Archive for the ‘Dan’ tag
Stories from The Shard of Glass.
Stories from The Shard came to the forefront of the national and international press at the start of April. Brad and Otter simultaneously posted reports on their blogs and within 48 hours, every major newspaper and broadcaster with any interest in London or the forthcoming Olympics was seeking information and interviews from anybody who explored in London, to run front page stories. Read the rest of this entry »
Lower COTS
When it snows, go in Drains. A few Gentlemen and I decided to participate in COTS in December 2010, having seen a few delightful pics of the system online. This section of Collossus of the South was everything I was expecting it to be, more impressive even than Hastings’ Stinger storm drain, with a deliciously different feature; the plughole that leads down from the Victorian sections.
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Boat Party
Much to Otter‘s chagrin, ‘Verticality‘ has entered the vernacular of the current London ‘UE’ Set. Discussed at length on Placehacking, where Brad first coined the concept, it sits alongside ‘Edgework‘ and the much derided ‘Prohobo‘ as a term that wouldn’t neccesarily mean a lot to anybody else, but is in somewhat regular usage among this group of individuals. Read the rest of this entry »
The Soviet Presence
“Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain.” (Vladimir Putin, 2000.)
Gotha
Take your eyes off the pothole ridden minor roads of the former DDR and chances are you’ll be looking at something concrete that was built by the Soviets. My introduction to the remains of the Soviet Union came in 2008, with the Beelitz-Heilstätten sanatorium providing an ample opportunity for a day of roaming around the vast, derelict campus, taking photos of the peeling paint and lnely chairs. Although at the time I visited, I understood little of the involvement of the Soviet Union in this complex’s history, my interest has evolved and I’ve learned of the Sanatorium’s footnote as the ultimate destination for the DDR’s president Erich Honecker as his country collapsed into westernisation. Read the rest of this entry »
IOD BBQ
July 2011
“Are you from one of those groups?” the police officer asked me. “You know, Anarchy?”. Quite evidently, he didn’t have a clue what 8 of us were doing on a rooftop with a barbecue, but his perception of our intentions was grossly wide of the mark.
Yo Dawg
December 2010
Dan’s boiler was bust, so he stayed in to wait for the landlord. I turned up, attacked it with a hammer and it worked again. We went out to play when Neb got here, choosing to walk half a mile into a road tunnel that tastes of death. We ended up dropping from one tunnel into another, finding a tunnel reminiscient of many of the cable runs in central London.
Courage Brewery
April 2010
Fresh off the presses at the Reading Evening Post, the Town’s final B was to close. Biscuit production in the town had ceased in 1974 with the closure of Huntley and Palmers, bulbs in 1976 when Suttons’ Seeds relocated to Devon, and finally on April 2nd 2010 the Courage brewery was closed, with the production absorbed by the rest of the network. The only remnant of Reading’s industrial past was to be the buildings left behind, or a natty bar underneath the town hall bearing the name, “The Three B’s”
The Stinking Fleet
January 2011
As ever the routine was followed. Park up, kit up, get down. We entered down concrete steps into an overflow chamber which had a drophole into what I assumed was the Fleet Storm Relief: from this we could climb into the sewer ‘proper’. The water was shin deep and although not bearing an overly heavy flow, was noted.
Overflow chamber Read the rest of this entry »
International Drain Meet
January 2011
The International Drain Meet was a celebration of drainors, and a great chance to meet parties from other areas that we haven’t taken the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with yet. Represented were London, Manchester, North East England, Paris, Canada, Brescia Underground and UE Kingz, and it was a pleasure to meet and spend time in The River Westbourne with all present.
Partake Read the rest of this entry »
Cut and Cover #3 – The Met Line Three.
December 2010
A certain unease always sets in when down on London’s underground train lines. Attemping to access the very same set of tracks a week previously had seen us facing a train coming towards us, well after service. Although we we have always been aware of the risks associated with this sort of activity, the unpredictable London Underground network of tubes and cut and cover never lose that ability to unnerve.
Cut and Cover Tunnel
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