Visiting the ‘loo’ in a Johannesburg restaurant, I was surprised to see this old-fashioned high-tank. It took me right back to my childhood when we had an outside toilet. I remember my mom often asking as we came back into the kitchen,”Did you remember to pull the chain?”
anotherdayinparadise 
Only in a few places did we have toilet chains. I am going to be 60 this year, though. This seems like even older than I am! Lol
“Even older” made me smile, Robin. Sixty is the new forty these days. 🙂
I am smiling back at you, sometimes I feel young and carefree and others I drag myself home. Summers at my non-air-conditioned warehouse wear me out. Otherwise, life is fantastic and “It beats the alternative,” as they say. 🙂
Classic:-)
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Oh goodness! And I thought I am the only one with memories of pull-chain toilets! This one you captured is so cute! I have never toilets/flushes that are decorated like that. All those in my memories are plain white.
Thank you for visiting. Yes, this one was rather special. Glad you like it. 🙂
Unusual pattern on this tank, never seen one quite like it! They are making a comeback here Sylvia 😉 xx
Yes, it was very unique indeed. I suggested to hubby that we put one in our new bathroom, but he just laughed. 😕
Hubby obviously has other plans for your new bathroom 🙂
I only suggested it after we’d already bought the close-coupled ones. 😆
LOL 😀
Haven’t seen one for years! And never with a painting on it😀
Me too. This one was quite a novelty indeed. 🙂
I have to confess I’ve pulled the chain…a few years ago 🙂
Great! Join the club. 😀
My sisters apartment in Paris has one – I remember getting the biggest charge out of it.
Hahaha That really made me laugh. 😃
Oh yes! I remember it well;) We’ve got one of those out the back and I’m thinking of restoring it (it doesn’t have a pig on it like this one, but I’d like to add that as well) 😀
Hehehe. Why not indeed? Hope my photo has inspired you. 🙂
love it!!
Glad you enjoyed, Cybele. 🙂
Hello Sylvia, how’s things? 🙂
I too remember having a loo like that when I was a child. It terrified me going outside to it! Lol
Sending many hugs your way, Paula xxx
So nice to see you again, Paula. Thanks for the visit and your comment with memories. 🙂 xx
oh i’ve seen a few in Europe in the 70s. i remember being intimidated to pull the chain:)
Haha. Yes, they can be quite intimidating. You never know what’s going to happen when you pull the chain. 🙂
I had never seen one until I went to Europe, my aunt had them in her home in Paris!
That’s interesting, Lisa. It must have been quite an old house.
It was in the 1980’s, it was in an “apartment” building which had an elevator with the gates you had to close once in- I took the stairs for a week!
I remember those old lifts too. Very scary indeed. 😯
There are still plenty of those ‘gated’ elevators in Vienna, but it has been years since I last saw a loo that uses a chain to flush.
Thanks for your input, ZL. How do you feel about those old elevators?
I actually don’t mind them. I thought they were strange the first time, but now don’t even notice them.
I do! We had cast iron tanks in our plantation bungalows…some with handles shaped like elephant trunks! 🙂
Wow….how inventive! I’d love to have seen the elephant trunk handles. 😀
I remember them from school, and the freezing loo block in the playground!
Oh yes, me too, Gilly. Brrr!
Awww I love old toilets! They look so amazing and this one looks so quirky!
Thanks, Merlinda. Glad you enjoyed seeing this one. 🙂
All the time when I was a kid, I used toilets like these in Malaysia. Sometimes you had to wait five minutes for the tank to fill up before the next flush 😀
Thanks for sharing your memories, Mabel. Yes, the tanks can take very long to fill again.
It could look intimidating..
Yes, I agree. Anything could happen. 😕
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ANTIQÚISSIMA DESCARGA
Thanks, Sonia. 🙂
😊..u made me remember those childhood days…!
I hope you enjoyed the memories. 🙂
Only ever seen one of these in a pub in London, but certainly not with a sow on it……most interesting! Intriguing to read they’re making something of a comeback. I guess it’s true what they say….if you wait long enough everything comes back in style!
Yes who knows, maybe if I stay around long enough, I’ll also come back into fashion. 😀
Hah!……Somehow, I can’t imagine you ever went out of fashion! You’re one cool blogger!
LOL! Thanks for the compliment. Now I have a lot to live up to. 🙂 xx
Not hard to live up to anything when you’re the one setting the bar……you’re definitely a trendsetter on here!
