Posted by Laurence Monkhouse on October 03, 2007 at 07:00:56 from 82.27.31.41 user Laurence_.
In Reply to: Re: . . about the Beckfoot plumbers - the REAL ISSUE posted by Peter H on October 02, 2007 at 20:39:23:
it really is quite odd to include numerous detailed diagrams of boats, none of which show the 'heads'.
Only two boats described with diagrams in the 'Real' stories in the series would have had heads - Teasel and Goblin. And the plan of Teasel DOES show the head. The diagram of Goblin discreetly starts to show the inside from aft of the head bulkhead.
The houseboat and the Beckfoot launch are not illustrated but would certainly have had marine type heads - which explains how Nancy in SD was able to excuse herself from the party with the GA in the forward cockpit to fire her arrow to the Swallows. I wonder how well the head in the houseboat worked when she was frozen in in WH - otherwise more practical difficulties for Peter!
Two other boats are used for sleeping - Titmouse and Death and Glory, but neither would realistically have had a head - 'bucket and chuckit' would certainly have been the method in those days.
Thinking of other contemporary chldren's books of the same generic type I don't think AR was very different. Aubrey de Seligncourt does show the head on the diagram of Tessa in 'Family Afloat' - and another taboo is broken when Elizabeth sits on a wet thwart and says that her 'knickers are sopping' - but when the children camp in this series or - say - in Garry Hogg's books the practical difficulties Peter points out would have been equally great and are not mentioned. Yet in those days - and when I was taken camping by my family just after the war - portaloos and formal camp sites with all their facilities just did not exist and the old fashioned latrine systems were used as a matter of course and without comment .