Popularity of this strange hobby.

[Mikeymutt]

I wonder how many stumbled into this as they were previously interested in exploring old railways, old mines etc but they were parts of another hobby? I was probably around 4 or 5 when my parents would stop off at old mine sites when we were on family holidays in Cornwall and by the age of 6 my parents had taken me to various accessible locations on old railway tracks.

Whilst I joined the web in the early days of the mid 1990s I only probably discovered the urbex sites and forums 10 years or so ago when I was looking up information on the history of a particular site - at the time I considered what I was doing to be Industrial Archaeology.

Funny you say that.i have an interest in World War Two.and was googling norfolk war stuff.came across this forum.and that was it.thats how it snowballed.but I have always tried to stay true to my roots.history has always been a big thing for me.

 

[MD]

Nah it isn't MD, look at all posts just this site gets in a month, all good stuff and the only reward they get or want is the thanks of their peers and they far outnumber the, :media shores:

you dont get what i mean, its easier to post pictures on to FB than make a report
plus people actually buy likes for their photography pages
its all quite sad, i like forums so long as your links stay up there will always be a record of the site you visited
FB you pictures get pushed down and forgotten by the next goon..

 

[smiler]

you dont get what i mean, its easier to post pictures on to FB than make a report
plus people actually buy likes for their photography pages
its all quite sad, i like forums so long as your links stay up there will always be a record of the site you visited
FB you pictures get pushed down and forgotten by the next goon..

I don't use Facebook, I may get my nosing about second-hand but I ain't sunk that low

 

[Gromr]

I have to confess I have posted a set of my pictures from one explore on the 28DL facebook page to see what would happen, and got a reasonable amount of responses too(Most of them asking for a location mind you).

The thing about it is that it feels more like a popularity contest rather than an appreciation of the historical aspects. Sure a lot of people love digging into the history and understanding the significance of somewhere. But for others i feel like its one big dick measuring contest about who did the 'coolest' explore and who is the most 'credible'.

Personally I love the photographic side of it. Urbex is certainly the major driver of my photography hobby, but I get to combine it with the thrill of exploring and learning new bits of history as I go.

It's a shame idiots are ruining it for everyone.

 

[SlimJim]

I think there are a fair few glory hunters about, no doubt. These people will always be around, but you don't have to take any notice of them. Every hobby has it's elite, self entitled types, I've seen it in many communities and on many forums. I'm not interested in keeping up with them or locking horns, it's more about pushing my own personal boundaries and putting together great trips with my mates. Saying that, there are a great many talented and well organised explorers out there. I admire them for their persistence and the lengths they'll go to, to have an ace experience and get some great shots...even if they are sometimes a bit twattish. The hobby can be a great amalgamation of things: photography, travel, camping, rope stuff, etc. More recently though it's been a couple of hours mooch on a Sunday for me - no time and no one to go out with. Generally the UK scene is pretty "loud" as Konrad said. I can see myself hitting more of Europe from time to time. Exploring is whatever you want it to be and whatever you make of it really.

 

[jhluxton]

I just thought I would share this photograph of myself in my early exploration days - 1965/6 taken at Giew Mine, Cornwall.



i was aged 5 or 6 the year either 1965 / 1966 taken by my mother on her Kodak 127 Brownie and extensively tweaked with Photoshop.

At the time I had wanted her to just photograph the Mine Engine House for me - but she insisted I had to be included so as "not to waste the photograph!".

It was to be at least 10 years before i was to learn the term "Industrial Archaeology" and probably 40 odd years before I was aware of "Urban Exploration"!

John

 

[gervansimon]

I just thought I would share this photograph of myself in my early exploration days - 1965/6 taken at Giew Mine, Cornwall.



i was aged(aged 5 or 6) the year either 1965 / 1966 taken by my mother on her Kodak 127 Brownie and extensively tweaked with Photoshop.

At the time I had wanted her to just photograph the Mine Engine House for me - but she insisted I had to be included so as "not to waste the photograph!".

It was to be at least 10 years before i was to learn the term "Industrial Archaeology" and probably 40 odd years before I was aware of "Urban Exploration"!

John

HAHAHA! 'Not to waste the photograph' That made me laugh- so typical of that generation

Sent from my Y635-L01 using Tapatalk

 

[jhluxton]

HAHAHA! 'Not to waste the photograph' That made me laugh- so typical of that generation

Sent from my Y635-L01 using Tapatalk

Yes it was so typical - how many interesting photos could have been taken of a variety of subjects if the "household authorities" had not objected to one taking photos of non - human subjects! Fortunately within a year or so I was to be given my own Kodak 127 Brownie which was better than my mothers - it actually shot square images and produced 12 images rather than the 8 per roll as was the case with my mother's camera. My Brownie also had film advance / shutter setting which my mother's older camera lacked which had resulted in many images being wasted by unintentional double or even triple exposures!

However, getting my own camera didn't free me up entirely from restrictions as parents still controlled the purse strings - but fewer people appeared in my photos after that. Around 10 years later when my grandfather lent me his 35mm camera I never looked back and film / processing worked out much cheaper too with 36 shots on a roll!

John

 

[Scattergun]

It's mainstream now. It used to be an underground thing, now you take the family out urbexing on a Sunday afternoon.

That'll be the new tagline. Couldn't be any truer.