# GE, Thorn Lighting Leicester Jan 2011



## MD (Feb 6, 2011)

The Melton Road factory opened in 1946 - at the time being owned by British Thomson-Houston - later becoming part of AEI and eventually Thorn until GE bought the lamp division in 1991. i think it closed in 2006,


loading Bay





stairs 




strange lights but funky doors




Gents 




From the roof 




some more on http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattdonut/sets/

some shots from a daytime visit 



_MG_2165 by MD Matt Allen, on Flickr




_MG_2135 by MD Matt Allen, on Flickr




stairs2 by MD Matt Allen, on Flickr




left-overs by MD Matt Allen, on Flickr




_MG_2153 by MD Matt Allen, on Flickr

Huge thanks to Boothys mates for showing us around


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## jameswildcooper (Feb 6, 2011)

Good photos mate. Love that roof top pic. Will be my background pic I reckon. Shame I missed today


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## MD (Feb 6, 2011)

cheers 
yeah its a shame you missed out mate 
youve got to check out the canteen !! its mint


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## jameswildcooper (Feb 6, 2011)

Seen it afford when we went mate. All the ovens and stuff are still In there


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## King Al (Feb 6, 2011)

Great find and pics MD, some very interesting features in there


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## festcu (Feb 6, 2011)

Excellent stuff - I worked there for a bit before I went to work for BUSM where we used to use the shelter for a sly tab


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## KingLewis92 (Feb 6, 2011)

The place looks mint condition!
I like the shot of the road at night, Nice!


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## Goldie87 (Feb 6, 2011)

Been waiting to get in here for years, so after a visit one night recently I couldn't wait to get back in the day! Its been pretty well cleared out, but its a huge site and theres plenty of buildings to look around. Some nice retro 50's style in the main buildings, plus a medical centre that looks like it has hardly changed since it was built.

Pic of the site I found in an office





Nice 50's features throughout





One of the huge buildings





Old skool phone





Mens toilets





Stairs





One of a few dark rooms





Labs





Warning





Old packaging





Clinic


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## LittleMrBigStuff (Feb 6, 2011)

Great pictures lads the place is even better in daylight. Sorry didnt make it. Didnt wake up til mid afternoon doh.


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## Goldie87 (Feb 6, 2011)

Yep was good to finally see it in the daylight. We must have been in there just over three hours, managed to cover most of the place I think.


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## nelly (Feb 7, 2011)

Nice photos guys.

Great stairwell shots


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## jameswildcooper (Feb 7, 2011)

that old skool pic of thorn is sweet good find mate. wonder when it was taken? as it looks fairly old even the trees in the corner dont look as overgrown....


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## Goldie87 (Feb 7, 2011)

I'd say its from the 1980's at a guess, but im not really sure. Theres some buildings behind the canteen and near the second gate which are no longer there. Theres also the big chimney at the top left which no longer exists. The original photo is better quality but its also a quarter of the size of the one shown here!


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## losttom (Feb 7, 2011)

Really glad i got to see the place- after waiting quite a while.....

was a good day out lads!!


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## MD (Feb 8, 2011)

went by today loads of activity 
they were also fiddling about with the cctv cameras !!


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## jameswildcooper (Feb 9, 2011)

nice to know that MD. would love to go back and see more


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## higherandhigher (Feb 11, 2011)

*top mooch*

security is red hot 
:icon_evil


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## Big Bill (Feb 12, 2011)

Looks like a great visit! New to the scene so dont know many places in the same area!


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## Goldie87 (Feb 12, 2011)

higherandhigher said:


> security is red hot
> :icon_evil



Why, were you there the beginning of the week?


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## ThenewMendoza (Feb 13, 2011)

Good stuff, chaps, shame it's so stripped but it looks well worth a look anyhow.

M


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## devonian42 (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks for the report MD and Goldie.

I have a tale to tell on the med school, see my entry on [ame="http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showpost.php?p=183997&postcount=12"]LE's post here[/ame].


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## MD (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks for that 
There are more pictures on my flickr


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## devonian42 (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks for prompt response Matt. Had a look at your Flickr catalogue. It appears you are recording the demise of the industrial heart of the East Midlands area based on the number of factories you have posts for.

