Located at the end of the line, this particular example of Victorian engineering must have come in very handy. Courtesy Crich Tramway Village.
An unsung cog in the great machinery of the Victorian tram system has received the acclaim it deserves at the National Railway Heritage Awards in London.
A gentleman’s urinal left derelict for years, but restored to full working order and installed at Crich Tramway Village in Derbyshire has been given the Virgin Trains Volunteers Award.
Presented by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, the annual National Railway Heritage Awards recognise excellence in restoration and environmental care of railway and tramway structures.
At the prestigious event held on December 7 in the capital Tramway Museum Society President Derek Redmond, who was instrumental in saving and restoring the urinal, accepted the award on behalf of Crich.
HRH The Duke of Gloucester (left) presents Derek Redmond with a plaque to mark the achievement. Courtesy Crich Tramway Village.
"I’m very proud of this old loo," he said. "It has been part of my life for the past 25 years."
Built in 1902 and made out of cast iron, the humble green structure sat open to all elements at the Erleigh Road terminus of Reading Corporation Tramways.
Despite having an open roof, it proved the most convenient of conveniences and served the essential needs of members of the public and tram-crews for over 50 years.
However, as the station fell into disuse, the urinal ended up derelict but was saved by members of the Tramway Museum Society, including Derek Redmond, and gradually conserved and restored.
Crich Tramway Village in Derbyshire is home to the National Tramway Museum. Courtesy Crich Tramway Village.
"After I rescued it from Reading it lived in my garage undergoing restoration, before we were able to re-erect it at the Tramway Village," added Derek.
"It is a great honour to have been chosen to receive such a prestigious award for our efforts."
The Victorian convenience was re-erected at Crich Tramway Village in 2002 and now stands in the museum’s recreated period street next to the Red Lion Pub, ready to relieve a new generation of passengers.
One of the judges commented: "It has all the ambience one would expect, other than modern knobs and disinfectant and the absence of a distinctive smell!"
It must have been pretty cold, but the urinal was there to be used in all conditions. Courtesy Crich Tramway Village.
"It was duly patronised, open to sky, on a very wet morning," they added. "I liked the maker’s name cast into the panels and also the old instructions to 'adjust one’s dress' before leaving."
Home of the National Tramway Museum, Crich has a history of success when it comes to restoration projects.
In 2001 the Red Lion Pub was moved to the site brick-by-brick from Stoke on Trent, while the following year saw the Yorkshire Penny Bank from Burnley, Lancashire rebuilt there.
Anyone wishing to pay their own visit to the award-winning urinal (and, yes, it is fully functioning) can do so on December 11, 12, 18 and 19 before Crich re-opens daily on February 12 2005.
