Explorers: j3bu, bungle666, Thompski

Woah, this one was pretty ontop. Especially as the explorers that went a few days after us got a visit from the police, ah well least they got to see it.

The Midland Bank building (later to become HSBC) was designed in 1928 by Edwin Lutyens as a classic art deco building. It was constructed between 1933 and 1935. It is a Grade II listing building and is quite eccentric, surrounded on all sides by roads and featuring a central courtyard which is inaccessible except from through windows.  John Ashton Floyd provided many carving throughout. The carvings on the roof which would be unseen from street level and even from inside the building are quite spectacular.

In the mid 1990′s the midland bank was taken over by HSBC however many features of the building still remind you that you are in a midland bank. The banisters on the stairs still feature a “M.B.” motif.

On the 6th of June 2008 the King Street branch closed its doors as a bank for the very last time as HSBC relocated their Manchester branch to St Ann’s Square, it is unknown what the building will now be used for.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia.org

Explorers: j3bu, anclove

As part of our Leeds road trip we couldn’t help but drop in on Leeds International Swimming Pool.

Opening in 1967 and closing some 40 years later in October 2007 Leeds International Baths as it came to be known was an intitial failure after it became apparent it was inches short of being an olympic sized pool although this proved not to be a crushing blow after it was reported that the baths were used by half the population of Leeds (220,000) however after this first realisation more cracks began to show. The buildings spent much of their early days closed, being repaired and alterations being made. The architect John Poulson was convicted in 1974 of fraud in connection with the awarding of building contracts.

Overall a cracking place that is soon to no longer exist.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia.org

Memories of the pool

Explorers: j3bu, anclove

Opening in 1857 as “Leeds Reformatory for Boys” but later becoming “Eastmoor Approved School”. Originally when it was operating as “Leeds Reformatory for Boys” a child under 14 would be sent here for ‘crimes’ such as:

• Begging
• Wandering
• Consorting with thieves
• Prostitution

However when it began operating as “Eastmoor Approved School” and later “”Eastmoor Secure Unit” it began to house criminals of a more devious nature including Jon Venables (One of Jamie Bulger’s killers)

After it was closed as a childrens home it was used as a university campus by the University of Leeds up until 2003 when a new campus was opening.

Buildings included a swimming pool, dentists, church (later used as a gym), laundry and of course staff housing.

Further Reading:

No further reading.

Explorers: j3bu, Thompski

In 1891 thirteen quarries within the Buxton Derbyshire area amalgamated. By Buxton Lime Firms Co Ltd, were mining 360,000 tons of Limestone and producing 280,000 tons of Lime from their 1522 acres of land, 3 Collieries, 89 lime kilns and 21 large stone crushers. They continued to flourish and bought and established nine more quarries in the following 20 years.
In 1918 John Brunner & Ludwig Mond were so dependent on the BLF limestone he bought into the company and by 1926 had full ownership. With the merger of all of the businesses I.C.I. was formed.

A crazy explore. Never before have I ever thought I was in an episode of Lost.

Futher Reading:

Buxton Advertiser.co.uk