The Disappearing Gentlemens' Lavatories of Old London

[bensimps123]

@henrycaville you seen the leather boys? he's not wooden in that

[bensimps123]

he was good in the leather boys

[Marillionboy]

Wonderful Dudley. Was chatting to a fella tonight who knows you from the Chelsea Arts. Always admired your work, from The Devils to The Sweeney to the wonderful Connie in Shine on Harvey Moon. This is a great little piece!

[Septemberfourth476]

Great Video!

We have started filming our documentary - The Strange Decline of the English Cottage - a light-hearted, irreverent, look at sex in public places and gay history. Some great interviews so far about Tom Driberg and John Gielgud. We're looking for cottagers, cruisers, sauna-goers, polari speakers and people who use Gaydar who want to talk on camera or off about their experiences.

englishcottage.tumblr.com/

[pizzapiecausesneed]

i was on set with this man today filming cockney vs zombies :)

[jodrel]

yeah there were so many amazing victorian loos, now mostly gone, and for a man in his late seventies with a real need to piss often, this is a physical as well as an aesthetic one. p.s. I will be on resonance throughout March and April with DEAN STALHAM x

[wobblydog]

This is fantastic, great fun and so true, Absolutely wonderful

It would have been great if this could have been filmed in the Toilet on Shoreditch High Street, It had the attendants office and marble walls and reminded me of Dan Dan the sanitary mans WC in Carry On Spying.

[sgray305]

A much needed recognition of a much needed but sadly almost completely extinct harmless bygone pastime, COTTAGING, some interesting and exciting memories have been conjured up by this loverly poem and video. I first heard this on Resonance FM. I have my own homage to the lav trade on my channel (sgray305) titled (Industrious Cottager) hope you can view it....Cheers...

[hummlyhummly]

What a God awful mess, is my God awful ass/Such painful contractions, but then this too shall pass/Either chock-full of feces, or volumes of gas/What a God awful mess, is my God awful ass.

[jambun1]

Put a penny in, relax and go in

Don’t be shy, join in

[hummlyhummly]

Back again, well damn it this guy turned up in a movie I watched tonight: Brimstone and Treacle. Very odd, as I was helping my brother move today, when I noticed a small face on the floor of his now barren apartment. It was my niece's face, she'd cut her face out of a photo, for a collage. In the movie, Sting points to a cut-out of Patricia, not unlike what I found today. Synchronistic.

[MelbourneLife]

Bravo! For those who aren't aware of it, Dudley has an ancient connection with Joe Orton. He was the original Mr Sloane in the 1964 production of "Entertaining Mr Sloane". And what a little cutie-pie he was. Alas, some of us are old enough to remember.

[hummlyhummly]

The Chief Inspector carefully made his way down the steps of the last men's lavatory in London. A police constable ushered him to the scene of the crime, inside the closet on the end. There, he briefly peeked inside, then turned to a small gathering of inspectors and policemen, and feigning surprise, murmured, "oh dear, oh dear, is that who I think it is?" The most hated man in America lay hunched over a toilet, hands and feet bound, trousers down around the ankles, completely disemboweled.

[2009Aviation]

Well done Dudley! A real work of Thesaurus-Art ...

[auguritutto]

Thank you for this lovely witty topical very worthwhile video. Fantastic. STOCKWELL TOILET WATCH - check out my blog trying to get bogs back in my own locality - fat chance Lambeth Council are uncaring..

[emanitudism]

This is brilliant! Visually, auditorily, literaturely brilliant! (and if you can say those words you're brilliant too)

[khpr1951]

Dudley Sutton you are a genius.

[m14butch]

Cheers to you Mr. Sutton! Hope you have a very Happy Christmas this year ....

First two rounds are on me ! Ta....

[DannyHennesy]

Dudley Sutton and Glory holes cool!!!

[harryfielder]

Keep going Duds......

Aitch,

[studdingsails]

MORE!

[Northernspotter101]

Oh dear I loved him in the 1973 kids flick paganinni strikes again.However after this I am a little bit confused !

Say no more

[tonsils77]

So Dudley nips in the gents to have a much needed crap, unfortunately no bogs were free so he gets on one knee a sees two feet and an sports bag, "hurry up mate" he cries, I'm desperate for a shit, the voice replies "won't be long, I've nearly finished it" Out comes two blokes, both smiling. The only things in the sports bag was my friends feet"

[tonsils77]

A stranger asked Mr Sutton "where's the nearest boozer" Dudley replied "you are speaking to him"

[docc2222]

I really love it! Poetry in action, applied to the real world. Wonderful. We're still enjoying LOVEJOY, got the whole series. Tonight was Poetic Licence. How fitting. We love your character Tinker. You won't believe it, but I dreamt of you last night. Which is why I looked you up on the internet today, finding this site. In my dream I was lost in a big city and you came up and gave me directions.....Love from New Brunswick, Canada!

