# College of the Smethwicks : 2 visits in Feb 2013



## Mars Lander (Mar 1, 2013)

Didnt want last month to end on a sour note after the Bamber Bridge mill weekend, earlier in the month after our adventures with Perjury Saint darn sarfs, on way back home Ssshhh... and I thought we'd have a look at the Smethwick College and arranged to meet up with Luckypants near by it, we had good times but ran out of light so we planned another visit Andre Govia (big contributor of beauty in decay book 1) got wind and arranged to come along to with Odins Raven so of we trotted again it was another good day of 5 go ducking , diving , looling and secca dodging day 

We acted like photo tourists initilally as a guy was directly opposite our favoured point of entry and he was presently joined by a more world weary , beleagured looking gentleman, after a drawn out cig break, off they tootled but did walk past us and as they dissapeared, a quick turn round look back us. See ya.

++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACCESS ++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++

Once in the shelter of the college out of the body numbing cold we look to see the secca's crapavan abode complete with noisy generator keeping him warm , whilst the rush of being on a splore keeps us warm....ish 





Its a pretty good mooch , theres plenty to see and enough variety to make it a worthwhiler.





its only a few moments in when we see the 2 chappies again Andre gives a friendly clap on the back to the younger guy and we walk past, I feel I must add here, if you plan on visiting here and I do reccomend , i'd say numbers maybe important the younger guys older comrade looked decidely desperate to say the least and there was a certain air in the air of which we would learn later...

Out of the comprehensive school type bit which also houses the labs and that, we want to get to the nice domey skylight bit so on we go... to the nice tiley adjourned parts





Just before the dome the projector room and the noise of the generator doesn't get much louder from here...  no need to say anything more about that you get the picture





a rather nice set of stairs at the main event





I'll leave the epic gound floor full on dome shot for Luckypants to post later on.

From the upper floor of it





Making a cube out of it all





I suggest we make an album and with that we head for the studio...( I meant photo album)

Look at all them knobs....hey steady ...we not upto that bit yet





When you think that this is left to rot or be pissed on makes you think





in the one of the soundproofed rooms





My offer to render Beethovens opening trills to the 5th symphony is largely met with disinterest, if only my new fellow splorers knew, i can...not the rest tho. 





This waste of the baby grand was enough and then this... I leaned it back against the wall from its face down position , what with the massive desk, the studio specced piano then this a half inch tape , 16 track multitracker Fostex G16, this is insane probably every album you heard upto the late 90's nineties would of been mastered on this goliath or a lesser version, why didnt the council donate it to some youth group or a charity or sell it to help fund the next ill fated council whim, this on the floor with the back which someone had tried to peel off , mental!! Sure its analogue and not digital but this baby could fly up against most trackkers today and now.....soaked inside with what appears to be piss. An outrage and silly.





After some crew shots Andre and Odin leave apparently they have to photo hands elsewhere we bid them farewell and carry on into the decline of educations





Copius amounts of trampery abound here and there





There are few gyms in here i counted 54 of them I mean 2 , one good and wholesome like this and one, well hmmm.





STANDBY URBEX CHAIR SHOT!!! 






Lets go in search of labs and stuffage, down this lovely muted light , tiled, buidling snake connection





one of the highlights of being here is the secca man, you can dial in your comfort level from keeping away from him or practically walking over his head and being in full view of the opposite police station
..jinks of high





Whilst searching for the labs we came right out of the building and as i was about to get back in , the younger 'resident' smiles and opens 'something' making our previous access look ridiculous he's got this place sewn up and customised to his liking and ease.

We exchange nods and smiles to go into 'this' other part , whilst I am taking this shot , Sssshhh is taking a shot in room behind me a kind of changing room and Luckypants is in the another gym.

_Sometimes I can spend 20 mins getting a shot of a staircase, pondering over how i can capture it best and toy with angles and stuff then as I walk off I'll look up and spot the most immense skylight , i say this to illiustrate I get too preoccupied with shots sometimes to notice other things..._





...it takes Ssshhh and Luckypant to literally point at them all, all over the bleedin place, masses of spent johnnies and brown stained bogroll , from the nature of this 'debris' we are in the epicentre of a place that is no longer used to attain physical fitness but that of one that is now used for all manner of repeated acts of an alltogether unseemly and seedy nature, Ssshhhh.. counts them but i dont want to know exact numbers and a quick look at the bottom of our footwear reveals that we were lucky at negotiating this impromtu, biological , rubber minefield.

Not sure if it was cos of all the above and the fact of finding some rather large oversized lightbulbs but together it prompted Luckypants and I to have a Bulb Off and with that , we left this part, I wouldnt want to see any time lapse photography output in here , i can tell you 

Look no hands i win.. yay 





We leave this unclean arena and to the labs...





Multiple instances of flaskery





we continue ever upward





until finally





We pass signs of redundant periodic tables and finish our day through a thoughtfully, left open roof door to see a wonderful sunset on virgin snow , all thoughts of ongoing furtive heinious acts carried out a hundred feet below have gone far from our minds.





Until that is as we walk a good quarter mile away on way back to the car a certain smiling cheeky chappie, gives us a wave as we pass on by.

Thanks for looking and lookout for Luckypants' piktooors and maybe Ssshhh...'s too if she can catch up with her pikkies ​


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## thebeachedwattle (Mar 1, 2013)

I predict a thread full of win here.

Top photos from what looks like a top two days out... nicely rounded off with _that_ sunset 

Looking forward to the others to show.


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## UE-OMJ (Mar 1, 2013)

That last pic is stunning. Great photos and report as always. Cheers


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## sonyes (Mar 1, 2013)

Brilliant pics and fantastic report, sounds like you had a blast!


