Damon
December 3rd, 2006, 23:37
Took a solo trip up to Whit today with the intention of giving my new S5600 a test-drive.
My usual lazymans way past the fence had been fixed up again. Sadly, I forgot to bring a "key" to open it up again, so over the top was the only option for me. I never fully appreciated having someone to pass your bag over to until now. I do tend to overbalance with a rucksack on my back.
Used one of the many access points inside and got on with it. Plan of the day was to avoid the "touristy" bits like the hall and the RC chapel, and instead spend time on the upper floors, an area I have neglected in a lot of my recent trips.
Nothing major to report about the state of the place, more internal doors appear to have mysteriously been reopened but thats about it.
Managed to pull off a few decent pics and the odd arty piece, ventured down to the ground floor briefly to move between blocks and nip into the partitioned off areas. By God it was windy in those bits. Between the banging doors and wind whistling through the roof, anyone could have walked up behind me and I'd have had no idea.
A few hours later, I'd got what I came for, learnt a bit more about the Fuji (but judging by some of the reject pics, not enough about a steady hand or focusing :rolleyes: ) and decided to take my leave.
On the way back to the south end of the site, just walking through the covered walkway opposite the east side of the main hall, and as I come to the door, I hear what is unmistakeably the sound of footsteps from around the corner.
Right, so its either one of us, Security or Pikeys. Two out of Three says scarper, so I do, leaving big soggy footprints behind me. Bugger. I divert across some carpet, and straight up to the first floor and salvation in the form of the fire escape. Unfortunately I manage to find the only fire escape in the whole damn place with intact safety glass and immoveable door. This would prove to be a blessing in disguise though....
Up to the second floor, trying to balance speed with shhhhhh. The fire door up here is one of the larger ones with the BIG pane of safety glass at chest height. Well it was. Now its a lot of broken glass on the floor. Nice one.
Deciding it might be a good idea to see where I'm headed for, i stick my head out and look down. Good-oh, right next to Superintendants, which means the base of the fire escape is concealed behind a ground floor outbuilding. So how far am I from the fence then? SHIT! Head in!!!
On the other side of said fence? One hi-vis toting security guard walking the perimeter. That explains the footsteps in the corridor then, they're still doing the one inside, one outside patrols. Glad I didn't decide to jump round the corner and shout Boo! then..... Also lucky I hadn't got out on the first floor, and been nice and blatant when he came round the side of the building.
I wait it out for 10 minutes or so, silently packing up while the opportunity is there, and have another look out the window. Hi-vis gone, but there's a dog walker mooching about while her shaggy alsation sniffs, chews and shats on everything it can reach. Eventually they move off, and I pop out the window, down the fire escape and over the gate at the bottom.
Now its all down to luck. I can see the fence, but not left or right. Ah well, fortune favours the brave. I step out, right into.......
....nothing. Nobody in sight. Joy! Back to the fence, and up and over.
Well nearly. Up, slip off, down. Up, back leg slips on ground, down. Up, wobbly pause at the top while I unwrap the barbed wire from around my bloody ankle, and down before I fall and break something (again). No surprises for anyone who knows me, then...
In a moment of clarity, it occurs to me that I might want to be subtle in leaving the grounds, since my current state kinda gives away where I've just spent the last few hours. Off the path, across what used to be St Margarets, and round the back of Nurses block is the idea. Good eh?
No. Round a clump of bushes, and faced with security guard stood outside the Nurses block. Thankfully, I'm still far enough away to casually divert around the other side of the block. Much better this way, yes?
No, Again. Stupidly I forget that these guys are like women going to the pub toilets. Always in bloody pairs.
So here's me, dressed all in black, covered in mud, soggy rooftiles, shards of glass and undoubtably the stench of fettid Pidgeon shit, carrying a rucksack with a big hole in the side, out of which is poking my tripod (I discover later.....). And I'm walking straight towards Mr Security, who is headed in the opposite direction, glancing at me occasionally as he draws closer.
What to do, what to do, what to do.
I decide on the old tactic of a "pre-emptive strike". That'll be the one where you initiate the conversation before they've got a chance to say anything or even start to pin anything on you, thereby catching them off guard and completely flummoxing them.
"Alright mate!"
"Erm, yeah pal, you?"
"Aye, I will be if this rain holds of for a bit" *chuckles*
"Ha ha, you're not wrong there. Ta ra"
Jobs a good-un. :thumb
Back to the car, and after paying a visit to Pixielulu's new gaff (crawling with the extended family lending a hand with the decorating) I sod off home.
