Books / The Downs
Retelling the story of Bristol’s most famous toilet attendant
Profits from the reprint of a book about an extraordinary true story will go towards repairing the building where its protagonist spent much of her working life.
From 1929 to 1962, Victoria Hughes worked as a cloakroom attendant in the toilets on the Downs now situated in the shadow of the water tower.
While working here, she made friends with and cared for women working as prostitutes, which a blue plaque on the side of the building now recognises.
is needed now More than ever
It was a time when the Downs had a reputation as Bristol’s red light district, with Hughes going above and beyond her official duties as a ‘loo lady’ to befriend the sex workers of nearby Ladies’ Mile.
Hughes told the story of her life in the book Ladies’ Mile, based on her diaries.
But the book is out of print, with a crowdfunding campaign now launched to reprint it and use any proceeds made to refurbish the Victorian toilets.
The cover of Ladies’ Mile by Victoria Hughes shows her outside the cloakroom where her blue plaque is now located
Kerris Harrop hopes to raise £6,000 to republish the book, which was originally published in 1977 when Hughes – who recently was turned into a statue next to the toilets by Bristol artist Getting Up To Stuff – was almost 80 years old.
“That cloakroom is not so pretty now,” Harrop said.
“Visitors to the popular nearby cafe use this toilet and, as the exterior of that cafe appears to be very well maintained, the outer appearance of these Stoke Road toilets offers an unpleasant contrast.
“This is the only public convenience in this area of Bristol, a notable Victorian building which has its own blue plaque, one of the highest civic honours.”
A blue plaque honouring Hughes is on one side of the building in which she worked for more than 30 years – photo: Martin Booth
Harrop added that Hughes’ “remarkable and shocking story of twilight Bristol has been out of print for many years although the book is well-known and much requested”.
Harrop has obtained a licence from the Intellectual Property Office to reprint Ladies’ Mile, with the crowdfunder hoping to enable the work to reappear in bookshops and for the cloakroom to be returned to its former glory.
To donate to the crowdfunder, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ladiesmile
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: New sculpture pays tribute to famous cloakroom attendant
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