Spending a penny LAST weekend I spent an extraordinary morning at the Buckfastleigh Steam Railway. I have visited many times but this was special – I officially opened their new toilets. And before you scoff my friends — as I know some of you will — let me tell you that this was an occasion of some distinction. The local mayor of Buckfastleigh was there, the town crier, a jazz band, all neatly arranged outside the new toilet block. I cut the ribbon and plunged inside— amazing. The urinals gleamed before me like a set of Hollywood dentures. The cubicles were fantastically clean, windows sparkled. Even the unblemished chrome flushers seemed to offer some curious glimmer of promise in the late morning sun. The whole place smelt as pure as a menthol mouthwash. It was perfection. The South Devon Railway is bigger than its toilet of course. Trains wend their way between Buckfastleigh and Totnes throughout the year — especially from April to October. I can recommend the route — it hugs the River Dart and boasts some of Devon's most beautiful moments. Some time ago I rode on the engine with my good friend and local councillor Charlie Dennis and fed the furnace with a trusty shovel and felt the force of the engine heave and punch us down the track. The engine was alive and strong. The steam, the acrid whiff of hot metal, the chuff of the engine sucking and belching (or was that Charlie?) was transporting in every sense — pure nostalgia. Buckfastleigh Station has its own café and shop. It has a railway museum. It even has its own engineering works repairing steam locomotives. They hold dining evenings — a three hour trip with fresh locally sourced food and wine. They are, in short, worth a visit. As are the toilets.