Urban Exploration - Urbex

[John]

What a romantic, mysterious idea it is to explore old ruined buildings and photograph them. Leaving only footprints and taking only photographs. Fantastic. I bought the three books that brian was showing to a few people at the club and I think they are definitely worth the money. Find them on Amazon.

Abandoned Places (2) by Henk Van Rensbergen The images in this book are superb and the text is to the point and sensible. I think of the three I enjoyed this one the most and I now need to find the first one in the series. Breathtaking!

Forbidden Places by Sylvain Margaine Again superb images, but I think slightly devalued by the over-fanciful text provided by David Margaine.Absolutely worth looking at the images though.

Beauty in Decay by RomanyWG This is my second favourite and what incredible images we have. The concept of the mysterious figure in an Urbex setting is brilliant and I would love to explore the placement of models in these strange, compelling locations.

Three books, all recommended!

[kevinlowe]

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but nerves and lack of opportunity have always got the better of me.

A good site if anyone is interested in finding out more is http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/ - there are some great images and stories on here.

[TerryMooney]

John - ABE Books has a copy of 'Abandoned Places' by Henk Van Rensbergen (Oversize Book) ISBN 9020970305 - Located
in San Francisco.
Cost £225.64 plus £8.16 Postage and Packing.
Do you really really want it ??

Terry

[John]

terry how kind of you to offer to buy me a book!

[keith richardson]

I got the Abandoned Places (2) for christmas, and was very happy with it. So was brian, been trying to get it back off him all month. ( just kidding, ( subtle hint ) ).
It would be nice to go to some of the locations, but may give a wide berth to the ones where the author needed a armed bodyguard.

Maybe we could all chip in for the first one, I saw it recently for only 175 pounds.

keith.

PS. I know Brian, before I can get it back I have to actually turn up ..

[mancunian61]

I love the idea of this urban exploration - but too much of a scardycat and goody goody to do have ever done it myself, but I love looking at the photos.

I followed your 28dayslater link and got totally distracted to the point that I even forgot how I had got to that site in the first place lol.

Someone I have looked at before who does exploration in the Manchester and Leeds areas is http://www.myspace.com/phill.d/blog/370805665 .

Thanks for the link.

BW

Ann

[John]

Going back to the book that Terry found at £225.64, it turns out that it's a bargain. Amazon are charging £403 and it's been seem elsewhere at £522!

It must be one heck of a rare book!

[kevinlowe]

Great site there, thanks. Only had a quick glance at it for now. The abandoned Mayfield station in Manchester fascinates me - it's amazing to think there's a full train station, and most people have absolutely no idea it's there.

[Brian]

John

Beauty in Decay is deffo the best of the 3 books from a photographic point of view .. Forbidden places is good as a shopping list but photographically it has a bit of a journalistic/record photo look to the book .. Abandoned places 2 I thought was a bit poo when I first flipped through it but after borrowing Keiths copy I deffo do like it

Some interesting sites you can check out

www.artificialowl.net
www.beauty-of-decay.com
www.abandoned-places.com
www.forbidden-places.net
www.opacity.us
http://www.kiddofspeed.com/ - has the best selection of pictures I knew of the zone of Alienation around the Chernobyl NPP and the nearby city of Pripyat also a very nice story (lets not get into the argument of if this was an infiltration or a sanctioned tourist trip)
weburbanist.com usually has a few urbexing articles in there as well as other archi stuff.
http://www.themysteryworld.com/2010/12/ ... space.html - it does as it says on the tin .. Russian space, abandoned remains, there of

Also if you do a few searches on Yahoo for Whittingham Hospital and Denbigh Asylum you can get some ideas of these places (both done by me in the past) .. there are a few locations that if anyone is interested I can inform you about

There is always the movie Session 9, the urexers movie .. no its not urbexing but its set in the former Danvers Mental institute in Boston .. nice to get to see what these places are like

BTW one other book worth looking at ? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zones-Exclusion ... 234&sr=8-3

P.S. John ... You think the club can stump up the £20 for BoD for the end of year raffle ? may be a nice prize for the peeps who don't have it

[Brian]

Oooo totally forgot :S

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Underground-Man ... 036&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Below-Mancheste ... 018&sr=8-1 - Those who went on the manchester tunnels trip should recognise the cover ...

Both books are generally available in manchester but You deffo will find them in the Ian Allen book shop on the approach to Piccadilly station

As for 28dayslater .. its good to find sites but most of the peeps on their are idiots .. one of the main reasons I lost faith in Urbexing tbh :S

Also near Mayfield street station there is the old fire station and the old Job exchange .. Job exchange is across from the law courts though and still not find out a way in that dont involve a boat :S

[Brian]

Me thinks I am gonna get accosted by John on Thursday to re do my urbex talk :S

[kevinlowe]

Go on John, accost him. I want to hear the urbex talk.

[keith richardson]

I missed it last time too, so acost away John.

Glad to see that the book grew on you brian.

keith

[John]

It's up to Pammie to do the accosting, so go Pammie go!

[Brian]

I work for VOdka, gold and loose women .. can you provide pammy ?

Keith .. about the "growing on me" when was it you wanted the book back ? LOL