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John Harrington, a courtier at Elizabeth’s
court, invented the first flushing toilet. It was called the Ajax apparently because a “jakes” was an old slang word for a toilet. I don’t think I possess
Elizabethan Humour. Shakespeare’s comedies don’t make me laugh either. The design had a flush valve to let water out of the tank, and a wash-down design to
empty the bowl. He installed one for his godmother Queen Elizabeth at Richmond Palace.
Until I went to Poland in 2001 I thought all toilets were the same. Well actually I had been to France in the early 1970’s and the toilet, in a good
hotel, was simply a hole in the ground which you stood over in order to do what you had to do but the Polish toilet looked like this. Now I will leave it to your
imagination as to how best to sit on this but it was interesting.
By the way people think the Americans use the word “John” for a toilet because of Mr Harrington.
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