Tuesday 23 September 2008

Long Time No See

Well, as the title says, long time no see. Time for me to get this up and going again. As most of you reading this go on my YouTube Channel you will know I can update this a lot. 

------------------------------------

Extremely Rare "armitage"

I can't believe it, I found an "armitage", I'd only seen these in Australia on YouTube.

I was in a holiday shop, got bored and had a feeling about the toilet being good, after a while I asked, and got to go to it.

I walked upstairs and looked for the toilet, found it and walked into the cubicle. I thought it was TWYFORDS at first, but realised it was "armitage". You should have seen my face, I was so happy.

I checked the sink to see if that was the same as I had slight suspicion of missing Shanks part, but nope, same.


The bowl I've never seen before on, even with the newer batches. It looks similar to some I have seen though.


As you can see, no faded Shanks below or beside it.



What made it even better was the cistern handle, side and rare and old.
Notice the water pipe in the bottom right-hand corner? It made me think the cistern isn't original, but the building isn't old enough to have an older one, plus it probably went up and to the side, the current one comes down to the side.



Flush power is very good, length, and sound. Enjoy the video. 


Saturday 5 April 2008

A Rare But Neglected TWYFORDS, Make Music

Found in Make Music in Kettering, this neglected toilet is very rare, it's a TWYFORDS with Viterious China below the logo.

Before you go "Yuck! Oh my God!" That in the bowl is just limescale. I know it's worse than Subway but this is a music shop, not a food establishment.
But it is dirty and I didn't want to be in there long but I had to take the chance and shoot the video and pictures.
Design I don't love nor hate.

Now here's the rare logo, never seen it before, it's quite unique. The words are curved when they'd usually be straight.


The cistern isn't the same as the one on the Shires from the dental centre.
It says: dauntlessELITE.
Yet again, I think it's another 9 litre cistern.
The button squeaks a lot when it's pressed, probably hasn't been used in a while.
Sound and pressure are good, though pressure would be better slightly higher but this toilet is very old.

Enjoy the video:

Subway, A Place That Doesn't Like To Clean Toilets

Well, if you haven't already seen my video about the state of the toilets, here's a blog post about it. (And the toilet bowl and cistern itself)

Kettering has two Subways one on Dalkeith Place and their toilets are pretty crap but these were the worst.

I walked in and found a very dirty sink with something looking like someone had taken a shit in it and removed most of it but left some, the cold tap was surrounded by who know what, soap dispenser had soap but that was probably over a few years old, all the floor was dirty and messy, hand dryer covered in yellow watermarks and things atleast it worked, hot water heater wasn't so bad but it wasn't very clean, the radiator was rusty, dirty and probably broken, paint peeled off everywhere and that's just in the area that you wait for the cubicle or wash your hands. In the cubicle, the floor is still dirty, mould behind the toilet on the waste outlet pipe, mould on the door, dirty yellow seat, dirty toilet bowl, dust covering everywhere still ... I wonder why they bother having the toilet brush if they don't use it? And I did complain, I'm going to go back and see if they are cleaned, if not I'll complain again.

Here's the video showing all this:




Now the toilet bowl was Shires, a older batch I believe.
I think it looks just about the same as the newer batch, except the rim slides in a bit if you look at this next photo:
The logo starts with a larger letter and ends with the same unlike the other logo all in lower-case and same size.
The cistern I'm not sure what it's brand is, probably Shires and the handle looks replaced as I have seen it on modern toilets before. The cistern can be tempermental to get to flush as you will hear in the video.
Sound is good and the pressure is reasonable, flush isn't very long though.

Thursday 3 April 2008

Shires At The Shires Dental Centre

Yes, a very ironic toilet. It's a Shires in The Shires dental centre!

This toilet bowl is quite rare to see here, yet I saw this and another one of these but older batch.

The logo is a dark blue, printed off-centre.

The cistern is very big, I think it's one of the older 9 litre ones. To flush the toilet you must push the button sticking out the top, and what I like about these is that they are unique and use a syphon that gives a good sound and pressure, unlike the valves used with buttons nowadays, to tell if a toilet is a syphon flush, listen at the end when the water stops, if you a rumbling like sound and the water gets more powerful then stops, it's a syphon. To tell if it's a valve, at the end it will make a thump as the valve falls and the water will just stop with no gurgle or anything.

Here's a close-up of the button.

What is different about the syphons with these buttons is that if you press the button down again when it's flushing and it stays down (As it goes back up if you press once) The end of the flush is different.

I like the sound and flush for this one shame these buttons are becoming rarer. I've only seen about 3.
Enjoy the video.

Sunday 30 March 2008

Another Batch Of My Favourite Armitage Shanks?

This one, from London Natural History Museum looks very similar to my favourite Armitage Shanks.
The hole that the rim forms is the same yet the water hole is longer. Logo is the same too.
And instead of being found with the Armitage Shanks sensor I found it with this sucky button.
The flush sound isn't much different though, pressure is good.
Enjoy the video.

