Where can I go to the toilet?!

[PoptartPoptart]

In London?
We are going into central London at the weekend but I am a bit concerned that as all restaurants and bars will be closed there will be nowhere to go to the toilet!
We are going late afternoon/evening so the shops will be shut.
Help!

Elizalala, have you ever caught public transport in London on Christmas day? It doesn't exist. I believe there used to be one bus that ran on Christmas day, from Trafalgar sq, but even that only did a few journeys.
Hes going to be outside, mums trying to be sensible and a good parent, stop spouting silliness!

[quote tectonicplates]@Queenoftheashes I live in London. I've received emails from a gym and two yoga studios telling me they're closing again.[/quote]
I’m sure some are, especially if they’re just classes which are banned. Pure gym however is open and this was the one I suggested

@ElizaLaLa

Why do you need to go with him? If he's doing GCSE's then he'll he 15/16 so why can't he go with a couple of kids from his class?

Fff because he would then be mixing with people outside of his household which is against tier 3 regulations, unlike what the op is proposing which is basically going for a walk outside with a family member to take photos, which is perfectly ok to do.

I am the same OP, have medical issues so always need to know where the toilets are before I venture out anywhere.
Do you have a Radar key? I find disabled loos are often open even if regular ones aren’t.
Some train stations charge 50p or whatever to use the toilets so make sure you have a handful of coins with you.

There’s also a website called lockdownloo.com which you might find helpful.
Also the TFL website has some info on individual stations including which toilets are open.
Good luck to your DS with the project too.

Good grief do any of you have Y11 children? Have you any idea of how much pressure they are being put under at the moment? I imagine his teacher has told him to use the Christmas holidays to sort his portfolio out. If they are in tier 3 then honestly going for a walk outside to take some photos and go to the toilet is not going to infect most of London with Covid so can we get some perspective here and be a little kinder.

OP I would do exactly the same thing. DS1 is in Y11 and I sent him to football training this week in the car with another family because I couldn’t get him there and he needed the hours for his PE GCSE which he missed out on in lockdown 1.

I also have a weak bladder and ibs and I bought a rader key (which will also no doubt be frowned upon) as it was causing me lots of difficulty when out cause I couldn’t get to a toilet.

Thinking of other options here. Is there anyone else who could take him? Can he not take photos of public transport where you live?
DD did GCSE art, so I know how much coursework and pressure he is under.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Buy a pack of tena lady (Lidl have own brand) better to be safe

Shops are open - just to go to John Lewis like everyone else.

@SuePreem

Shops are open - just to go to John Lewis like everyone else.

Did you not read the op??

We are going late afternoon/evening so the shops will be shut.

🙄🙄

All the people saying that this is nonessential travel and she should wait. How long should she wait for? Things aren't going to be magically better by 01/01/2021. How do you know that the project doesn't need to be done in London? Have you seen the brief? To get a good grade, the work may have to be done somewhere more central than 30 minutes outside of a city. I am a photographer and I have done various courses, so I know that location does contribute quite largely to whether you get an ok mark or a great one. The OP is having surgery soon so with that in mind, there is a limited time in which it can be completed. And when it comes to coursework, all teachers believe that the entire universe revolves around their specific subject.

OP, just get the lockdown loo app

Good luck OP, you’ll be fine. I echo PP advice re. train station loos - they’re always open; take a mixture of 20ps, 50ps and pound coins as it varies between stations. Tena Lady is also a great shout: someone told me the other day that they can hold a full wee, so if the worst happens at least you’ve got peace of mind! Not ideal I know, but something at least. Hope you and DS enjoy your trip together.

@nitgel

Says open to 11 pound tho

@nitgel is that really £11 to use the 2the loo? Or was that a typo? I'd pay £1 to use a clean toilet, but not £11.

Sorry should have used punctuation ! It's open to 11pm and costs £1

Btw john Lewis is open to 9pm today

John Lewis in Oxford Street is open until 9pm (or even 10pm) some nights.