The only time I saw one here was about 30 years ago when I made a sales call to a client who’s office was in a very old Victorian home that had been converted into office space. But, I’ll be in Johannesburg and Cape Town in Sept so perhaps I’ll be reacquainted with the pull chain. 🙂
Yes, maybe you will see some in Cape Town. How excited you must be about your upcoming visit there. 🙂
Can’t wait!!
I remember the chains. Not sure I’d want a tank with a pig on it though… 😉
Hahaha. Maybe a sweet little dog instead. 🙂
I’m not sure, but I suspect Sissy might be offended with a picture of her on a toilet tank. 😉
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Eish tot ‘n skildery daarop
Hahaha. Just imagine having the job of painting it. 🙂
I hope it was done before hand … and with paint… eeeeuuuuuuwwwww …. noooooooo
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Ah, I remember those! It was fun pulling them too! 🙂 Buttons nowadays lack character! 😉
I agree with you, Marina. Our toilet cistern had a mind of its own, and spiders used to spin their webs up there. 🙂
😀 !!!!
This doesn’t have a proper chain!
My Grandmother’s loo in her house in Royston had a proper chain, with a metal handle rather than wooden, and it was sometimes a devil to flush.
Yes, I know. Ours was just like your G’ma’s, and also a devil to flush. This one looked quite flimsy, and I was worried it might break if I pulled too hard. 😕
I’ve never seen one. Thanks for the education, Sylvia!
It sounds as though they didn’t make it over to the States, Jill. You have no idea what you’ve missed. 🙂
As has already been mentioned these high cisterns are making a come back, especially in period properties. I don’t recall us ever having one, but I had friends who did (and had outside loos with sheets of newspaper on a metal hook), but I have never seen such an elaborate one with a picture of a sow on it – is there a reason for that do you know?
Oh yes, we also had the square sheets of newspaper on a hook. (Do you think that’s where the Black Bottom’ dance originated?) 😕
I asked hubby to check out the men’s loo, and he said there was a hog on theirs.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised! That ink used to come off so easily – my parents had a newsagents so I know all about newsprint 🙂
I might have known you’d be an expert on newsprint. 😄
Always getting my hands dirty 😉
Especially when scrambling up and down rocky paths. 😛
I am not going to live that one down am I? 😀
Shouldn’t think so. 😀
I’ve never seen a pull chain in the states.
You’ve really been missing out, Nancy. 🙂
I used one like this as a child while on vacation. I was scared it was going to fall on me when I pulled the chain. Great WW !!!
Thanks, Issy. Yes, I had all sorts of childhood fears about visiting the outside loo, not to even mention the spiders. 😯
YIKES … I forgot about the spiders lurking above. 😳
I know nothing of this. VERY interesting.
You can always learn something new here, Dawn. 🙂
I remember these!
Fond memories? 😕
We didn’t have one at home (I was lucky enough not to experience the outside toilet) but I remember them from school and public ‘conveniences’.
Oh yes, of course. I’d forgotten about the school ones. 😯
I remember those!!
You too? Did you have one in your house?
Of course i remember the”chain”….
My mother used to ask the same question , when in the country!
😀 I guess all mothers have the same worries.
I remember this when I was a kid, it was the only way to do it back in Chile since water pressure was next to none 😄
Glad I brought back ‘fond’ childhood memories, Andy. 🙂
Those were good times 😊
Nope, I’m surprisingly not old enough for chain pulling. 🙂
You’re still a baby, Cathy. 🙂
At 54, and my eldest turning 26 today, I certainly don’t feel like a baby age-wise, but thank you.
My eldest is 48. 😕
Sylvia these are very common in Peru and Turkey. So I don’t remember them from my childhood but certainly from a few weeks ago. 🙂
Oh yes, thanks for reminding me of the ones in Peru. I’d completely forgotten.
sjoe quite elaborate!
Yes, much fancier than some I’ve been to. 🙂
could have been a long drop – now that would have been a hit with the paying customers!
I remember using many toilets like these. We never had one at home though as we lived in a more modern house 🙂
They’re quite a novelty to see nowadays. 🙂
Doesn’t seem that long ago to me….but it is about 30 years!! Yikes, I’m getting old(er)!!
We all are. 😕
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I like high level cisterns. We put one in specifically in our last (30s) house and we’re planning on one for Gibflat. I certainly grew up with one, although it was inside, not outside. I think they are, well, more elegant 😀 and the practical half of our relationship wants to point out the flush is better. I’ve just never really liked the look of the short ie close-coupled ones.
I think the Victorian style tanks are making a bit of a come-back. I agree that they are far more elegant, especially when embellished with a sow. 🙂
Oh I remember in the Netherlands pulling the chain about 30 years ago!
Hehehe Fond memories! 🙂