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Newlyweds spend honeymoon cleaning Glastonbury toilets instead of sunning themselves on beach
Pictures show newlyweds who are spending their honeymoon cleaning toilets at Glastonbury Festival.
Doctors Chelsea, 29 and Jake Taylor, 30, are seen scrubbing loos at the famous festival – instead of sitting on a beach.
The pair got married officially last week and also marked the occasion in a traditional handfasting ceremony at Worthy Farm yesterday (Wednesday, June 21).
Chelsea and Jake, from Newcastle, decided against the idea of a traditional honeymoon – to help out WaterAid. She said: “It’s a funny story because we actually met talking about WaterAid at a charity social at university in Newcastle.
“It’s like destiny to be cleaning toilets for them on our honeymoon. People are very shocked when we tell them what we’re doing for our honeymoon.
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”Most people’s response has been to ask whether we’re glamping. Water Aid’s mission means so much to us and when you’re in Glastonbury it’s like another world, you feel so happy.
”We wouldn’t want to honeymoon anywhere else.”
Jake added: “We always joked about meeting through toilets and WaterAid – I even mentioned toilets in our wedding speech. We timed our wedding to coincide with Glastonbury. Volunteering at the loos there just feels a lot more adventurous than going to the Maldives or something.
“People think we’re crazy and say it’s the most unusual honeymoon they’ve ever heard of – but it’s definitely not as bad as you’d think.”
The couple, who are both doctors, have volunteered with WaterAid last year together and enjoyed it so much they wanted to return this year. As part of the festival’s ‘loo crew’, they’re required to do four six hour shifts from Wednesday to Sunday cleaning the toilets.
Glastonbury toilets are renowned for being some of the stinkiest loos around, but the couple insist they’re “not as bad as everyone thinks”.
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Whilst on shift they’ll be scrubbing the toilets with strong disinfectant and a mop, disinfecting the sinks, litter picking and restocking hand sanitisers.
As keen advocates for worldwide public health, the newlyweds are looking forward to speaking with other festival-goers in the loos about WaterAid’s mission to bring clean toilets to communities across the world.
Chelsea said: “It’s actually really fun. You get to speak to loads of people because people are so intrigued and shocked at what you’re doing. I’ve been to quite a few festivals and I can quite confidently say that Glastonbury has the cleanest ones.
“As doctors we’re both passionate about health across the world. I’ve seen firsthand when I volunteered in Tanzania how difficult it is to get clean water and decent toilet facilities out there so I’m keen to speak to people about WaterAid.
“You have to do four shifts so you get a whole day off one day which is great. You still get to see loads and fully experience Glastonbury whilst contributing in a different way.”
Jake said: “It’s not as bad as people say. We didn’t bother trying to get paid tickets because we both knew we’d rather do it with WaterAid.
“It gives us a chance to get involved with the cause. We can attend the festival and have a great time whilst doing something that aligns with our values.
“We get to stay in a campsite with other volunteers and have food provided on shift as well which is a bonus.”
Whilst they’re not busy cleaning the toilet facilities the honeymooners are looking forward to seeing Elton John and enjoying their romantic honeymoon.
Chelsea said: ““We like to be adventurous and do things a bit differently, the idea of a standard honeymoon didn’t quite fit our personalities. Given how we met, chatting about toilets and how important they are, it seemed like the perfect way for us to celebrate!
“We even timed our wedding plans so we could be at Glastonbury the week after, and we specifically chose to volunteer with WaterAid as it felt more ‘us’.”
You can find out more about WaterAid at Glastonbury here.