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## Lucky Pants (Mar 1, 2013)

As always SUPER pictures and report Alt and great to meet odin`s raven and Andre Govia .






























































Super days out with great company Sshhhh... AltDayOut odin`s raven and Andre Govia .

Thanks for taking the time to look ​


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## Mars Lander (Mar 1, 2013)

Yaybas great stuff , excellent set and the DOME shot awesomeness !!


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## Sshhhh... (Mar 1, 2013)

Cracking shots there from both of you! Great write up Alt, nearly peed myself laughingA great day with fab company. Oh,I think I counted ten! Not got many pics from here ready, so you all have to make do with my measly contribution!
















Thanks for looking ​


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## Mars Lander (Mar 1, 2013)

Really nice , glad you put some in the pool , real sweet piks


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## Lucky Pants (Mar 1, 2013)

Superb pics Sshhhh...

Counting condoms Ha Ha could have made a collage picture or a wanted poster for crimes against bum holes .


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## Sshhhh... (Mar 1, 2013)

Lucky Pants said:


> Superb pics Sshhhh...
> 
> Counting condoms Ha Ha could have made a collage picture or a wanted poster for crimes against bum holes .



Would definately need the marigolds for that!


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## MrDan (Mar 1, 2013)

Looking at this makes me so gutted that sweet_pea and I failed here back in December.
Would have absolutely loved to have seen some of the things in this report, certainly some things here that I've not seen in previous reports.
As OMJ said, that last shot is amazing Alt, and yours too Lucky.


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## Silent Hill (Mar 1, 2013)

Man that processing makes me want to step into my screen 

I'm really lost for words. Will thanks be ok 

And in the words of Oliver Twist.... "Please sir, I want some more"


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## MCrosbie (Mar 1, 2013)

Very nicely covered, some lovely shots peeps  need to do this one my self before its demoed!


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## perjury saint (Mar 1, 2013)

*Yep, thatll do VERY nicely!! Ace pix from you all (especially the roof shot) and, as usual, brilliant write up from ALT! 
Fantastic splore this place is!! SEE YER SOOOON!!!! *


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## thebeachedwattle (Mar 1, 2013)

Agreed, moar good stuff here.

Lucky Pants, after the build up of the dome shot, you got anything bigger? With the cloud detail, I don't believe you've done it justice. We all need to see it larger. Pretty pwease


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## Lucky Pants (Mar 2, 2013)

This one ?



Dome shot.


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## thebeachedwattle (Mar 2, 2013)

Nah, the first one, looking directly up to the dome, bottom centre of the montage. Sorry, should have been clearer. That looks belting large tho'


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## PROJ3CTM4YH3M (Mar 2, 2013)

Nice work guys so many amazing photos its hard to choose favourites


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## Lucky Pants (Mar 2, 2013)

Sorry for the delay had to upload it​


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## thebeachedwattle (Mar 2, 2013)

Awesome. I was right, so we both win. 

Cheers.


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## Lucky Pants (Mar 2, 2013)

thebeachedwattle said:


> Awesome. I was right, so we both win.
> 
> Cheers.



Guess so cool


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## Ramsgatonian (Mar 2, 2013)

I adore the tiling in this place, it looks fantastic in the photographs...


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## flyboys90 (Mar 2, 2013)

I hope this place never gets trashed its such a superb building,great photos from all of you thanks for sharing.


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## Menzo1982 (Mar 2, 2013)

absolutley astonishing pics pal great work,


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## ZerO81 (Mar 2, 2013)

This people is a most excellently put together report - congratulations to all!


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## sj9966 (Mar 2, 2013)

Nicely done guys!


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## mrtoby (Mar 2, 2013)

banging pics from all of you. I need to get there asap.


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## steve2109 (Mar 2, 2013)

Simply stunning reports and pictures by all of you, I always look out for your stuff and you never disappoint ! Thanks


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## Mars Lander (Mar 3, 2013)

Thanks lots all, for your wonderful comments and feedback on our joint efforts , its much appreciated


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## shatners (Mar 3, 2013)

Amazing pictures from the three of you  I never did find the labs having been rudely interupted by a giddy police spaniel lol


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## peterc4 (Mar 4, 2013)

spot on gents looks like a cool place, so many good pics well done..


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## j-dawg (Mar 17, 2013)

Me and my group are looking to hit this place up in the next few weeks  any tips on getting inside? Fantastic report by the way, the photos are stunning


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## mookster (Mar 18, 2013)

j-dawg said:


> Me and my group are looking to hit this place up in the next few weeks  any tips on getting inside? Fantastic report by the way, the photos are stunning



Go and find out, you won't get any help in public especially as you've only got one post...get out there and do stuff then people will be more willing to help


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## j-dawg (Mar 22, 2013)

I just joined this site because I've only just managed to get my group together, I understand what you're saying though, I just REALLY don't want our first explore to go badly for us. But whatever, point taken.


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## Simon_sanigar (Mar 23, 2013)

Excellent work there mate! Thanks for sharing


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## Derelict-UK (Mar 23, 2013)

Great pictures, love the roof snow one.

BTW, there was only one gym, the other one you found (blueish kind of room) was a foundry for the more hands on students.

I did a course there back in 2010, it was a lovely place to learn, even if the cafe was shit after 6pm lol



j-dawg said:


> I just joined this site because I've only just managed to get my group together, I understand what you're saying though, I just REALLY don't want our first explore to go badly for us. But whatever, point taken.



Unless things have changed recently, this is possibly one of the easiest places to get into.


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## Simon_sanigar (Mar 23, 2013)

Great stuff


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## Ninja Kitten (Mar 26, 2013)

BEST report to come from this place!!!!!


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## TeeJF (Mar 26, 2013)

Very nice indeed. It looks a great explore too. Well done one and all.


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