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True flash of inspiration as loos with a view revealed
With its famous arches Ribblehead Viaduct offers stunning views of the sweeping North Yorkshire countryside, luring photographers in their masses.
The magnificent structure has featured in countless pictures over the years taken from every angle so it is hardly surprising that Luke Barclay went the extra mile to find a new shot of the landmark.
In fact, the Sheffield University graduate literally travelled the world as part of his mission to find the best "loos with a view" – capturing the viaduct in all its glory from a window in a toilet.
His photograph is just one of the novel collection in his book featuring some of the world's greatest views from toilets.
Mr Barclay was answering the call of nature in his London flat when he had the inspiration for the project.
"I remembered a holiday from my childhood where there was a loo in a cottage with an amazing view of an ancient chapel on a Cornish cliff. I decided to go off and find all the other great loos with views," he said.
The 31-year-old TV developer began researching toilets with notable
views before embarking on an expedition which covered India, Bali and China.
"It turned out that everyone knew of one because they had been on holiday or travelling," said Mr Barclay. "I was travelling through Singapore Airport and found a loo with a view of the runway.
"In San Francisco at Alcatraz there's a loo with a view in one of the old guard towers so the guards could see anyone trying to escape."
Mr Barclay also managed to find a gem at Lord's cricket ground in London.
"There is a urinal where men can stand and continue to watch the cricket," he said. "The stand was renovated a few years ago and they kept the window as a feature."
The photograph of Ribblehead Viaduct was taken from the gents at the Station Inn where spending a penny offers a unique shot of the imposing Whernside Fell.
Further afield, a toilet bound by an igloo-like structure perched at 14,200ft on Mount McKinley offers users the mesmerising vision of Mount Foraker in Alaska and a lavatory in Nepal has a view of the peak of Mount Everest.
Mr Barclay, who took about half of the photographs in the book, struggles to pin down his favourite toilet.
"It's a bit like asking a parent to choose a favourite child," he said.
"I like a lot for different reasons but for its purely spectacular view it would be the one in Alaska.
"The view in Ribblehead has a really interesting history because as you are standing there you are looking at a viaduct built in the 1870s. Standing there, you can picture yourself going back in history."
But travelling the world on such an unusual mission was not without its occupational hazards.
Mr Barclay said: "I got into a bit of trouble with a loo attendant in Istanbul. She had to clean the toilet every hour but I was waiting in there for the light to change to get a nice shot. She kicked me out angrily.
"Then there were embarrassing moments while I would be waiting
in a loo and people would come in and I had to sheepishly pretend
I was washing my hands," he added.
A Loo with a View has been published by Virgin Books in the UK and the US.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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