Tales of the Urban Explorer: The Blue Pig

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(Edited)

"What the fuck... I was here just a few days ago and the front door was missing..., there was just a big hole…

@goblinknackers was scratching his head and wondering how all this concrete had suddenly materialised as if by magic. Was it going to be one of those shitty days where the sealers had beaten us to it in a matter of hours?

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This old wreck of a pub had been closed for at least 10 years and now suddenly the owners had started giving a shit and sending the bloody ‘concreteers’ around.

I wondered why on the outskirts of Bradford, a community positively swimming with Muslims that some bright spark had named this “The Blue Pig”. Had the locals veto'd it due to distasteful naming?

They could have gone all the way and used, “The Tasty Pig”, which could have generated some local publicity at least for pure bad taste.

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The history of this one is not extensive. It was subject to an arson attack in 2019, the report categorically states that… ‘the pub had been recently granted permission for demolition, and will be razed to the ground on Monday’.

Did someone run out of money again?

This page that categorises closed pubs, shows images from 2011 and 1997 when the décor was quite different


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Source
...’The Blue Pig before it’s closure perhaps in 2011?’…

For fucks sake, let’s check the back”. I was not going to give up without trying. Surely they had sealed every entrance unless the concrete machine had broken down.

I was counting on “The Blue Pig” as a given, something no explorer should ever do.

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Every window and door was now solid concrete. It was not looking promising until…

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...“Oh, now what’s this”...

A gaping hole lay before me descending into the depths of the earth. @goblinknackers who is nursing a long-time injury decided to sit this out while I descended into the murk of the gloomy cellar.

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I could hardly expect luxury inside looking at how the exterior looked. I meandered through this mess searching for the stairs that would take me into the pub proper.

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Stinking toilet rolls lay in my path drenched with the piss of olden times. I would need to be careful or I could pick up some vile airborne venereal disease by breathing in the foul air that surrounded me.

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Reading this pinned to the wall reduced my fears. The management was indeed intent on cleanliness and their commitment to a sterile environment could save me for yet another day.

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The bar had seen better days. What surprised me was there was a bar left at all.

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Seating was available as well as the Gents. Could this be better than I first envisaged?

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Fortunately, I wasn't feeling the urge; that seating could be a tad uncomfortable.

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Despite its derelict age of TEN, the floor was holding up extremely well.

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Has someone painted that in the last week? It does look like the little guy is taking a piss. Is there a theme forming here?

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The Kitchen; pubs serve food these days, and “The Blue Pig” would have not been an exception to this rule.

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Tempting as though it was, I didn’t go upstairs this way.

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Not when there are better stairs. Why maim yourself unless there's only one route?

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Being up here in bad weather would not be much fun. Once again I was amazed at the solidity of the flooring. I am usually fearing death, but not here.

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Little things that are left behind even though it’s open to the elements.

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The view from the top; I was wise to avoid the bad stairs.

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Can’t they leave the pool table alone? It would have been more photographic the correct way up.

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If you have never walked through a place like this then you ought to. It's a quite different experience from anything else.

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Just watch your footing as there are generally no hand rails.

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"The Blue Pig" was quite small inside and I felt kind of sorry for @goblinknackers who was lurking around looking shady. I was in and out within ten minutes or so.

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I can’t remember which was easier, getting down or getting back up. I wish I was young again; it all takes a lot of effort. Chair's make things considerably easier. Sharp nails sticking out of posts don't.

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So "The Blue Pig" was quite the shit-hole, but shit-holes need love and attention too. If you are thinking of visiting this pub, you might want to check that it still exists.

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That joint looked real nice back in the day. It took me two paragraphs to get the pig part. Religion.. Pork.. Ah.

Have you ever had to run from police? Or not run and had to explain yourself?

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Have you ever had to run from police? Or not run and had to explain yourself?

In well over 200 explores, not once. Never had any interactions with the law. It's best to remain as incognito as possible.

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Nice. I did not expect that. That's quite an impressive stat.

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The Pissy Pig...

Imagine the horror of even considering catching an airborne venereal disease. From ancient piss. Yaaargh, the horror.

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I might have taken a piss while inside, it was one of those 'pissy places'. The disrespect.. I know. I probably used those knackered shitters, it's the least one can do.

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When there is so much piss in a pissy place it would be disrespectful not to at least add to it! Lol

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Travel through the UK in 1978 we relied on pub grubs, they all had character and charm of the region. This has lost it's charm, except perhaps the bar is left standing.

Nowhere to go now but down if you go up, older one gets more fails than wins, looked like the Blue Pig had good days before everything went down the shoot.

Another entertaining outing, learning quickly many of these grand old pubs are no more!

@tipu curate

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In 1978 it was more about the beer and probably a quick and easy pie and peas sat at the bar. Lots of them have fallen to the sword. In my old drinking town, I would say a good 85% are now derelict, demolished or renovated into something else.

Now people here buy cheap beer at the supermarkets and guzzle it at home. The drinking days are almost gone.

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Sausage or Pies, mash and mushy peas with gravy most probably most served, or fish and chips in some, none were fancy. Basic meal with local beers on tap to wash it all down, yup loads of fun meeting locals at the town haunt.

