Archive for the ‘Gary’ tag
Charleroi Pre-metro
July 2010
Charleroi has 6km of disused by completed metro line, incorporating 4 stations and connecting to the existing metro. Don’t get too excited however, this isn’t a veiny network of tunnels under the city like Antwerp’s premetro, nor is it a line genuinely under construction. It’s simply a railway that was built in the 1980s, connected to the metro lines and unfeasibly, never opened. 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 »
How to Climb a Crane
September 2011
Wandsworth Riverside Quarter had a couple of cranes set back slightly from the river. Not massive, but substantial enough to justify the moderate amount of effort needed to get to them. Set up in the dug out basement a couple of levels beneath ground, we first had to get onto the site (easy), then into the basement (quite easy). Although this was an unusual hassle, it was made considerably easier by the apparent lack of any human presence on or around the site.
Oslo T-Bane
August 2011
John climbed from the graveyard onto the trackside, as the Number 2 sped past towards Østerås. Gary and I followed, and we ran down towards the brightly lit tunnel portal kicking ballast and stumbling across semi-sunk sleepers.
Brad:Pad: LCC’s London Squat.
February – May 2011
When Brad left London in February 2011 he left behind a set of keys and a note. The keys were for his flat in Clapham and the note said to enjoy ourselves. We ended up with almost 4 months of this London base, and enjoy it we did. 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.
IYLO – “Inspiration for life”
July 2011
Another night, another trip into the skies. It’s quieter out there, no people, just a feeling of serenity. Whether it’s 80 stories or 17, being ‘up’ is rewarding. Read the rest of this entry »
The Polski Church
July 2011
My Town
It was scaffolding again. The Polish church in Reading had received a grant for a quarter of a million quid because bits of the steeple had started to fall off, so Jerzy Januszkiewicz had got his mates round to put up a big climbing frame up. We’d been up onto this church before, but as the scaff had only gone to the roof, the view was half as good back a year ago. I’ve been watching this for a couple of weeks, as the frame grew quickly at first, then agonisingly slowly. We were bored, so Gary came round and we ended up going up it before it was finished. Weak shit eh?
That Parisien Loop
March 2011
With the thrill of Molitor being the presiding memory from our Paris adventure, the desire to tap the keyboard over our night in the 14th arrondissement was nulled perhaps. London was reminded what it was missing in the few days proceeding our return and it seemed like business as usual with visitors such as Steve Duncan, Brick Man and Urban Fox arriving at the Brad:pad War-room to partake , other adventures fading into the memory. Read the rest of this entry »
Cut and Cover #4 – Kings Cross
April 2011
The pursuit of the ‘LU’ continues. Kings Cross was one of the first stations I believe to have been visited by this generation of explorers, but this was before my attentions turned to mass transit – by the time I got involved, the old access had been secured. Read the rest of this entry »