What are your jeans doing today?

[MJF9]

Laughing at that baby blue story Double O. I still remember borrowing a Tomahawk, bombing down my gran’s street, hitting a house brick and going over the handlebars at a tender age.  

Gee always wanted a Grifter for that reassuring robustness - never managed it sadly. I think it’s outside of the scope of no-buy though so you never know this year could be it!

That bleepy scene link is reading for the weekend - thanks Double O!

Maynard you need your own ‘Buildings of Britain to take your jeans to’ thread but just with a punchier title than that.

Edited February 14, 2020 by MJF9

[Double 0 Soul]

Grifters were wank! ... i always remember gangs of us going on bike rides in the early 80's.., we would get to a stile (cos it were all fields back then) and those with BMX's could lift them over the gate but those with Grifters wern't so lucky, 2 kids would lift up the Grifter and pass it to 2 other kids perched on top of the gate who would pass it down t'other side.

BMX skills 4life featuring CSF & J.Lofgren

 I was teaching mini-soul how to bunny-hop on his 16" Sunday BMX, ideally suited for 5yr olds

 

[MJF9]

Works for big kids too !

[mpukas]

Hey fellas!!! HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS!!! 

[Double 0 Soul]

If i ring Theakston's do you think they'll send me a free crate for product placement?

[Geeman]

Is that an approved BSI safety bandanna? 

[julian-wolf]

On 2/7/2020 at 7:09 AM, effdatnoise said:

@julian-wolf

I've spent a fair amount of time out there.

It's just a mercantile and bakery.  Basically feeds visitors and park employees who are headed to Bowman or Kintla lake.  So stop in if you are headed into those spots.  I did probably my favorite backpacking going from "The loop" off the going-to-the-sun road and hiking out of Kintla.  Some totally spectacular campsites and hiking.  Particularly around the "Hole-in-the-wall" campsite/area.

Some of the employees live right there in polebridge or next to the mercantile...i think the owners live there or something.  I went to the "Polebridge Formal" with some of the park employees at the end of the season.  Drank a lot and camped, good times.  

 

The loop through Kintla seems like a great one. If we'd been able to get a spot between Hole in the Wall and the trailhead, we would've taken the extra night to go out that way for the trip pictured. As it was, we went in and out through Bowman, which was also great. You can actually see a nice view Bowman in the fourth shot from the bottom, hiking down from the summit of Chapman.

Agreed 100% on Hole in the Wall—that's about as good as it gets. That's where the final three of the above photos were shot, and where we spent our last night before a long walk out.

Would love to be there for something like the Formal; that seems like it would've been right up our alley. Will have to look into that sorta thing more thoroughly next time I'm in the area. Thanks for the tip!

[MJF9]

On 2/14/2020 at 7:21 AM, Double 0 Soul said:

I never made it to Spike Island 

My teenage years were bleepier there's an article here on RA which discusses the vibe in the city at the time.. https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/2349

 

Just remembered this... thanks for the link @Double 0 Soul. The bleepy scene had tentacles from Sheffield, across Yorkshire and beyond. Nightmares on Wax were great and still are. Really like their chilled vibe. I've  seen them a few times over the years - there are some pics somewhere on Sufu of a gig in Liverpool. Funnily enough Mrs N.O.W. once semi-hypnotised me - she was in training, a mate and was attempting full hypnosis that didn't quite work but it was altogether pretty relaxing as I nodded off lol.

Spike Island was a laugh - carefree day kicking around on a grassy patch of land in the centre of Widnes industrial landscape, chemical works, chimneys, cooling towers etc. What views! The Jam MCs leading into a late showing from the Roses... Ian Brown proclaimed to be the resurrection then we all had miles to walk trying to get home... happy days...

[Maynard Friedman]

Sounds quite the day out, one of those legendary “I was there” moments. Have you seen the film about it with Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones?

[MJF9]

Yeah it seems to have turned into one of those moments in time.

Not seen the film nor even knew about it - thanks - I'll be watching that soon.

[Double 0 Soul]

Mini-Soul imagined he was there..

 

[MJF9]

Go on Mini-Soul!!! Love the pic

[Flash]

We needed a bit of a mental reset , been stuck in the house for days so we went for a walk . Where we live is right on the edge of Belfast so at the top of our street we have the beginning of the Cave Hill country park , thought there couldn't be many people about and I was right ... didn't see a single person , you don't see many people at the best of times maybe the odd dog walker but today we had the place all to ourselves 

We were on a rescue mission so Jack had his walkie talkie 

But daddy was packing heat 

Weren't out for that long , maybe an hour or so but it was great to get out of the house 

 

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Where is your matching "Toy Story" varsity jacket?!

[Bobbo]

Went for a walk in one of my favorite parts of Gothenburg. Old houses that all pretty much look the same, just small details and shapes that differ. 

Bonus shots from the last few weeks, when it was more OK to be out and alive.

[MJF9]

Like much of the world, the MJF9 family are all at home for the foreseeable. Best wishes to the Sufu community with challenges now and ahead.

The fella on the telly - Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach - is running daily PE classes at 9am UK time on You Tube. He got about 850k viewers today. 

This is the new family uplifter for the day ahead. We all get stuck in together.

And a good way to break in my Canes M41001!

[lance]

Best wishes to you, your family and everyone here on SUFU MJF9, stay healthy everyone!

[Maynard Friedman]

Haha, my lot are all doing that too while I, sadly am working to keep the economy afloat! Is that an Ercol Romana TV unit I spy?

[MJF9]

Your gallant efforts are appreciated - if you can break away without causing the FTSE to drop even more, I recommend it for a bit of fun.

