You really should get what you pay for. Goes without saying right? So why, in any railway station toilet does is it cost a flat 30p, whatever ‘task’ you wish to undertake? Why do those wanting a quick weeniss have to subsidise those taking on a Mr Plopadopolous? I mean, a quick wazz is just the work of moments in front of the urinal, a brisk spray under the tap and an Airblade. A full sit down involves locked doors, uncomfortable silences, perspiration, yards of unfurling paper, unholy zoo noises, gallons of flushing, and re-flushing… It’s a 50p experience is what I’m saying. A wee, that should be more like 20p. It makes me so mad, all these people, pooing themselves happy on my wee money. Enjoying all that private cubical time. And I bet they make off with extra paper in their bags.

You really do get what you pay for with these. Bit more too, by my reckoning.

They’re a White Sole Gibson Brogue by Mark McNairy, and made by Sanders and Sanders in Northampton. I’ve got brogues from both Sanders and McNairy and they do wear superbly. In fact the leather seems to retain a softness to it, that I haven’t seen in different shoes. Course, you get what you’d expect with Sanders, Goodyear welting, superb materials… all that jazzmatazz. But what I also dig about Sanders, is the last shape they use for their brogues (rounded, without being clownish and perfectly chunky) and their price points always seem lower than the other Northampton shoe makers too. I can’t figure out why. I’ve also got Trickers and Cheaneys and Sanders are easily as sturdy, hard wearing, comfortable and good-looking as any of them in my experience.

It’s interesting that the actual cost to the consumer, of the Mark McNairyness of these shoe’s (which really is just McNairy deciding he wanted white eyelets, white laces and white soles) is just 14 quid. You can pick these McNairyfied shoes up for 229 here. And a pair of straight-up, regular Sanders navy suede brogues, with a standard-ass crepe sole for 215 here. Not much of a diff 14 quid is it? Not much for the mind of one of the USA’s top tier, menswear design talents. But interestingly, under my new train station toilet regime, it’ll also buy you 70 wees. So, you know… that’s good too.