Bygone era, younger folk would snub this way of entertainment, always enjoyed how most places you could pop in with your dog and wife if you really had to, have a chat, quick swill and head on home. Perhaps wife bargained in the walk for the dog was a way to get them both out the house....?

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LOL.. very unhealthy food then! Fish and Chips is still a mainstream dish in even the new style pubs come restaurants. Some things do not change. The older style ones especially in rural areas do allow dogs, the newer types shun them.

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Not the same, not the same younger generation play games on phones, we used to sit and laugh and talk and yes drink a pint or two, listening to the old locals reminisce life..., long before we arrived. Dogs even got a lick or two of beer, those that were lucky enough!

Unhealthy food we walked off pretty quick, remember we walked most everywhere! If not walking, pushing the bug you drove to hopefully kick start that engine that always let you down at the most inopportune moments. 😂

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Has someone painted that in the last week?

As though someone often comes here to take pie, therefore he painted it on the wall 😁

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I wonder how long that concrete has been there. According to @goblinknackers it was full of holes just a week before. So is it new artistry?

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Might be, the colours stand lively. Could be painted new 🙄

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it is a fucker when they start using breeze blocks, I have asked Santa for a sledge hammer

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You need the limited edition one with a silencer attached for maximum effect.

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At least they know how to keep their Ales in order!

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The number of old pubs I have been into and seen the casks and equipment lounging around in the cellars. Many many...

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It's always a win when you can break in a sealed-up job! I was quite surprised there was any way in. They paid big bucks for those guys to come in and seal it up, but, glad you got a look-see.

What a mess that place was. What can they possibly do to make it look like it had been bombed from the inside out? They really did have a bathroom theme going on. Venereal Disease was scarier back in the day. Ewwww. I hope you didn't get any on you. Never know what it morphed up to be.

I am still laughing at the tool that named this The Blue Pig with the Mosques probably in spitting distance. It sure was a pretty sight back in the day. I love the pubs for a quick bite when you are traveling through.

Le sigh. The good old days are starting to be has beens. :(

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Ohh... not breaking in.. I never do that, though joke around with @grindle about it often. If the sledgehammer lads have recently been, I do take advantage of the situation though. It's mostly down to luck, timing and sometimes grapevine intelligence.

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Gosh! I know you don't break-in. How did those words get there? :) Yes! I do know that. One of the reasons you probably have never been harassed by the police.

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like an adventure. i wonder is this place scary at night?

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Some explorers do night jobs as they call them. It's not for the scariness, but to keep away from nosey bastards who might get in your way during the day.

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I carefully read all your posts. This one is different from the others. There are almost no traces of people staying here: furniture, household utensils and dishes.
As if everything had been taken out of this abandoned building.

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There is 'Gents' written on the wall. One sign of human habitat!

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🤣 at trying to use those toilets... It almost looks like someone got mad at them. So the owners didn't abandon a keg or three?

!LOL !PGM !PIZZA !ALIVE

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If I need to piss... I can at least use the on-site facilities.. regardless of standards.. right? :)

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True! But it might be worth looking for one that's at least in one piece 😂

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Hope you had some decent shoes on. I always worry for your safety. Must be plenty of rusty nails and broken glass around. I guess the graffiti guys wanted to decorate those new blocks first. Bit of a Banksy influence with the balloons?

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I wear some knackered trainers, and tbh.. most of the other guys do the same. You are supposed to wear hob-nail boots but they get in the way when you are climbing (which is often).

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Wow man! I just discovered your profile! I loved the post. I find it amazing to visit abandoned houses and places like that, unfortunately here in my town (which is a VERY small town) there aren't many places like that to visit! I'll keep an eye on your content, clearly interesting!

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Thanks. You might have to go out of town to find somewhere. I need to travel miles now, sometimes 70-80 as I have done everything around where I live.

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I was in and out within ten minutes or so

10 minutes? Are your explores typically that fast? I suppose it would make sense to avoid getting harassed by owners or police.

!PIZZA

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I am quite a fast explorer. @anidiotexplores is faster than even me. It's a case of getting it done, don't arse about.. and get out. That saying.. I do try and find photogenic scenes.. and my partner in crime gives me some tips at times.

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For a 10 minute explore you sure get a lot of great pictures. I'd probably get distracted and what to spend an hour inside exploring everything.

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Thank the pond gods for that! I was desperate for you to blog something.

I suspect a bit of plasterboard and a lick of paint is not going to put that lot right. Those barrels are worth a few quid, they're aluminium. I'm surprised they're still there.

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I am amazed at what I come across and frequently. That saying, I don't tend to evaluate anything of value. Nick an old cobweb.. and the old bill will be waiting outside, you can bank on it.

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Oh god yeah. Mind you; it'd make a funny story of you running down the road lugging two beer barrels and the rozzers on your tail. 🤣

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Love your explorers sir. Thanks for your point of view.

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The pub was probably legendary at the time. And the name speaks about it). We have such an expression in Ukraine, you are drunk like a blue pig. That is, the person went through the dosage. He is compared to a pig)

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you are drunk like a blue pig.

I can't say I have heard that before. We have some crazy names for pubs here and a lot of repetition. This one is new to me.

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It's amazing to me how much disrepair can happen in just 11 years. It looks completely dilapidated!

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Attention, venereal disease may occur! :D

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