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‘Loo-uvre’ art gallery lavatory is flushed with success

From left: Wendy Murray, Irene Donaldson, Nancy Don, Marjory Smart, Sheila Macluskie and Maggie Landells.
From left: Wendy Murray, Irene Donaldson, Nancy Don, Marjory Smart, Sheila Macluskie and Maggie Landells.

Dilapidated public toilets saved from closure and turned into an art gallery have proved an overwhelming success in an Angus village.

The Wee Gallery in East Haven affectionately known as the Loo-uvre has opened again for spring after proving to be a great example of a community taking ownership of a public space.

Originally built in the early 1970s by Angus County Council, the toilets are now run by local charity East Haven Together, which is headed by Wendy Murray.

The idea of a community partnership arose when the local authority had to consider the long-term viability of its network of public toilets across Angus.

The toilets were transformed into an art gallery by locals after volunteers modernised and decorated the building.

Volunteers take responsibility for a week at a time, opening and closing the toilets, maintaining stocks of supplies and cleaning the facilities daily.

They also provide soap, hand towels and hand cream.

Wendy said the response from the public since opening last year has been overwhelming and far exceeds any expectations they had at the outset.

She said people constantly tell them how wonderful it is to find a clean toilet and how much they feel it reflects well on the whole community.

Wendy said she feels quite strongly about public toilet closures and has called for more to be done by the Scottish Government.

She said: “I think it is about health and well-being and also about Scotland’s tourism strategy.”