Mon09:30 - 22:00
Tues09:30 - 21:00
Wed09:30 - 21:00
Thurs09:30 - 17:00
Fri10:00 - 21:00
Sat09:30 - 21:00
Sun*12:00 - 18:00

• Open for Browsing at 11:30

You'll want nice backdrop for his taxi shots

Island in middle of road south of Trafalgar Square Looking towards The Mall. He could get a fab 360 shot if he has iphone - river, buildings and transport plus lions and fountains.

There is plenty of cafe and a MacD on the Strand plus Charing Cross. The toilets are next to the ticket office and down stairs.

Walk 5 mins down to the river for boats plus trains and people on the Hungerford Bridge out of CX station.

Walk 10 mins up Charing Cross Rd to Cambridge Circus. The road is narrow and the crossroads busy with traffic. Plus the theatre back drop will make a good shot. There is also a couple of market stalls on Shaftesbury Ave if they are open.

Done. Leave.

Elizalala, have you ever caught public transport in London on Christmas day? It doesn't exist. I believe there used to be one bus that ran on Christmas day, from Trafalgar sq, but even that only did a few journeys

Yes I have, plenty of buses run.

M&S ones are still open I assume?

@SebastianTheCrab

Why are people saying Peter Jones will be open? All the shops are closed.

OP it's a nightmare. During the last lockdown in Oct we drove into central London to pick something up and I too have a weak bladder so was a bit of a nightmare. Ultimately I managed to wait until I got home.

Shops aren't closed!

If you have not already gone, I would suggest going on one of the days between December 28th and 30th, as it will be quieter, less wet than today, and no congestion charge if you are driving.

Before wfh since March I worked near St James's Park and the Mall, and it could be somewhere to walk, socially distance and take photos. One attached as an example.

He could get a fab 360 shot if he has iphone

I thought you needed a proper camera to do photography GCSE, although phone cameras have improved a lot since DD took her GCSEs 4 years ago.

@Nunoftheother

For the benefit of your son's GCSE coursework, it's "buses", not "busses".

Both are correct, busses is not used so much so some people think it's incorrect. Technically it's not.

lassfromleeds love your name!

@LassFromLeedsWithALustForLife

Christ alive there are some worthy people on here trying to outdo one another in how obnoxiously they can tell this poster that their trip is non-essential. I can only assume that they think that whoever shouts the loudest on Mumsnet reminding others that LONDON AND 34MIL OF THE ENGLISH POPULATION ARE IN TIER 3 will be awarded a special OBE from the Queen in the New Year Honours List... Presumably for Services to Pious Forum Posting in a Pandemic.

Poor @PoptartPoptart has explained why the trip is essential, she’s also explained that it’s really just a walk outside, which even in Tier 3 is completely allowed. She’s trying to do the right thing in helping her son with his education, again something you’re allowed to travel for in Tier 3. She’s also made it clear that he’s 15, so she’s not comfortable sending him alone and that she’s about to undergo surgery so is slotting this in between Christmas and getting operated on. Give the poor woman a break, she’s taking her son out to take some photos for his GCSE photography portfolio, not throwing a party for his whole GCSE photography class!

For what it’s worth @PoptartPoptart I think that your educational endeavours with your son sound far safer than what I assume he has been doing all week every week since September (ie being in close confines with other students and staff in his school for eight hours a day without so much as a mask between them) so crack on. Well done for being kind enough to drive him up there when you’ve clearly got a whole load of other shit going on; you’re making it clear to him that you value his passion and enthusiasm for an arts-based subject. As an arts subject teacher I can safely say that we need more parents like you.

Have fun, I hope that your son takes amazing photos and I hope that you find somewhere to have a wee.

This ^

Hope you get some great shots and your operation goes well.

Not sure if you're still reading the thread, but I used to do a lot of photography round the Bank area and in the City - it's very quiet at weekends, and great potential for bus and taxi shots (my subjects liked to have those in the background)