As a few of you may be aware; myself, maniac and frosty had an 'interesting' experience last wednesday at inverkip powerstation. We had been traveling around Scotland and Inverkip was our next stop.
I woke up first, stretched along the back seat of Maniacs cavalier, it was about 3.30am, the time we had decided to start heading for inverkip (it was a 30 minute drive) so that we could be in before sunrise. I tried to wake maniac but was greeted with a pretty loud and angry "FUCK OFF". Hmm, it seemed he may still be a bit tired
. Anyway, fast forward a couple of hours of rather sketchy sleep, to me and frosty waking up properly and then finally managing to awaken the sleeping maniac.
After finally emerging from our sleeping bags we drove the 30 minutes to our parking spot, it was already getting light so we would have to be quick.
We got to our access hole in the fence that we had recce'd the night before and then up to our access point into the building itself.
Now, I seen big industry before, Stanton Iron Foundry, CWM Coke works etc, but this was something else. It was HUUUUUUGE!!!!! Absolutely massive.
We had planned to get in, spend a couple of hours there then move on to our next destination, it was nearly time to leave but we were determined to find the control room. We saw the lit stairwell but the door to it on that level was locked, we had to find a way around the locked door before we could get to it.
Myself and Frosty were stood near the top of the stairwell as maniac worked his way down to find the control room, after a couple of flights down we heard maniac "you better get your fucking arses down here!" We ran down the stairs nearly jumping each flight, through a door then around the corner, we saw maniac power walking up to a light switch then flicking it on, "clunk"... "Woah"
All the lights came on, illuminating the switchboards.
Anyway, will again fast forward about 20 minutes of drooling and shutter clicking...
We were so nearly out when we heard the voice from below.
"COME DOWN OFF THERE"
"Shit.."
We climbed down to meet the security guard. He seemed ok and we were just chatting to him as he escorted us to the security hut at the site entrance. He then informed us that the police had been notified and were on their way... oh great!
As we stood and waited in the security hut the first police car turned up, then another, and another until there was a grand total of 5 police cars and a van, ffs lol what a start to a day.
They came in and spoke briefly to us before telling us that we were being detained, not arrested, and taken back to the police station for further investigation.
I rode in front in a police car with two really friendly policemen who told me about local climbing spots and an abandoned train station whilst frosty and maniac came in the van.
We got to the police station where we were asked for all our details etc which was all good fun, including laughing at the insane number of middle names frosty has, I swear he makes em up
After this we were each put in a cell were we would end up staying for the next 6 hours. However the cells were surprisingly comfy compared to the back seat of a car and I was already fucked from exhaustion, so I slept for most of it.
After a couple of hours I was taken out of my cell for a full interview, they asked my stupid questions such as "did you intend to steal from inverkip power station"... "How many of these sorts of sites have you been to" etc etc.
I was then told that I was now under arrest, for section something, I can't actually remember what it was however I'm sure maniac can clarify. I was taken back to my cell for a bit before being finger printed and had my mugshots taken.
All the police up until this had been a friendly bunch, but these two were a bit blunt to say the least, I'm a photography student, but even so I think it may have been a mistake to start fiddling with the old school nikon film camera they were using for the mugshots, amazing bit of kit though haha.
I also had dna samples taken, then we were told that we were to be officially cautioned and that depending on how they write a letter (or something) to whoever it is that decides these things we may get a fine. However they said that they were satisfied that we were not there to steal and that they would try to be sympathetic in their letter writing skillz.
Eventually we were given back our shoes, belts and personal possessions along with our cameras and bags and told we were free to leave. However we were still a few miles from the car and there was no police car available to take us back, so we would have to make our own way back.
We walked out of the cop shop, and across the road to morrisons, where we spotted it...
"THREE HELD AFTER POLICE SWOOP ON POWER STATION
We had made fucking front page news!!!! Somehow in the time that we had been in the cell the article had been written, gone to print and arrived in the shop, my god that was quick. Nothing must ever happen here, and the article inside was pure genius, containing such legendary quotes as "the youths who call themselves 'urban exploration'".
I'm sure Maniac will get a scan up at some point. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, and not one I am going to forget. If your going to try inverkip my advice would be; if you see security.. fucking run, its just not worth staying around...