[jodrel]

just keep taking the pills

[Johnmoore100]

This sets the Bog Standard. Wonderful.

[Lamvesp]

That's just brilliant, it equals Betcheman. You've allways intrigued me, Dudlely. Keep up the good work.

[jodrel]

THANK YOU, WILL DO, AM DOING X DUDLEY

[daisymocc12]

brilliant.

[LadyPuddleton]

Absolutely marvellous, Dudley! Fived and faved, as they say.

[jodrel]

TA VERY MUCH X DUDLEY

[petebuck1]

Briliant

[jacksocket57]

Thanks for posting this Dudley. A brilliant piece, so well observed! I've always admired your diversity as an actor, and now I discover you are a nifty poet also! Incidentally, Joe Orton is my favourite playwright; he would have loved this, I'm certain.x

[fatmaccam]

poem and reader: brilliant!

[brychar66]

haha, I know that face! fancy meeting you here! what a wonderful poem!

[ibhose]

Lavatorial humour - love it !!

Much love to you dear Dud.

Indra

[hummlyhummly]

There once was a chap named Dudley

who'd linger about, night and day

in the Gentleman's Lavatories of London

with his anus horriblus on display

HA! The queen said it, the queen said it! You can't get me in trouble, the queen said it first!! Anus horriblus, the queen said it first, I'm not in trouble, bugger off!!

[rinkelfut]

lol @ this being dedicated to joe orton... bril.

[Duronik]

loooooooooooooooooooooool.....­......this is brutal gangsta with brutal 100 years old face.....

[HowardVause]

you lavlee porcelain poet x

[johnlovincosworth]

get rid of these new toilets, bring back the Gents and the bell syphons!!!!!

[johnnysjukebox]

I must go for a Tinker! ;)

[manniemain]

When I was young, I was told to keep out of Public Lavatories because of "Bad Men" If all the Public lavies close where will the Bad Men live? Is there some charity than can rehome them? They are part of our heritage!

[manniemain]

surreal!

[hamigon]

Pure Quality !!

That should've been on Jackanory !!!!

[DonPayasos]

Brilliant stuff, Dud! Even better than your turn in THE THREE HUNCHBACKS! -- David Cairns.

[Prankster00]

Street Poetry at it's finest.

[25thNovember1970]

I like the roar of very noisy hand dryers. They provide you with an excellent opportunity to cover up embarassing personal bodily sounds when you're in the cubicle.

Very reassuring.

Timing, though, is everything.

[BALHAM65]

Beautiful and witty and uplifting,thank you Dudly .

[jaspercm]

Bless! A much appreciated hymn to a much underrated biotope. A dying culture, it's extinction planned and executed by cold, morally superior city planners - such bitter loss to mankind

I'm loving it!

[SimonWhovian]

Your comment itself is sheer poetry!

[magiclard]

Wonderful this is the London I know and love---twenty pee for a pee and sharp buckets today, and no-one gives a flying Aylesbury. Still, well done.

[tubestar8847]

A good subject to bring in to the notice of people

Beautiful piece of work by Dudley!!!!

[BEATNIKCASS]

yeah, Sydney had some great ones too. loved them.

[gayaddercom]

good point!

gayadder dot com

[CountySquire]

For how long are we to be denied the excellence of this truly fine performer on UK television.

[Mortifrog]

Superb. You should be Poet Laureate. Can't wait for a close encounter with you. Well done to Wally Brill as well.

[pressgang]

just absolutely fucking fantastic, London isn`t London without these down underground dens,

There is a few still about Some used as in the poem for cottaging, But as A straight Guy i don't go and use them for this cultural event, They do look good , with all the white tiles and chasing the match stick down the line to the end,

[Malefique2007]

Dudley, your oration and delivery is flawless, when the `Beeb` listed the top British icons you should have been up their with them! :-)

Keep up the good work.

[gigaloaunt]

bravo

[TrekkieGrrrl]

Totally utterly AWESOME! I love it! Great hillarious poem and an extra star for execution! Thanks! This certainly made my day!

[madcyril]

Great subject to choose dudley, im from manchester and all our old gentlemans' lavs are gone now. Infact the oldest and largest has been made into a very trendy cafe. Its great to see your work on here, another 5 stars for this one dudley. Btw, have a merry christmas and a happy new year.