Older Or Newer? Twyfords

This one was found in the toilets of Marks And Spencers, Leicester.

When I first saw this, it looked like the newest batch of something.
But don't be fooled, like the say, don't read a book by it's front cover. Or at least I think that's how that saying goes ...

Anyway behind the seat and lid, I found the logo, it's a Twyfords, a batch before the newest.
I was very suprised, I was expecting Twyford or Armitage Shanks, mostly Twyford though.

The handle I believe is a Armitage Shanks, I think, might be DVS as the taps were DVS.

The flush sound is the usual sound for this batch of Twyfords. Pressure is good.

Enjoy the video.

A Rare One, Barrhead

Barrhead, I've only ever seen it once, how about you? I saw this one at the Victoria And Albert museum in London, near the entrance in the underground subway from the tube station.

This was the only cubicle with it, the rest had older batch Armitage Shanks as usual, in a new toilet I check all vacant cubicles, and this was the odd one out.

It looks very similar to Armitage Shanks doesn't it? though on the outside you can see the rim while the others you can't. I suspect the reason this is in here is that either there was an Armitage Shanks here before that got broken and they replaced it with this because it looks similar or they were all Barrhead and the Armitage Shanks replaced them.

The logo looks quite unique, I wonder what it is supposed to look like.

The handle I have come across several times yet I don't know what brand it is, I'm thinking an older Armitage Shanks.

Sound and flush are good, nice pressure.
Enjoy the video.

Old Armitage Shanks With Dudley Tri-Shell High Cistern

I seem to be on a blogging spree this afternoon, enjoy it!

Here's one I'm worried about as it's close to renovation by the looks of it, I had to detour round to it as the whole area is under renovation. (Leicester Museum entrance)
Some idiot didn't flush as you can see, I hate non-flushers, the bastards, it's just pure lazyness. Excuse the language.
The bowl is an older batch of Armitage Shanks, one I also haven't seen before.
Haven't got much to say on the bowl, sounds very good though.
here's the cistern, a Dudley Tri-shell, it's very powerful and good, I don't want it to be replaced with a sucky thing.
There's the logo, it seems that the high level ones have the logo on the righ-hand side while low level have it on the left-hand side because it's traditional to have the handle on the right-hand side here in England.
Here's the handle that you grip and pull, people seem to be fond of ripping it off the chain, it seems to change every time I go there ...
I really love this toilet, I've known it for a good long while but I think it's close to renovation, it's rather unique, to get in the main toilet area (not the cubicle) you have to push a button and the door opens, when you go to leave, it opens by itself without you having to do anything it's very hygenic. The urinal, automatic urinal cistern and sinks are old too.
Though one thing I don't like is the lighting, it's blue to prevent drug addicts, it doesn't turn the whole room blue in this one but I have been in a full blue one and it's horrible, it confuses you, makes you feel slightly sick etc.
Enjoy the video.

Syphonic Twyfords Bathrooms Toilet, Leicester Muesum

Yes, yes, I know there's a picture of this one at the side at the moment, but some more information will be better.

I love the pictures for this one, they came out brilliant, except the logo, they never do ...
The bowl is deeper than it looks, in real life the water level seems quite high.
there is two holes at the back in the rim, you get to see these in the video. The flush sound is similar to that of a syphonic Royal Doulton.

Haven't got much to say about the cistern, has the usual Twyfords handle and it has the logo on the left-hand side.

The logo says "Twyfords
Bathrooms" With a line under it connecting to a semi-circle.

You don't come across toilets like this often, if you see one, be sure to record it.

A Rare Armitage Shanks

Well, I was in Leicester the other day and thought I'd reshoot some toilets on my good camera for you, and look at what I found while in Leicester Market public toilets. If you look at the first video with yellow tiles on the 6th post below this, you'll see the toilet from the same toilets but it's modern, I went in there angain and it seems that most cubicles are different, some are renovated and some aren't, I found a floor mounted toilet in one while the others are wall mounted. I will shoot some others next time.

Sorry about the shit on the bowl it was the only vacant cubicle with this bowl.
Look at the logo, it's in the bowl which was usually only found on Victorian toilets, which means this one must be a very very old batch, I wouldn't say Victorian but quite old.

The logo is the older batch, which means it is an older one. Typed out blue letters, not joined up handwritten style.


Same button as last time, all toilet cubicles in the toilet have this one.

Flush isn't too bad, the sound is similar to my favourite one, or a Victory, your thoughts?

Enjoy the video.

My Favourite Armitage Shanks With a Good Flush

Well I've already shown you my favourite Armitage Shanks, and thought I'd show youthis better one, the video and pictures are better.