Shadow
I woke up first, stretched along the back seat of Maniacs cavalier, it was about 3.30am, the time we had decided to start heading for inverkip (it was a 30 minute drive) so that we could be in before sunrise. I tried to wake maniac but was greeted with a pretty loud and angry "FUCK OFF". Hmm, it seemed he may still be a bit tired
. Anyway, fast forward a couple of hours of rather sketchy sleep, to me and frosty waking up properly and then finally managing to awaken the sleeping maniac.After finally emerging from our sleeping bags we drove the 30 minutes to our parking spot, it was already getting light so we would have to be quick.
We got to our access hole in the fence that we had recce'd the night before and then up to our access point into the building itself.
Now, I seen big industry before, Stanton Iron Foundry, CWM Coke works etc, but this was something else. It was HUUUUUUGE!!!!! Absolutely massive.
We had planned to get in, spend a couple of hours there then move on to our next destination, it was nearly time to leave but we were determined to find the control room. We saw the lit stairwell but the door to it on that level was locked, we had to find a way around the locked door before we could get to it.
Myself and Frosty were stood near the top of the stairwell as maniac worked his way down to find the control room, after a couple of flights down we heard maniac "you better get your fucking arses down here!" We ran down the stairs nearly jumping each flight, through a door then around the corner, we saw maniac power walking up to a light switch then flicking it on, "clunk"... "Woah"
All the lights came on, illuminating the switchboards.
Anyway, will again fast forward about 20 minutes of drooling and shutter clicking...
We were so nearly out when we heard the voice from below.
"COME DOWN OFF THERE"
"Shit.."
We climbed down to meet the security guard. He seemed ok and we were just chatting to him as he escorted us to the security hut at the site entrance. He then informed us that the police had been notified and were on their way... oh great!
As we stood and waited in the security hut the first police car turned up, then another, and another until there was a grand total of 5 police cars and a van, ffs lol what a start to a day.
They came in and spoke briefly to us before telling us that we were being detained, not arrested, and taken back to the police station for further investigation.
I rode in front in a police car with two really friendly policemen who told me about local climbing spots and an abandoned train station whilst frosty and maniac came in the van.
We got to the police station where we were asked for all our details etc which was all good fun, including laughing at the insane number of middle names frosty has, I swear he makes em up
After this we were each put in a cell were we would end up staying for the next 6 hours. However the cells were surprisingly comfy compared to the back seat of a car and I was already fucked from exhaustion, so I slept for most of it.
After a couple of hours I was taken out of my cell for a full interview, they asked my stupid questions such as "did you intend to steal from inverkip power station"... "How many of these sorts of sites have you been to" etc etc.
I was then told that I was now under arrest, for section something, I can't actually remember what it was however I'm sure maniac can clarify. I was taken back to my cell for a bit before being finger printed and had my mugshots taken.
All the police up until this had been a friendly bunch, but these two were a bit blunt to say the least, I'm a photography student, but even so I think it may have been a mistake to start fiddling with the old school nikon film camera they were using for the mugshots, amazing bit of kit though haha.
I also had dna samples taken, then we were told that we were to be officially cautioned and that depending on how they write a letter (or something) to whoever it is that decides these things we may get a fine. However they said that they were satisfied that we were not there to steal and that they would try to be sympathetic in their letter writing skillz.
Eventually we were given back our shoes, belts and personal possessions along with our cameras and bags and told we were free to leave. However we were still a few miles from the car and there was no police car available to take us back, so we would have to make our own way back.
We walked out of the cop shop, and across the road to morrisons, where we spotted it...
"THREE HELD AFTER POLICE SWOOP ON POWER STATION
We had made fucking front page news!!!! Somehow in the time that we had been in the cell the article had been written, gone to print and arrived in the shop, my god that was quick. Nothing must ever happen here, and the article inside was pure genius, containing such legendary quotes as "the youths who call themselves 'urban exploration'".
I'm sure Maniac will get a scan up at some point. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, and not one I am going to forget. If your going to try inverkip my advice would be; if you see security.. fucking run, its just not worth staying around...
Shadow
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