Alexander Drew, Rochdale - March 08

Bungle pointed this place out to me the other week on the way back from Halifax, 'used to be a bus depot, empty now', sadly it was getting on for 1am and I was rather tired and wanted to get home (a good forty-five minute/hour drive from the Bunglehaus).

So, anyway, I get a Bungletext, 'what time you finish work today?', me, 'about 1ish, what you got in mind?'

Bungle 'something filthy and industrial, that place in Rochdale', 'I'll be round yours for 2' says I.

We arrived and found access, initially I wasn't really feeling the place, but as we made our way further into the site it just KEPT on giving, there was so much stuff lying around it was incredible and the place is absolutely HUGE!

Alexander Drew were a textile printers employing 120 people until they put themselves into administration in 2003. Its fabric range included germ and fungal-resistant fabrics, tobacco-resistant fabric and AromaPrint, a development, which allowed fabrics to be imprinted with particular smells such as freshly cut flowers.

I loved every minute we spent here (apart from the minute I stepped in something foul, of the human variety ).

The place is stunning and really needs to be seen to be believed, there is just SO much stuff, it's fantastic, put it on your to do lists, it's great!

The pics.













This room was fantastic, two double rows of hangers, each must have been forty feet long with fabric samples of all varieties.







More samples...



Lovely Victorian-ish tiles in the reception area...



This is a popular saying in Rochdale and can be dropped into a casual conversation thusly..

Bungle: Hey, Mendo, how's tricks?

Mendo: Not too bad, Bungle son, although I think I may be narcoleptic..

Bungle: Narcoleptic, eh? You been to the doctor, what's he said?

Mendo: He said I need to have some blood tests and that life is Justine's buttocks.

Bungle: Buttocks, you say?

Mendo: Yeah, Justine's buttocks, doesn't look good to be honest.

Bungle: Nah, I had Justine's buttocks a while back, was off work for two weeks.









I love this picture, I'm just annoyed that it was Bungle who thought about doing it!! lol



Myself and the Bungle (of Rainbow fame) up on the roof.



A great explore, loved it!

TnM

Wow, that looks great. I just love those fabric samples...think I'd be there for a week taking pics of those!
Those tiles are lovely.
Great explore.

You and me both Foxy lol.

What a huge place, really love those tiles, and really liked the former mill wheel with the date on, not seen that before.

Can't believe all those fabric samples, i'd be in my element with all those.

Cheers,

Sal

mendo pretty much has the description sorted so ill just my days pics













this was the base of the original mill chimmney












it was enjoyable afternoons mooch around cheers mendo,


bungle

Excellent pics, bungle. Good to see more of this great-looking explore.

Where's the video? I'm gonna go on the X factor with my roll of fabric, I'll wow them with my cat like skills of falling off a roll of fabric!! Get it sorted B, was a cracking explore this.

TnM

Supoib, more industrial goodness.

Those pikeys on the roof look well dodgy though.

romanian1 said:

Supoib, more industrial goodness.

Those pikeys on the roof look well dodgy though.

Click to expand...

I'll be honest, Si, you would love this place. A revisit is in order. The pikey on the right was dodgy as fook, the one on the left was OK though.

TnM

ooooooooooooh bungle, you've found the other part to the official dp meet accommodation lol. We can attach the caravan to the motorhome we found at the navigation colliery at crumlin, then we're sorted lmao.

sorry, just ignore me lol, should be in bed lol.

really do like the look of this place, im definitely up for exploring it when i come up manchester way soon.

cheers guys,

Sal

Nice find, looks like the BNP have been squatting there too!

Count me in for a look round next time anybody goes, im just round the corner from it.

cool, nice shots!