Peter Hough

Peter Hough
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Wednesday 9 May 2012

When we almost got caught taking pictures in a public toilet

We were on a camp site in Beddgelert Forest in North Wales. On one of my trips to the toilet block, I thought how often it happens that someone goes into the cubicle next to yours – even when the others are empty. Then I began thinking, supposing that there was a purpose to it, and that the person doing it was stalking you for something bad you’d done.
Over the next day I had almost the entire plot of a story in my head, including the title. I began writing it in the caravan, and finished it while we were on a cruise to the Arctic Circle a week or so later. The urge to write it down was so strong, that it interrupted work on The Devil Inside, the sequel to my novel, Stench of Evil.
This photograph almost got us arrested!
For the eBook publication, I also had to create a cover illustration. I knew what I wanted – a cubicle door ajar, with a hand gripping it. While we were still in North Wales, and I was halfway through the story, we visited a town (which shall remain nameless) and parked near to a public toilet. It was a quiet day. We had the camera, so we could get some photographs of me gripping a cubicle door.

There was a possibility of us being caught of course. Imagine someone walking in and my wife’s taking flash photographs of me! Who would believe the explanation? If that did happen, I decided it would be a lesser crime if Linda was caught in the men’s loos, rather than me in the lady’s.

I told her to wait outside while I went in to make sure the coast was clear. It was, but as I came out a man brushed past me in a uniform. His van was immediately outside and it was obvious from the writing on it that he was from the council, and was inspecting the facilities! If he’d come just two minutes later...

We waited for him to depart, then like a military exercise, we dove inside and quickly (very quickly) took some shots. The results are here to see. The things we do for Art...

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