorabilia of old times, when those places had a bad reputation and were horrible stinking places?

Funny, I’m reading a book that tells the story of a little boy in the years after the second world war, and there is a complete chapter about the pissotières…

This is my Pissotière-week!

 

Comments

[lump007]

Je sais encore l'urinoir. 1963, ce WC encore sur le Saint-Michel

debout sur les sentiers pédestres. Une odeur bestalischer était en

le quartier le quartier des urinoirs disponibles.

[Tostig Godwinson]

Hello Dear, I certainly did see this the other day, as soon as you told me about it, but I didn't reply straight away for one reason and another.

Since my friend Diane returned from wherever she was hiding, she has put a lot more information on the original picture. What she has found suggests that the Manchester Pissotieres were more like the Medieval Garderobes introduced into English Castles by the more fragrant Normans. They appear to be iron boxes hanging off the walls of buildings. Not at all like the Last Vespasian that you have tracked down so well.

Damned well done, old girl. That's what I say!!!"!!