Yeah it’s an Ercol - though I do prefer the vintage stuff, they didn’t have infrared widgets in the old days. Do you like a bit of Ercol then?

[Maynard Friedman]

I used to have an Ercol dining table and chairs but left it with an ex out of guilt!

We have been planning on updating our 15 yr-old TV and need a bigger stand do will get an Ercol Teramo stand once things are back to normal.

Anyway, enough frivolous banter, back to the grind...

[Thanks_M8]

Finished this beauty up today. 

[Double 0 Soul]

When i was a young scallywag back in the mid-late 80's, inspired by Martha Cooper's 'Subway Art' and armed with a Kodak Disc camera i had great fondness for photographing the graff around the city (it was still fresh back then) i found myself in allsorts of dubious places from Park Hill or Kelvin flats to our many derelict factories (thanks Thatcher) between 87 and 89 i documented shit loads of it, i still have all those old folders.

All these years later its the long lost architecture i wish i had been recording for posterity...anyhow, the urb-ex buzz has never worn off.

Trespass laws in the UK are somewhat spurious, you're not allowed to gain entry by 'breaking and entering' or causing 'criminal damage' but if you can gain entry without breaking the law/committing a criminal offence then it becomes a civil case, so if the owners of the property (who usually don't give a fuck because they're just waiting for it to become unsafe so they can demolish rather than upkeep) were to take you to court it would be at their cost to recoup losses caused by damage you had caused.. so basically, don't cause damage and it becomes a gray area, it's how a lot of illegal raves and warehouse parties still go ahead under the nose of the fuzz... Well, over the years ive posted a few of these adventures over on DB so those forum members will have already seen them, i'm not sure if there will be interest here and they're a bit outdated to fit the 'wayjd 'today' theme but in the interest of keeping us all from going full tilt Shining, i'll x-post a few over here for entertainment purposes.

This is Sheffield's old Town Hall and Court House c1910

Since 1997 to present the building was left without a purpose and fell into disuse, more than two decades later the landmark building is externally intact but it’s inside where its real treasures hide, an abandoned Victorian courthouse frozen in time, its ornate fixtures now in a glorious state of decay.

This is how it looks today, you will notice a drinking fountain to the right of the grit-bin? I remember stood at the bus-stop as a child and drinking out of that, folks used to queue up on hot days, there was still plenty of ornate Victorian fountains still in use around the towns and parks up to the mid 80,s, they need to recommission this kind of shit instead of filling the world with plastic bottles.

In 2008 it was named by the Victorian Society as one of their top ten buildings most at-risk.
I had been trying to figure out some kind of access point for months...and so it begins... I walk through the tiled basement tunnels.

...This goes on for some time.. making wrong turns, dead ends, back tracking...until eventually i emerge in the lobby of Court No. 1.
What a glorious state of decay, untouched by vandals.

Past the Solicitors, it just oozes Victorian quality. Notice its still dark outside.,,remember kids, take only photo's leave only footprints.

Court room No.1 was the largest and most ornate but i had no natural light so i made my way to through court No's 2 and 3 to court No.4 which had a huge glass skylight and i waited for the sun to come up.

Double 0, you stand in the dock today accused of crimes against fashion.. Dressed in RMC A-4, RMC Sweatshirt, M41001's and rather unsuitable Converse pumps, How do you plead?

Having been found not guilty... i was a free man and carried on my exploration.

 

 

The exit staircase for the innocent.

I headed back down into the cellars trying to find the prison cells for those who wern't deemed so well dressed and taken down.

I became a bit disorientated here in the darkness and kept seeing my own wet footprints in the cavernous building.
Eventually i found the upper prison block.

Look how well made everything is.

The peal continues in the lower cell block.

This is where Victorian criminals would temporarily call home, even the pillow is made of wood. Ooh comfy!

The quest continues as i leave the prison block and enter another part of the building housing the library and archives.

 

 

Out of the window and across the roof i could see the 1866 Clock tower... well It would just be rude not to

Having climbed the internal clocktower you can see just how simple the lighting/workings are..

fin.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Double 0 Soul

[Flash]

Misses these 

[Maynard Friedman]

Great stuff Neal. With the Covid-19 restrictions in place, I think it’d probably be easy to recommence those adventures!

[Geeman]

Come on Neal we're well overdue another adventure!  

[Double 0 Soul]

You'll have to put up with these oldies till the apocalypse blows over i'm afraid.

Ive gone into full lockdown today, with my workshop located in one of the more down at heel parts of the city, ive boarded up the doors and windows, taken the bikes, tools, fishing tackle and camping gear home for the duration (we might camp out in the garden one night) fingers crossed the burglars are in lockdown too, the crackhead hookers certainly arn't.

...anyway, you've seen most of the best urban explores the city has to offer and even some of those have now been demolished to make way for yet more shity flats, there's not much left, damn you economic recovery!

[Maynard Friedman]

^ But what about your denim stash?! Have you taken that home too?

[Double 0 Soul]

Nope, they're stashed in a drawer but that WH 2001XX is still draped over the back of my chair, situations could get pretty desperate for some peeps in the weeks ahead so ive tried to prepare the best i can, the cops wont give a shit, they haven't even found my flippin bikes yet.

Ive hidden smaller stuff but there's still a couple of compressors, industrial vac, cross cut saw, tool boxes full of old timey tools... f'kin loads of stuff when i think about it but it's not the kind of shit you can easily sell down the boozer...if the boozers were open of course.

[edmond]

double o would they sell those old doors and floors and cast iron staircase and cabinets? looking for antique for the new store..

[Double 0 Soul]

You can always ask Ed, my photos's were taken back in 2015 but the building was sold last year, nowt's changed so it's all still there.

Sheffield's Old Town Hall

"So called urban explorers" Pfft!