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EXCESS BAGGAGE
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 Listen to Excess Baggage for
09 DecemberÌý2006
THE STEPPES and TOILETS AROUND THE WORLD
Sandi Toksvig finds out how the Central Asian republics, which emerged from behind the Iron Curtain following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, are adjusting to self governance and what attractions they can offer the traveller?Ìý Lucy Kelaart is co-editor of Steppe magazine and a regular visitor there.
And what is the experience of the traveller when a loo is desperately needed?Ìý Is there a public lavatory in sight?Ìý Or can you even read the signs that would tell you if there were?Ìý Which countries can provide the best toilet facilities and which offer the worst?
Sandi asks what happens when the long distance traveller is caught short and discusses the convenience of conveniences with Morna E Gregory and Sian James, authors of Toilets of the World; David Freemantle who has published Rats, Bats And Strange Toilets and presenter Adam Hart-Davis who has just returned from Bangladesh and reports back on the work done by Wateraid in cleaning up the supply of water and improving the disposal of toilet waste.
Presented by Sandi Toksvig
Photo:Ìý An old fashioned 'Pissoir" urinal, Amsterdam, Holland
This week's guests:Ìý
Lucy Kelaart, co-editor of Steppe magazine.Ìý Seven years ago Lucy travelled the Silk Road from China to Turkey by horse and camel.Ìý As she passed through the central Asian republics she was more and more attracted to them.Ìý This interest led her to study the predominant language Turkic at the School of Oriental and African Studies.Ìý Lucy went on to live in Kazakhstan, where she worked on a documentary film about the place and later as an editor on a health project.Ìý
Lucy started the biannual magazine calledÌý with her friend, Summer Coish, who shares a similar enthusiasm for area.Ìý The magazine is devoted to the arts, culture, history, landscape and people of Central Asia (focusing on the five post-Soviet Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as Afghanistan and western China.)
Morna E. Gregory and Sian James are from Vancouver and have produced a photographic guide to ‘Toilets of the world’ which has pictures of everything from holes in the ground to the most modern fully automatic loos in the world.Ìý They travelled everywhere featured in the book. Sian took the photos while Morna wrote the text.
Toilets of the World
Publisher: Merrell Publishers Ltd
ISBN: 185894337X
David Freemantle, currently travels to deliver lectures to businessmen the world over on motivation and customer service.Ìý David’s book is a collection of ‘humorous’ travel tips about all aspects of travel and loos.Ìý He has visited loos in Asia in remote fishing villages where it’s just wicker basket round a hole in the ground. At the top of his list is a country like Singapore where everything is clean and works and there are lots of public toilets.Ìý Second rank is a place like the UK where it’s not too dirty generally but the loos often don’t work properly and there are few public toilets…
Rats, Bats and Strange Toilets – travel tips for unusual countries
Publisher: Zymurgy Publishing
ISBN: 1903506212
, freelance writer, photographer, and broadcaster on radio and television.Ìý Adam is the author of two books on loos, Thunder, flash and Thomas Crapper and Taking the Piss.Ìý He has also just come back from Bangladesh which he was visiting, in conjunction with , looking at the work they are doing in cleaning up the supply of water and improving the disposal of toilet waste.
Thunder, flash and Thomas Crapper: an encyclopedia
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1854792458
Taking the Piss - Adam Hartdavis and Emily Troscianko
Publisher: The Chalford Press
ISBN: 1845883519
Ìý
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| PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES |
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 Sandi Toksvig:
The daughter of a foreign correspondent, Sandi has been travelling all her life more info |
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John McCarthy is a widely travelled journalist and presenter with a particular interest in the Middle East.
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