Here's a few of the better shots from today. I still have a lot left to learn about the S5600, but I'll get there in the end.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Bodymist.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Firedamage.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Packet.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Paper.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Piano1.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Piano2.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Radiator.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Watched600.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Band600.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Window.jpg
My usual lazymans way past the fence had been fixed up again. Sadly, I forgot to bring a "key" to open it up again, so over the top was the only option for me. I never fully appreciated having someone to pass your bag over to until now. I do tend to overbalance with a rucksack on my back.
Used one of the many access points inside and got on with it. Plan of the day was to avoid the "touristy" bits like the hall and the RC chapel, and instead spend time on the upper floors, an area I have neglected in a lot of my recent trips.
Nothing major to report about the state of the place, more internal doors appear to have mysteriously been reopened but thats about it.
Managed to pull off a few decent pics and the odd arty piece, ventured down to the ground floor briefly to move between blocks and nip into the partitioned off areas. By God it was windy in those bits. Between the banging doors and wind whistling through the roof, anyone could have walked up behind me and I'd have had no idea.
A few hours later, I'd got what I came for, learnt a bit more about the Fuji (but judging by some of the reject pics, not enough about a steady hand or focusing :rolleyes: ) and decided to take my leave.
On the way back to the south end of the site, just walking through the covered walkway opposite the east side of the main hall, and as I come to the door, I hear what is unmistakeably the sound of footsteps from around the corner.
Right, so its either one of us, Security or Pikeys. Two out of Three says scarper, so I do, leaving big soggy footprints behind me. Bugger. I divert across some carpet, and straight up to the first floor and salvation in the form of the fire escape. Unfortunately I manage to find the only fire escape in the whole damn place with intact safety glass and immoveable door. This would prove to be a blessing in disguise though....
Up to the second floor, trying to balance speed with shhhhhh. The fire door up here is one of the larger ones with the BIG pane of safety glass at chest height. Well it was. Now its a lot of broken glass on the floor. Nice one.
Deciding it might be a good idea to see where I'm headed for, i stick my head out and look down. Good-oh, right next to Superintendants, which means the base of the fire escape is concealed behind a ground floor outbuilding. So how far am I from the fence then? SHIT! Head in!!!
On the other side of said fence? One hi-vis toting security guard walking the perimeter. That explains the footsteps in the corridor then, they're still doing the one inside, one outside patrols. Glad I didn't decide to jump round the corner and shout Boo! then..... Also lucky I hadn't got out on the first floor, and been nice and blatant when he came round the side of the building.
I wait it out for 10 minutes or so, silently packing up while the opportunity is there, and have another look out the window. Hi-vis gone, but there's a dog walker mooching about while her shaggy alsation sniffs, chews and shats on everything it can reach. Eventually they move off, and I pop out the window, down the fire escape and over the gate at the bottom.
Now its all down to luck. I can see the fence, but not left or right. Ah well, fortune favours the brave. I step out, right into.......
....nothing. Nobody in sight. Joy! Back to the fence, and up and over.
Well nearly. Up, slip off, down. Up, back leg slips on ground, down. Up, wobbly pause at the top while I unwrap the barbed wire from around my bloody ankle, and down before I fall and break something (again). No surprises for anyone who knows me, then...
In a moment of clarity, it occurs to me that I might want to be subtle in leaving the grounds, since my current state kinda gives away where I've just spent the last few hours. Off the path, across what used to be St Margarets, and round the back of Nurses block is the idea. Good eh?
No. Round a clump of bushes, and faced with security guard stood outside the Nurses block. Thankfully, I'm still far enough away to casually divert around the other side of the block. Much better this way, yes?
No, Again. Stupidly I forget that these guys are like women going to the pub toilets. Always in bloody pairs.
So here's me, dressed all in black, covered in mud, soggy rooftiles, shards of glass and undoubtably the stench of fettid Pidgeon shit, carrying a rucksack with a big hole in the side, out of which is poking my tripod (I discover later.....). And I'm walking straight towards Mr Security, who is headed in the opposite direction, glancing at me occasionally as he draws closer.
What to do, what to do, what to do.
I decide on the old tactic of a "pre-emptive strike". That'll be the one where you initiate the conversation before they've got a chance to say anything or even start to pin anything on you, thereby catching them off guard and completely flummoxing them.
"Alright mate!"
"Erm, yeah pal, you?"
"Aye, I will be if this rain holds of for a bit" *chuckles*
"Ha ha, you're not wrong there. Ta ra"
Jobs a good-un. :thumb
Back to the car, and after paying a visit to Pixielulu's new gaff (crawling with the extended family lending a hand with the decorating) I sod off home.
Here's a few of the better shots from today. I still have a lot left to learn about the S5600, but I'll get there in the end.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Bodymist.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Firedamage.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Packet.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Paper.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Piano1.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Piano2.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Radiator.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Watched600.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Band600.jpg
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/damon.hunt/Urbex/Window.jpg