In my late twenties, I worked for Skyros, the holistic holiday company. I’d just taken redundancy from where I worked in London and was looking to work abroad, ending up as a general assistant at Atsitsa, one of the main venues on the beautiful Greek island of Skyros.

One of my duties was to clean the toilets. At that time there were about ten of them, all outside, and if the timing was right you could sit on the loo, door open, with a view out over pine-clad hills, mediterranean-blue sky and hear the sounds of the goats’ bells.

room with a view Atsitsa photo Jane Duncan Rogers

A stunning setting, but the toilets were the same the world over. Needing cleaning, sometimes a lot (especially with them being open to the baking sun), and eating up loo roll, soap and towels regularly.

Why am I telling you this? Because I think we in the Park Ecovillage, EF CBS and NFA and everyone else, invite visitors to come and see us. We want them to, even if we might feel a bit ambivalent sometimes. If we do this, then we need to provide them with facilities, toilets being one of these. The toilet block behind the Phoenix is now coming into Community hands and we get a chance to provide for our guests in this way – sparkling loos, welcoming and clean.

We get to acknowledge that while being spiritual beings, we are living in a physical body, which has certain needs. Loos being one of the most crucial, to put it bluntly! And sometimes these are needed urgently (as the Phoenix has found out when it had to offer use of it’s staff toilet to a couple of customers recently, the ones in the Hall being too far away).

After all, when you gotta go, you gotta go!

So I’m writing this as part of the volunteer Loo Team, asking you to hold our soon-to-be opened toilet block in your awareness.

in the bar at Atsitsa photo Jane Duncan Rogers

another team from back then, but just as much fun :-)

And if you feel motivated to do ‘loo meditation’, in the place that in our history holds a lot of significance, then come join us, even if only occasionally.

After all, Eileen sat on a (presumably clean) loo for years and years and listened to God. Perhaps this will become a place as revered as our Sanctuary – it’s certainly possible if we view this toilet block as the sacred representation of our glorious earthly bodies!