I see some weird and wonderful stuff about Norwich and its long and glorious history. Perhaps the weirdest and most wonderful is about the city’s lost loos from Secret Norwich called ‘Spending a Penny’. For those beyond these shores who may not know, spending a penny is a polite euphemism for taking a pee. The phrase apparently dates from the 19th century, particularly the hugely popular 1851 Great Exhibition, when public toilets at the Crystal Palace required an old one-penny coin to use the lock-up. Where better than a gent’s loo to find a row of knobs?

Nowadays, public facilities are an endangered species. Most have been closed due to rising costs and ‘anti-social behaviour’ – I can’t imagine what that means – which is a bit of a drag for us old farts with dicky bladders, particularly when tottering home after one too many sherries. Ironically, urine-soaked streets after a night out on the lash is why public loos were opened in the first place. Not that we do that sort of thing, of course. We keep our knobs firmly under wraps. But that Tena Man moment edges ever closer.

Cue the fascinating video…