This is a small photoblog of the public toilets that used to be on the corner of Westoe Road and Chichester Road in South Shields and they where called Westoe Netty. I took these at Beamish they have been rebuilt exactly as they where all those years ago.Anyway the reason I have put this blog up is because it brings back memory's as I have used them when I was a lad .I would love to here from anyone that remembers these or even used them.and if anyone has any other photo's I could add to this it would be great.Anyway thanks for taking the time out in looking at my photo's.

Above is the photo of the accrual Toilets and Ican't believe I accrual used these toilets about 40 years ago .If you read the plaque above it tells you a little about the Netty. And please if you have anymore pictures to add to this blog please send them to trsuk1@yahoo.co.uk subject westoe netty and if you have anything to put with the photo's then type in in brckets and I will cut and paste it.

The Westoe Netty

The exhibit in front of you is the Westoe Netty.'Netty' was a word used widely in North East England to describe an outside toilet.

It comes from the word 'Necessity'.

 In the late 19th century,this public netty was built next to a railway line in Westoe ,South Shields. It became a well-known and well-used landmark

Local volunteers salvaged most of the building when it was demolished in 1996.Beamish,supported by Northumbrian water ,has rebuilt the Netty in a similar setting using original bricks and stones.

Netties were often built without roofs,allowing freah air into the building.Thats helped to remove unpleasant smells

The netty used about half a million litres of water every year,as it flushed automatically.Modern water regulations would not allow such a waste of water.

In 1975, Shields-Born artist Bob Olley painted this popular picture of the Westoe Netty in use.It helps us to imagine the sounds,smells and graffiti that were once inside

 He was inspired by memories of queues of dark-clothed men in caps and the humour of the shipyards and coalminers