As you can see this is much better. These were taken at London Transport Museum, in the non-disabled cubicle near the exit.
This toilet you have to queue for as it's only one of two cubicles shared by both sexes. You have a choice of toilets, this one or in the disabled cubicle, a disabled Twyfords, I recommend this one as it's nicer and less common. Though if you hate wave-over sensors, use the other as it is handle flush.
This picture came out blurry as I had the wrong setting on the camera but it's the Armitage Shanks sensor, commonly found with this toilet bowl, the sensor usually requires you to hold your hand there or wave over twice.
One thing I liked about this toilet is that it refilled the cistern very very quick, I managed to flush it 4 more times whiel I was in there after I took that video. And if your favourite colour is black, you'll like these two cubicles as they are tiled and floored black. it is actually quite nice.
The flush isn't as long as the other one but it's clearer and you can see the water flow better.
Enjoy the video.

Saturday 22 March 2008

A Very Powerful Rimless Armitage Shanks

Well I thought I'd blog some more tonight, and I decided to show you this extremely powerful rimless Armitage Shanks with sensor flush. (Wave over type)
I believe it is a newer batch of rimless Armitage Shanks as the holes are higher, the batch before the current one mentioned in the post below this.
Nothing special about the design, it's the flush and placement I want to talk about.
Strangly, this has been mounted to a box behind the bowl, I think this is because the pipe runs through there.
This is interesting, the sensor is on a box running up from thebox the toilet is mounted on to the ceiling. I'm thinking that this box has a pipe running down it, the toilet is cistern flushed as it wouldn't flush again when I waved over and there is an over-flow pipe on the toilet bowl if you look. So the cistern must be either in the ceiling or behind the tiled wall, I think it is in the ceiling due to the very very high pressure. Your thoughts?
This sensor is also a better one, it only requires one wave over unlike the Armitage Shanks ones.
I will definatly visit this again when I am next in London, just hear the sound and see the pressure:

The Newest Batch Of Rimless Armitage Shanks

Well, I discovered this the otherday in the newly renovated toilets of Sainburys Supermarket in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

I have no videos for this one yet due to the person in the next cubicle making some very unpleasant noises, I shall soon though when I next go to Kettering.

Look at the hole, notice anything different? It's smaller. Compare it to this photo from a batch just before this one, which is from London:

The handle for the newer batch is the same, nothing special, mounted on a nice colour wall though.
[Video coming soon.]

Monday 25 February 2008

London St. Pancras' Automatic Sensor Flush Vacuum Toilets

Last week I went to London, and of course I took my camera and shot 28 videos of toilets (all of which are uploaded on my YouTube)

This one I was suprised to find, it has an automatic sensor flush (Rare in England, wave over sensors are most common) and it has a cruise ship style vacuum toilet.

I wasn't expecting to find one of these, but I did.

Sorry for the motion blur, I was rushing to take the pictures, I shall hope to take some better ones next time.
Anyway, as you can see, it has a cruise ship toilet bowl with a vacuum. The sensor I have never seen here before, when you walk into the cubicle and close to the toilet, a red light appears on the sensor, when you move away and the light goes off, the toilet flushes. Also, the overide button at the bottom flushes it too. It was amazingly loud, and powerful. This is the first time i've seen a cruise ship style vacuum toilet.
Enjoy the videos.
(Paper in first video is for clean and for effect)


Friday 4 January 2008

Leciester Train Station's Armitage Shanks, Platform 3 And 4

Here's another one from my older collection, it's an Armitage Shanks, a model I have never seen before.


The hole looks like a typical Armitage Shanks. It has a different rim, it looks like and old one but it isn't. You can't see the way it looks old from the photo but I might add another one next time I see these. I don't have much to say on the toilet except it has the modern Armitage Shanks logo and it sticks out the wall quite far. Flush and sound are good.


I know what you're thinking, it looks like a round piece of metal on a wall. It's how you flush, it's right against the wall and you have to push it in pretty far. I've never seen this type of button before, I don't like it either it was hard to push it right in.
The toilets were empty so I decided to go round flushing all 5 cubicals and compare the sounds, they all sounded slightly different but this one was the best. I didn't shoot videos of them all as I didn't have time, the train was coming in in a few mins.
Enjoy the video.

Thursday 3 January 2008

My Favourite Armitage Shanks

I don't blog about every toilet I shoot a video of but I have some random toilets you may like to see so the next few posts are on them. NOTE: These pictures were taken with my OLD camera before I got my new one which means they won't be as high quality as newer photos.

My Favourite Armitage Shanks:
This one is my favourite model of Armitage Shanks toilets, I like the design, flush and sound.

It's a rare one, but I suppose if it was common I wouldn't like it as much. The hole looks different to most toilet holes, I wouldn't call it unique just different. It's like an oval. It uses lots of little holes under the rim to flush unlike some toilets which use larger holes. I like the sounds of the small hole ones, though larger holes can sound good too.
The button extrudes out far but I've seen one of these before but it had a short flush. It's on 'Very Short Flushing Twyfords' on my YouTube.
Here's two videos, the first one is the toilet mentioned above but the next is a dodgy cistern one.
Videos are from my OLD camera too, future videos will be clearer.


Here's the messed up one, it's still my favourite toilet bowl but a broken cistern or button. I didn't take any pictures as it wasn't worth it. But if you listen, I keep pressing the button but it won't respond but when it doesn I had emptyied half the cistern and I got a short but good sounding flush.