Posted by John Nichols on April 06, 2003 at 00:39:18 from 165.91.199.202 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: BECKFOOT unmentionables posted by John Lambert on April 06, 2003 at -1:10:36:
Comments:
If my memory serves me correctly Ed, the twins are given hot water to wash in in Coot Club by Mrs McGinty(?). I have been up since 5 this morning so I am a bit groggy.
Now it is highly unlikely that a building in the early 1930's had an indoor toilet, as a matter of fact my guess is that they had an outhouse possibly with a sanitary pan collection or a septic tank. It should not be hard to check which was in that area. As a mater of fact given the separation that I see on the maps I would be surprised if they have anything other than a septic tank today either with a disposal area or a pump out.
Now I camped a lot from 12 to about 18 in rugged bush both with the scouts and without. I also sailed a lot on the lake. Going to the toilet was not a great issue as far as I recall. In sailing on lake macquarie one simply pees into a bucket and then washes it overboard. Or you take a swim and warm the water.
We must also remember that at school it is likely these children had no privacy and probably shared bedrooms at home. My nephew has no privacy at one of Australia's most elite School today when he boards. I would call it spartan and it dates from 100 years ago.
Old AR gives us a lot a clues about Beckfoot but they are really hard to fathom at times. I think that the Spare room is above the Dining Room because of the nois of Cook cleaning up. Cook is definetly living on site as she is said to be with them in PM (Ed will I am sure add the words here I do not have typed. ) There is mention of it in the telegram. [A lot of women at that time had lost husbands in WWI so maybe that is why she is cook??????/ That is conjecture?]
I would love to know how many rooms are downstairs at Tent lodge as it is definelty the outside model for Beckfoot. The chances of that number of similarites is just to remote. AR was a bit of a bower bird in these things.
Anyway it it fun to think on.