# GEC Leicester Oct 2009



## Lost Explorer (Oct 24, 2009)

This place has been done a few times! Been on the cards for me for awhile. Went down with diehardlove and burb147. Although its very trashed there are still some very cool things to see! We all got very wet as it was lobbing it down all day, still work the effot!

Quite pic heavy....

A short history, extracted from another post for those interested:

"It was at Whetstone that Frank Whittle set up what is believed to have been the first factory in the World built specifically for jet engine production. By 1944, up to 300 employees were producing 20 engines a month for the Gloster Meteor aircraft. Whittle’s original Company was called Power Jets Ltd. This became part of the National Gas Turbine Establishment in 1946 and was later transferred to Pyestock. The Whetstone site was acquired by English Electric, which then became GEC and is now ALSTOM. There has been an almost continuous presence of staff working on gas turbine design, development, test and production for the last 50 years. Back in the 1940’s the Whetstone site also developed and tested new jet engine ideas. The related activity of gas turbine development is carried on to this day at Whetstone by the ALSTOM Power Technology Centre. It takes place now in a state-of-the-art test facility just yards from the original buildings and named after the pioneer, the Whittle Research Centre. The site also housed the Atomic Power Division and Mechanical Engineering Laboratories. A lot of early computer technology was developed here, as well as robotics, wind turbines, and nuclear power plant, among other things."






Large lifting equipment in one of the warehouses





As you can see the pikeys have been doing their job! There are also demolition markers all over the walls!





There were all sort of interesting drawings and documents left lying about.





Former reception area





Lots of interesting machinery left lying about...





The famous CO2 testing pits





Looks like a large drill press?





Paint peelage 





Hazardous materials.......





Offices full of yet more documents!

Rest of the images on my website


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## nursepayne (Oct 24, 2009)

Fascinating discovery, loads of history there great find.


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## Lost Explorer (Oct 24, 2009)

nursepayne said:


> Fascinating discovery, loads of history there great find.



Yeah definately! You could easily spend a week just going through the drawings and paperwork! Shame its probably being demo'ed soon


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## diehardlove (Oct 24, 2009)

nice pics adam


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## Mr Sam (Oct 24, 2009)

glad you guys got to see it too


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## diehardlove (Oct 24, 2009)

yes glad we got to see it


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## burb147 (Oct 25, 2009)

especially glad as it was an eventful day im glad for once i have no boobies.


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## Gingernuts (Oct 25, 2009)

*Drill press...*

The 'Looks like a drill press' is probably a milling machine.


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## sj9966 (Nov 3, 2009)

Gingernuts said:


> The 'Looks like a drill press' is probably a milling machine.



It is a milling machine.


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## night crawler (Nov 3, 2009)

Gingernuts said:


> The 'Looks like a drill press' is probably a milling machine.



It is and a very old one at that proably pre war by the look


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## thebluefox (Nov 3, 2009)

Awesome pics, can't believe this is still on my to do list, even though its 5 minutes away from me.


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## Lost Explorer (Nov 3, 2009)

thebluefox said:


> Awesome pics, can't believe this is still on my to do list, even though its 5 minutes away from me.



Definately get down there dude! Its pretty trashed, but there is still plenty to see. I want to go back to just look over the documents and plans!


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## TK421 (Nov 3, 2009)

"man down pit"  like it a lot!


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## diehardlove (Nov 3, 2009)

AdamLC said:


> Definately get down there dude! Its pretty trashed, but there is still plenty to see. I want to go back to just look over the documents and plans!



just say adam
as to be honest thats all id like to see,sit in that room and read the plans as them nuclear docs really interesred me


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## trailblazer (Nov 3, 2009)

wow, good explore.

i used to clean those offices after school for pocket money about ten years ago, shame to see all of my hard work gone to waste....


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## martin_godfrey (Nov 4, 2009)

*Contact for GEC factory*

Hi Adam

Loved your photos of the abandoned GEC factory.

I'm an ex-Leicester man and whenever I go back and pass the factory I think about taking photographs.

Can I ask how you went about getting access to the place ?

And do you know what the timescales are for demolition ?

Thanks v much
Martin


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## diehardlove (Nov 4, 2009)

martin_godfrey said:


> Hi Adam
> 
> Loved your photos of the abandoned GEC factory.
> 
> ...



hi nice to meet you mate you need to read the faqs
as we normally dont like people asking for access details online as who knows who you are or who is watching
half the fun is walking round the site and finding access for yourself
what part of leicester was you from
there was no signs etc or documents giving us any idea of a timescale but can say all the main building had red marks on them and also coloured bins in them i presume for clearing the building


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## martin_godfrey (Nov 4, 2009)

*Oops - sorry*

Hi diehardlove
really sorry - you're right - i didn't read the faqs or rules
(I guess i'm so used to clicking 'accept' to T&Cs)

I hadnt really thought about it but of course it makes sense not to give away 'trade secrets'. 

Apologies again
cheers
martin


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## Lost Explorer (Nov 4, 2009)

martin_godfrey said:


> Hi diehardlove
> really sorry - you're right - i didn't read the faqs or rules
> (I guess i'm so used to clicking 'accept' to T&Cs)
> 
> ...



Best way is to go and have a look dude! There is always somewhere in if you look hard enough


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## diehardlove (Nov 4, 2009)

martin_godfrey said:


> Hi diehardlove
> really sorry - you're right - i didn't read the faqs or rules
> (I guess i'm so used to clicking 'accept' to T&Cs)
> 
> ...



hi dude not being a twat so dont think i am,its more im trying to help you out as this is a liad back forum 
alot are not as nice as us
we really dont have trade 
secrets its more a case of going having a look and deciding how you are going to do it
its just we really dont know who you are and if we say how we got in on here can garantee it will either be pikied or the way in sealed by the end of the week and both ways are bad for the community
once we get to know you a bit and have spoke to you for a bit and know you are genuine 
then who knows come with us
look forword to seeing a report mate
take care dave


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## diehardlove (Nov 4, 2009)

martin_godfrey said:


> Hi diehardlove
> really sorry - you're right - i didn't read the faqs or rules
> (I guess i'm so used to clicking 'accept' to T&Cs)
> 
> ...



lol dont apoligse to me mate 
im just trying to help a fellow explorer out as even if we dont like to admit it we have all been new at some point


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## Potter (Nov 5, 2009)

That really is superb. Loads of paperwork, and love all that computer stuff.


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## Urban-Warrior (Nov 8, 2009)

AdamLC said:


> Hazardous materials.......



Watch ya dont end up glowing green 

nice site.. love the pics.


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