# The Billy Banks Estate - Demolition - May 2012



## UEP-Wales (May 15, 2012)

The Billy Banks Estate - Demolition

It must be common knowledge by now that The Billy Banks Estate is my second home. I am 100% addicted to the place and it really has been a pleasure photographing other peoples memories on such a massive estate.

Demolition began on Tuesday 8th May 2012 but the contractors didn't begin demolishing the actual buildings until yesterday afternoon. In less than 24 hours, the block of the former last remaining resident has been demolished.

Just two weeks ago, I filmed a short clip from inside the block showing it's soft demolition aftermath. 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9IATVgo4oU&hd=1"]Billy Banks Soft Demoltion[/ame]

This clip was then shot today...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI1fThfKPT0&hd=1"]Billy Banks Demolition Clip 2[/ame]

*Here are a couple of images:
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I will be keeping my facebook page updated as the demolition continues so if you are interested in seeing more from the estate - please just click like on - http://www.facebook.com/UrbexPhotography.

Thanks for looking!

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## rectory-rat (May 15, 2012)

Nice one mate  It's great to see the end of the poor place being documented and it not all just being demo'd and forgotten about. Cheers for sharing 

-RR


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## UEP-Wales (May 16, 2012)

rectory-rat said:


> Nice one mate  It's great to see the end of the poor place being documented and it not all just being demo'd and forgotten about. Cheers for sharing
> 
> -RR



Thanks mate! I think the site gets over looked slightly as it's not a typical explore! I think it's great though, over 1000 people once lived there and I have had the pleasure of capturing their memories within a photograph. By the time it's gone, I would have spent over 12 months documenting the site and I've met some great people in doing so from past and local residents to a lady who was actually born within the estate.


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## rectory-rat (May 16, 2012)

Urbex-SW said:


> Thanks mate! I think the site gets over looked slightly as it's not a typical explore! I think it's great though, over 1000 people once lived there and I have had the pleasure of capturing their memories within a photograph. By the time it's gone, I would have spent over 12 months documenting the site and I've met some great people in doing so from past and local residents to a lady who was actually born within the estate.



That's awesome mate. And this is why it pisses me off so much when we get called vandals, accused of breaking and entering and all that lot. You have so much more respect, and so much more knowledge of and interest in, that site than any of the developers, seccas and generally complaining people probably do...rant over...

-RR


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## UE-OMJ (May 16, 2012)

Sad 
Another place I'm going to miss out on seeing


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## onthebusescrazy (May 16, 2012)

Another One Bites the dust . Thanks mate brillant piccys


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## fannyadams (May 16, 2012)

Your passion for this place really shows in your pictures. You must be gutted watching it fall


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## UEP-Wales (May 16, 2012)

fannyadams said:


> Your passion for this place really shows in your pictures. You must be gutted watching it fall



Thank you. I am gutted big time to be honest, I have seen people's memories demolished and it really is sad - especially when you see children's toys and family photographs on the rubble pile.


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## Pedrfardd (May 16, 2012)

Great to see this documented - Have spent a lot of time there and become a bit obsessed with the place - Was there yesterday and they've levelled the first block .. 
Ps - if you see a guy in his late thirties walking a small dog - say hello 'cos it'll be me ...


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## UEP-Wales (May 16, 2012)

Pedrfardd said:


> Great to see this documented - Have spent a lot of time there and become a bit obsessed with the place - Was there yesterday and they've levelled the first block ..
> Ps - if you see a guy in his late thirties walking a small dog - say hello 'cos it'll be me ...



Thanks very much. I left for about 2 hours while they finished brining the last residents block down and then when I came back, I just had to get a portrait shot stood on the rubble! 

What type of dog do you have? I think everybody in Penarth takes their dogs there at the moment, my kids love seeing them!


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## Pedrfardd (May 16, 2012)

Small brown dog .. look for a guy with a beard..
I got checked out bu the secutiry last night cos I took some more night shots out side the perimeter.. they even asked my name!!! Police state ...


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## UEP-Wales (May 16, 2012)

Pedrfardd said:


> Small brown dog .. look for a guy with a beard..
> I got checked out bu the secutiry last night cos I took some more night shots out side the perimeter.. they even asked my name!!! Police state ...



