Cumrew Church: Waste Disposal

St Mary’s Church at Cumrew in Cumbria did not strike me as terribly interesting. The main reason was its locked doors which forbade an internal inspection, but even its outside was rather commonplace. Built in 1890, the bold gothic of an earlier generation had begun to look a little passé, predictable, and dull. I sniffed about the site a little before taking my leave. Yet a very modern feature was there located, and right glad of it I was, too. By the main gates there was a portaloo, a mobile toilet, also known as a thunder-box. These mobile cubicles are usually associated with building sites or musical festivals, but I saw no evidence of either, and assumed the parochial church council had arranged it for the comfort of the congregants. I am also pleased to report that the contraption was in fine working order - my compliments to the provider. 

While out and about, especially when inspecting lone, rural churches, the question of how to 'spend one’s pennies' is not always easily resolved. One generally advises one’s companion that one is off to ‘inspect the foundations’, which gives warning not to follow. Interestingly, and nearer to home, one may just detect the faint outlines of a sloping roof towards the left of Salem Chapel’s rendered gable end; this is where our Georgian forbears 'powdered their wigs'. Our provision of two outdoor loos is an act of kindness which some of us have really learned to appreciate.

If you consider this an inappropriate theme for a respectable, nonconformist church's website, be assured that even scripture deals with this sensitive issue. In Deuteronomy 23:12-14, Moses warns the children of Israel about the importance of correct and decent disposal, for the Lord Himself walks in the midst of the camp, and would prefer not to espy excreta.

Disposal of waste, be this human, chemical, environmental or any other kind, is important. We ought not to pollute our streams, rivers and seas, and it behoves the Christian, who is a good citizen, to recycle and upcycle all he can. We would also be well advised to generate as little waste as possible, which is admittedly hard if one is restricted to my initial, biological sense of the word. Yet wasted energy, wasted words, wasted talent and wasted lives are more offensive, I think, than gastrointestinal ordure inconsiderately dumped.