Geograph - photograph every grid square

I loved Ramsey: I loved everywhere in the Isle of Man, but I think Ramsey ticked all the Eyre Family boxes. The main town in the north, my sister's favourite part of the island, it still has that lovely homely feel that my own home town (Petersfield in Hampshire) is sadly losing. It is known as the island's agriculture town, which was my father's whole life. My mother loved the shops, of a type you sadly only get on islands now; the Isle of Wight for example. Named by the Norse as 'Wild Garlic River' in the past its harbours saw the shipping of livestock and seed. Being the most convenient harbour to England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia, Ramsey saw a fair few armies just passing through on their way to somewhere else.

In 1865, Ramsey became a town and at that time was at the forefront of ship building, being the first shipyard to build an oil tanker known as 'The Jane'. The town does not need to fish for coompliments. It is also known as Royal Ramsey, due to a couple of royal visits. Not to mention those two other 'Points of Eyre, the Duchess of Petersfield and Lady Basher!

The history of public toilets dates back thousands of years. In Ancient Egypt, Pharaohs and peasants alike benefited from the Nile's life-giving waters, which they used in primitive public toilets. The Romans were known for their elaborate public bathhouses, and they even had communal latrines where citizens could socialize while taking care of business. The Greeks also had public latrines, often situated near their famous gymnasiums and public squares.
As European cities began to flourish and populations grew, the need for better sanitation became more pressing. During the Renaissance, a few cities, such as Paris and London, started to introduce rudimentary public toilets. These facilities were often nothing more than holes in the ground with wooden planks to sit on, but they were a significant step forward in the history of public toilets.
As the Industrial Revolution brought rapid urbanization, the need for improved public sanitation became even more critical. The 19th century saw the dawn of the modern public toilet, with several significant advancements taking place. In 1851, during the Great Exhibition in London, George Jennings introduced the first public pay toilet, complete with flushing toilets and handwashing facilities. During the exhibition, 827,280 visitors paid one penny to use them; and "To spend a penny" became a familiar English phrase. Nowadays we have self-cleaning toilets, gender-neutral restrooms and even waterless toilets. Whatever next? I hope some future historian updates the story so far…..