Ah I think I may have seen you around before. 

Security is a pain there but mainly because they don't know the laws regarding photography and think they can kick you off the street. A few days ago, I took a couple of pics, next you know I had 2 cars turn up to move me away from the area... entertaining that was but I still stood my ground. Crest are fine with photographers though, I spoke to one of the site managers yesterday, very nice bloke.


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## jongriff (May 16, 2012)

Great photos, only got interested in this style of photography recently, so missed out on this site. Thanks for all the reports.


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## UEP-Wales (May 16, 2012)

jongriff said:


> Great photos, only got interested in this style of photography recently, so missed out on this site. Thanks for all the reports.



Thank you very much. I was about a year too late on photographing the first phase of the site and I am very annoyed about that, not that I can do anything about it though!

Phase 2 is getting harder to photograph at the moment though. Security hate photographers and they seem determined to "get me". All good fun though and it's for people like you, people that read the reports and see the photographs that encourage me to keep going back for more.


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## jongriff (May 16, 2012)

You da man!! put me to shame, I don't do sites with/ patrolled by security, just the easy ones but hey, not a risk taker but am happy with that & site I go to. first love is always the photography side of things.

Many thanks again


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## UEP-Wales (May 17, 2012)

I wouldn't say I was "da man" 



> ad·dic·tion /əˈdikSHən/
> Noun:	The fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.



I'm just a little addicted with the estate. I tend to try and ignore security at the best of times but at this estate (without sounding big headed) I know the ground very well, alot better than they do which really works in my favour. 

When I first started this I did try staying away from sites with security but to be honest, I enjoy it a little more now. It may sound bad but it really does add something to the thrill of exploring these amazing sites. Although I do like to remain a safe distance from metal thieves with knives but that's a whole different story!


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## SeffyboyUK (May 17, 2012)

Thanks for sharing dude!


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## zombizza (May 18, 2012)

commiserations


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## megaangelic (May 18, 2012)

It's such a shame, I went there about 2 months ago, (or so), I didn't go into many of the buildings after stumbling across a man "sleeping" with a needle still in him, in one of the stairwells, with there being just two of us, we thought it best to do interior exploring again when a few more of us could go... 

Wish we had just soldiered on now, but we did go in 6 or so, I was surprised about the duplex layout of the apartments... I was expecting single level apartments. 

I do think they built it the wrong way around, with the few residents of the large block getting the view, and nobody else.


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## UEP-Wales (May 18, 2012)

megaangelic said:


> It's such a shame, I went there about 2 months ago, (or so), I didn't go into many of the buildings after stumbling across a man "sleeping" with a needle still in him, in one of the stairwells, with there being just two of us, we thought it best to do interior exploring again when a few more of us could go...
> 
> Wish we had just soldiered on now, but we did go in 6 or so, I was surprised about the duplex layout of the apartments... I was expecting single level apartments.
> 
> I do think they built it the wrong way around, with the few residents of the large block getting the view, and nobody else.



That would probably explain why I found a needle on the floor then. Was the first one that I ever saw there too.

There is yet another block down now, they really are coming down quickly. If quick the site is still do-able, just watch the mental security (who are very funny if you can laugh at threats) and be careful - the site is a death trap now


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## TiJayLFS (May 19, 2012)

Always an interesting contrast looking at this place from Cardiff Bay. What are they building there? I'd assume premium apartments?


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## UEP-Wales (May 19, 2012)

TiJayLFS said:


> Always an interesting contrast looking at this place from Cardiff Bay. What are they building there? I'd assume premium apartments?



Take a look at this site - http://www.crestnicholson.com/penarthheights/.

This will show you everything


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## neoncity (May 21, 2012)

Great photos, as always 
Love the shot of you in the hoody, very dark!
Is a shame to see the place go down.


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## UEP-Wales (May 21, 2012)

neoncity said:


> Great photos, as always
> Love the shot of you in the hoody, very dark!
> Is a shame to see the place go down.



Thanks very much! 

The Billy Banks Estate is the place where I have put alot of my photography into practice, including my first night time shots. If I read about something on the net, that's the place where I would go to try it  There are worse looking estates in Cardiff and the Vale so I am sure something else will come up!


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