Shower/bath/plumbing question

We moved into our new house last month - it's a 40-ish year old bungalow with a bath, but no shower. For me, that's a problem as I really like need a shower for shampooing. We thought we could just get a shower mixer kit (the kind with the wall-mounted pole and shower head) and be fine, but it hasn't worked. It's what I did in the cottage I used to rent, and it worked great.

We bought this thing from Argos:


... however, the problem is that it's not flexible. Our taps are too close together to fit into it and I can't find the old-fashioned rubber flexible type of mixer anywhere. In my old cottage, I had flexible rubbery mixers with big jubilee clips on them to keep them in place. Not pretty, but it did the job.

Does anyone know where we can get a flexible shower mixer? Or, failing that, what other options we might have?

Please bear in mind that we don't want to spend much money. In 3 years or so, we'll be completely ripping out the bathroom, redoing it and building up into the loft. So really this needs to be something to just tide us over until then.

We had one of those mixer thingies that sort of looked like a stethoscope. Is that what you mean? I'm trying to recall where we got it... not Argos. Maybe Wilkinsons or even Woolies (clearly that's not an option now!).

Does anyone know where we can get a flexible shower mixer? Or, failing that, what other options we might have?

You can get those rubber things with a shower head that you hold in your hand from Boots, I think ours cost about 8 quid. Maybe you'll think it's too hokey?

That's what we had, and yes, it may have been from Boots. I just can't remember now.

Not hokey, no. But we really want something a bit more substantial. The ones you're both talking about are basically hand-held showers and I have seen plenty of those. We want a more solid one that you mount on the wall. Does that make sense?

My sister-in-law has a very substantial one she uses for washing her Labrador. I'll ask her where she got it.

My sister-in-law has a very substantial one she uses for washing her Labrador. I'll ask her where she got it.

Well, if it's good enough for a labrador....

We had to just install a whole new mixer tap with a shower head you could mount on the tile.   Is it that your holes are too close?  Maybe taking those measures -hole size and distance to a plumbers shop might be an option or a reclamation yard if it's the age of the taps that might be a hindrance to a new fixture?  You guys seem to have hell with plumbing issues!  

LOL at Mindy! 

Well, if it's good enough for a labrador....

Arf!  

This is the sort of thing we want, but again the mixer bits won't fit on our oddly spaced taps:

We had to just install a whole new mixer tap with a shower head you could mount on the tile.   Is it that your holes are too close?  Maybe taking those measures -hole size and distance to a plumbers shop might be an option or a reclamation yard if it's the age of the taps that might be a hindrance to a new fixture?  You guys seem to have hell with plumbing issues!  

Tell me about it! The plumbing issues in this house have been horrendous!!

We sort of wanted to avoid having to get whole new taps. I thought the easier option would be to clamp some nice rubbery things on them, which is what I've done before. It's just that all the modern mixers seem to be rigid plastic gizmos.

Not hokey, no. But we really want something a bit more substantial. The ones you're both talking about are basically hand-held showers and I have seen plenty of those. We want a more solid one that you mount on the wall. Does that make sense?

Actually, the item we had looked like Tremula's pic, but ours also came with a wall mounting for the shower head so it wasn't hand held. Wish I could recall where we got it.

Actually, the item we had looked like Tremula's pic, but ours also came with a wall mounting for the shower head so it wasn't hand held. Wish I could recall where we got it.

But the shower head of the one Tremula posted is far too flimsy. I don't want a plastic-y thing.

I know I'm not explaining this very well! 

Is this more of what you're looking for?

Is this more of what you're looking for?

I think that might work, beccaboo!!! Off to look at the PlumbWorld website! 

And that's where I found it.  Here's the name of it if you need it.

Croydex Bath & Basin Tap Shower Head Diverter

And that's where I found it.  Here's the name of it if you need it.

Croydex Bath & Basin Tap Shower Head Diverter

Yup, that's what your link said! Thank you!