If you’re a woman and you’ve been on a night out, chances are you’ve experienced the right of passage that is chatting to a complete stranger in the ladies’ loos.
You might have given them a tampon, lent them a brush or nattered about how long the queue was – all while a heavy bass thudded outside. Equally, you might have sat for minutes, possibly even hours, speaking candidly with your best pal or supporting your sister, à la Fleabag.
Either way, those toilets are memorable places – and this is something Samantha Jagger, from Manchester, knows only too well. She was sifting through a box of printed photos from her youth when she realised dozens had been snapped in the women’s loos. “I started reminiscing on all the utterly weird stories that happened in there,” she tells HuffPost UK.
“From then on, I packed my point-and-shoot in my bag and started capturing mine and my mates’ escapades.”
Jagger took photos on nights out in bars, pubs and clubs, but also during coffee trips, train rides and day trips – mostly in Manchester and Leeds.
The end result is a raw and relatable series of photographs capturing women in toilets – whether they’re peering over cubicles to chat, taking loo snaps, or watching each other apply lipstick in the mirror.
The photos aren’t glossy – they’re real, often taken in low-lit toilets covered in graffiti.
When asked why she finds ladies’ loos so captivating, Jagger – who named her photo series ‘Loosen Up’ – says: “It provides escapism from the madness of a pub or a club. I’ve noticed many people’s inhibitions loosening up in there, which is where the idea came from.
“I see it as a backstage break where you can take five,” she adds. “Despite going to a toilet seeming like a private thing, it can be a place where people open up to friends and strangers.”
Discussing her most memorable toilet experiences (because surely she has to have one), Jagger says she’s been particularly touched by the sharing of things like tampons, condoms, smiles, stories of dreary dates, pep talks and loo roll.
“One story that sticks out in my mind was when I was in a Manchester pub and I went to the loo and there were two feet stuck out from underneath the door,” she explains. “After about 15 minutes and a few knocks, I grabbed a bartender. We spent about an hour unpicking a lock with credit cards and hair pins.
“The chick in there hadn’t passed out, but fallen asleep.”
After sharing her photo series on Instagram, the freelance journalist has heard from even more women who want to share their anecdotes, “I’m currently recording stories from mates to be played out at an exhibition,” she says.
Jagger’s photo series ‘Loosen Up’ will go on display for one night only from 8pm at The Brickworks, Barton Arcades Basement, Manchester on 17 May.