Fails of the Urban Explorer: A Quartet of Failures XII
After yesterday's outing my fails count has almost doubled. Not that it was a bad day, the upcoming Tales will make up for that.
It was a day of quality over quantity and I have to thank @grindle for sharing some sublime locations with me for that.
None of these are from yesterday but are an accumulation of different ones from all over Merseyside, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire.
Kirklees College
It's not often I visit a location half-thinking, 'I hope we don't get in'. It was a lovely April morning when we started stalking the outside edges of this huge old college.
"Too bloody big", I was thinking. Unless it's a lunatic asylum I don't like massive explores as they take too long, you can get lost inside and there's more chance the cops or security might turn up as it takes longer to get around.
A rat scurried across my path with a rotting piece of meat dangling from its gnarled brown gnashers and darted into the grounds.
...is this a sign of what is to come?...
We shimmied through a loose bit of fencing to get us out of sight of a trail of motorists and saw the obvious way in.
Balance down a long skinny plank and hope you don’t fall to your death 25 feet down into a courtyard. Then climb on a wobbly-looking bin and haul your body up inside a window.
Was it a glass jagged etched window and were the security dudes hovering around somewhere?
The latter part I could handle (with gloves), the former not so. “Forget it”, I said to @anidiotexplores who was also unwilling. Let’s leave this place for the rats.
Josephine Butler Care Home
Care homes are a lucrative business in the UK that is unless there is a pandemic. We saw in 2020 lots of OAP's that died, many in these care homes.
This means they go bust and the likes of me have more places to explore. It is a heartless statement perhaps, but true if you believe the media.
I felt disappointed knowing that both @anidiotexplores and @grindle have been inside and on this occasion, the sealers had done well.
I am surprised @grindle missed the large empty derp right next door to it that I named Parkfield Mews. It could have been a little too derpy for him methinks.
Either that or some crackheads chased him off. We were lucky and found only teenage pissheads inside.
Sahal Court Community Centre
This score of seventies-type housing situated in Salford looked ripe for an explore. @andiotexplores had marked it some time ago and so we had to go and have a look.
Scrambling through some trees around the back it looked impenetrable with pallaside fencing all around the edges.
"Why is there a plastic bag on the top?", I said to @anidiotexplores. It had not blown atop of its own free will and what do you know, it's a loose piece.
The Red Indians use smoke signals, Urban Explorers use used plastic bags. Remember that fact.
It did us little good as once inside the place was sealed up tighter than Mary Whitehouse's bodice. We were not getting in there today.
Wellington Court Care Home
What was I saying about care homes? Ah yes.. they are everywhere and I do get in them sometimes.
On this occasion, it was our first location and a dismal failure. On top of that, some nosey 'Karen' was watching us like we were criminals.
What, Us? We are harmless photographers who shiftily sneak about and climb through broken windows. I mean what’s the problem?
Wellington Court Care Home had been accessible but was now otherwise. Those cheapo-quality boards were looking a little too new and shiny for our liking and already not doing very well. The doors and windows however were quite intact.
Having to ensure a fail on your very first location is truly sickening. One can feel suicidal as the budding expectation and buzz ebbs away.
It's a little like trying to have a shag when you are on a heavy-speed session and then realising your cock has temporarily turned into a walnut.
"Fucking Karen's, let's move on", I yelled over to @anidiotexplores.
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'Tales of the Urban Explorer'
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I hope you yelled it loud enough the fucking Karen could hear you 😆
Despite all the failure you've got some bloody good photos here. I'd call that a success
Some explorers have heated arguments with Karens. They always call the cops and then you have plod asking for your name, address.. etc.., which you don't want. I can't be arsed and try again when they are on the shitter or doing something else.
Gotta love it when care homes go under.
Some went under before COVID, such as the one we did yesterday. What a dank affair that was.
That plastic bag is class. Corner young scamps marking out the way for their brethren!
Btw, I think the rats are on to you and are sending you a signal. :0)
You just keep learning, that's the sign.. the gap in the fence which I can barely squeeze through.
It was that day, last April. They were everywhere at multiple places. Huddersfield has a problem, what do you say.. @ashtv?
I will be keeping my eyes peeled for fences with bags on top from now on!!
I haven't seen one for ages. But then I don't tend to tromp around their hangouts 😃
I haven't come across any more yet, even with the dodgy places I go to.
Oooh interesting. We do see Rats occasionally around the ponds/water areas of parks. Lovely parks mind, not messy or gross parks. They’re lovely public places but I have seen rats.
I’ve not seen them anywhere else to be honest though. Not sure if there’s a problem or not. Definitely not a concern for me.
It could have been 'Day of the Rat' or something. They were outside the old college and here at Excelsior Works. Must be the places I frequent.. or something!
I dare say they definitely exist in places where human tend not to go.
I’d love to have a look around the old college. Shit scared of getting caught though. Not sure what my reasoning would be if I got rumbled... other than ‘I fancied a bit of a look around’.
It’s really falling apart now. Every window is smashed on the outside wall. Graffiti covering everything. Hope it’s gets torn down soon.
There is active security on there who will simply ask you to leave. Don't worry about being busted.. that's all that will happen. The intel in here is oldish, things change all the time. Go have a look. Your reason above is fine.
That plastic bag trick… a new one to me. Very clever and I'll have to remember it. Some pretty great fails you've got there ;)
If it's not a bag, it may be another type of marker. Impenetrable fencing is not always as it seems.
next door to JB care home, im not sure, i cant remember last week never mind 3 years ago 😂
In my defence i shall offer " it was not a bando at the time"
Ah, I did not know your 'Skanksville' was so old. We got in the rear grounds via that old derp, all other ways were blocked with massive fencing.
yeah easy no fence access in through basement
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And they are all abandoned?!! Wow!!
Ah, plastic seems like a good idea, since it will be there almost forever haha
As always, I love exploring through your pics :D
Yes, all abandoned. It's not like every other property here is in such a state. They need to be hunted down.
Your care homes there are like Manor Houses... Well, little house of horror manors now. But, each and everyone, opulent and grandiose.
The better to charge you, my dear
They are on to you, methinks. Constantine wire, fences spaced enough to keep you out. Little planks to walk across, jagged glass on the windows - even a few well-placed rats. I think you have been made.
This was an epic post. Even though you didn't get in, it is always interesting to see what you are up against before you get in.
Many of them are just that. Relics of the Victorian age when there was more of a class divide. The divide is still here but the rich now don't live in this type of housing as it's high maintenance.
Well thanks, I just tell is as it happened.. before I forget!