The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
This film is part of Free
Toilet Dispute
"On the green it mars the scene." Disputes over a building that serves a vital purpose in Quorn village.
From the collection of:
Overview
The building in question in Quorn village, Leicestershire was built in the early eighteenth century as a gaol and later used to store the village fire engine. Known locally as the 'lock-up' it was converted into a public toilet many years ago. In 1961 this Midland Montage report creatively told the story of the dispute using rhyming couplets.
It was a dispute that ran for a few years with the public toilets being closed in 1963. The local parish council wanted to demolish the toilets but were prevented from doing so by the Ministry of Works. It was later handed over to the Gas Board before being rescued and restored in 2010 when its usage was changed again to a pizza take-away.