I like the east midlands factory entry uploaded last summer. Lots of colour and constrast in the pics, as well as the subject itself being an interesting find. I expect DP would appreciate a posting of these with the usual history profile up front. Looks like it was built in the Victorian era to me, but maybe its a sensitive site


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## John_D (Mar 24, 2011)

*Brings back memories*

I worked for GE Thorn Lighting up to 1993 and spent about a year working at that Leicester factory, organising the installation of high speed lamp making lines that had been removed from the Merthyr factory and the Preston factory which GE closed down. Was based in the Enfield factory at the time, that is all gone now as well :0(. Another sad case of a US Multi National buying a UK manufacturing company and progressively destroying it.:0(


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## MD (Mar 25, 2011)

devonian42 said:


> Thanks for prompt response Matt. Had a look at your Flickr catalogue. It appears you are recording the demise of the industrial heart of the East Midlands area based on the number of factories you have posts for.
> 
> I like the east midlands factory entry uploaded last summer. Lots of colour and constrast in the pics, as well as the subject itself being an interesting find. I expect DP would appreciate a posting of these with the usual history profile up front. Looks like it was built in the Victorian era to me, but maybe its a sensitive site



Which one,s that mate ? 
I put most of my stuff on derp so it might already be on here


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## Goldie87 (Mar 25, 2011)

Sounds like box to me?


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## devonian42 (Mar 26, 2011)

This one -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattdonut/sets/72157624092480463/


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## MD (Mar 26, 2011)

Ah cheers 
The place has gone downhill really badly over the past few months 
And the owners have been served notice to tidy the building up etc 
If your interested in taking a look pm me ill message you details


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## Lost Explorer (Mar 26, 2011)

I drove by earlier and they have started demo on some of the out buildings btw! Not sure what is next


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## gushysfella (Mar 26, 2011)

is this the place that at grimbo had a massive lights display? remember as a kid we used to drive over to leicester and go up melton road and you knowe you where there when you seen a big factory was on your left


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## Goldie87 (Mar 26, 2011)

gushysfella said:


> is this the place that at grimbo had a massive lights display? remember as a kid we used to drive over to leicester and go up melton road and you knowe you where there when you seen a big factory was on your left



Indeed it is the place that you are thinking of.


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## MD (Mar 27, 2011)

GE lighting xmas lights 2007  by M D Allen, on Flickr​


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## gushysfella (Mar 31, 2011)

MD said:


> GE lighting xmas lights 2007  by M D Allen, on Flickr​



thats the one


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## mookster (Mar 31, 2011)

Lost Explorer said:


> I drove by earlier and they have started demo on some of the out buildings btw! Not sure what is next



It's more than that - the entire factory complex is being ripped apart at the moment.

I was there a couple of nights back, went in round the back past huge piles of rubble, and the rear of the factory floor has been totally ripped off. Big piles of metal and the smell of demolition everywhere. Upstairs in the labs, the ones on the west side (right hand side on the 2007 photo above) are still intact but the ones on the front of the factory are all totally stripped back ready for demolition.


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## Goldie87 (May 9, 2011)

Been popping down every week to see the progress on demolition, went down yesterday and they were still busy ripping it apart even on a sunday.


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## jameswildcooper (May 9, 2011)

just about to go for a walk around it now have another look. they start on it at like 6am every morning as it wakes me up grrr lol


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## jameswildcooper (May 9, 2011)

here you go my fellow explorers a few more pics


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## John_D (May 9, 2011)

Wonder what happened to the on site fire engine? It was a 1950's short wheelbase Landrover, which when I was working there in the early 1990's, was in very nice condition, but with faded red paintwork, but only a couple of thousand miles on the clock, due to it having never been off of the site


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## jameswildcooper (May 9, 2011)

wow where abouts on the site was that? i never knew or seen that before.


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## jameswildcooper (May 9, 2011)

also just found out that they are working from so early because all the builders are sleeping there aswell. 6 till 6...


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## jameswildcooper (May 11, 2011)

few more pics from yesterday when i walked round there. might go again a bit later


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## mookster (May 11, 2011)

God it's hard to believe a couple of months back I was stood in that part of the building


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## MD (May 11, 2011)

great write up on the site in tonights paper 
ill look for the link and add it


http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....ites-dust/article-3541254-detail/article.html


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