Where's your next port of call? 

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Since becoming pregnant and having popped two out, I've become obsessed with loos and changing facilities. Long trips are planned around toilet stops. My children have been trained to tell me as soon as they start to feel the need, but it's not always possible to do this. One of those times is when we've driven to a park, perhaps 20 or 30 minutes away, only to find there's no public convenience. This is more often than not the case.

I feel reluctant to ask even when I know there's a loo. In a village this is usually the local pub. I have only ever done this on two occasions and both times I was so embarrassed I felt obligated to buy a drink, and one of these drinks turned into dinner. 

Yes, it's true that on neither of those occasions were we turned down. Perhaps the reluctance to ask says more about my (is it just me?) reserve than any mean-ness on the part of publicans. 

Despite this, I thought that it might be a good idea to ensure that this reticence never gets in the way of comfort. I therefore decided to have a go at creating a scheme, which I have named 'Emergency Stop' whereby parents with children know that they will be welcome. 

The scheme involves  publicans displaying this design made into a window sticker  to show they welcome families. This same sticker will be displayed on each page of this blog where there is a local participating w/c owner. 

I hope this idea helps families to plan their day, that it does not inhibit their travels and that it encourages exploration of what is, in my opinion anyway, one of the best places to live.