Lancaster Park toilets

Press, 28 February 1984, Page 16

Lancaster Park toilets

Sir, — I heard somewhere that the “ladies’ loos” at Lancaster Park were being improved and/or added to. If up to 100 women waiting at some of the toilets at the one-day cricket match last Saturday was an improvement, I would hate to have been caught short there in the past. Surely, when so many women attend both rugby and cricket matches, more could be done, and quickly. I noticed there were no queues at the men’s. Perhaps I should have gone to the cricket match more prepared with a “c’mon N.Z.” cricket cap pulled low over tucked up hair, a false beard and moustache, a coir mat stuck on under an open-necked shirt and festooned with gold chains, and a six-pack under one arm. Perhaps I would have started a trend, or has the day come for uni-sex loos? — Yours, etc., L. McANERGNEY. February 21, 1984.

[The secretary-manager of the Victory Park Board, Mr C. H. J. Rhodes, said 30 rental toilets were installed at the park on the day in question. He made six patrols of the grounds during the match and detected only one queue of no more than eight women outside the toilets in the No. 1 block. When told that there were four rental toilets round the corner, the women chose to wait for a permanent cubicle. Mr Rhodes said he thought the “100 problem” had been overcome, but if there were not enough, the board would hire more next time. He was surprised to hear of a queue of 100, and said he would like to know where it was formed. As for the last part of the letter Mr Rhodes said he found it hard to follow — “it’s over my head.”]