Tales of the Urban Explorer: United Flags and Flagstaffs

It did not look particularly inviting. I had expected nothing as is generally the case when noticing something suspect while trawling through Google maps in ‘earth’ view. It had looked overgrown, and that was enough.

We had ambled down a cobbled back street in full view of some old bloke who was sitting outside a coffee shop looking quite suspicious. He was watching, we were sure.

"If this was not full of grease paint I still wouldn't be vaulting over it", I mentioned to @anidiotexplores who was already climbing the grassy bank looking for an alternative entrance.

That was some spiky gate and not caring to look behind to see what coffee-drinker was doing I followed my comrade up the bank and scouted around. It did not take long to notice a very convenient hole cut in in the fence.

Whatever this was, it looked like a shit-hole, and there was no way in through the 'dangerous building' large door or via the windows due to iron bars being in the way.

’United Flags And Flagstaffs’ are still trading from a different office in another nearby town. It appears they got tired of this one, uprooted, and moved eight or nine miles east.

We made our way under this makeshift bridge marvelling at the sights entering our vision. Talk about a photography fest, I couldn’t wait to get started.

It used to be some kind of office but was now very open to the elements. A few more years of the UK’s bad weather and it would look very different.

I did look through the cupboards but guessed we were not the first uninvited guests.

It was not long before I saw this and the former company was revealed. It’s not tough to find but I am not blatantly giving the location away.

I get the impression they moved out just before Christmas, or after and could not be arsed to remove the decorations.

How long it has been empty is unanswered, I suspect several years but not a decade.

The Land Rover does not give much away. It is dated 2009 but that means little.

As this visit was made in January, it was freezing and everything I touched was either sodden or damp.

Amongst the collapsed ceiling and abandoned belongings, I spotted some flags.

Always focus on the centre; the rest can be blurred for all I care.

At first glance, it seems there might be a decent amount of junk to trawl though, but most was buried beneath the collapsed roof, or disgustingly soggy to the touch.

The whiteboard shows what was happening before 'United Flags And Flagstaffs' vacated for pastures new.

'Green Flag Stock' it says, with reference to many international countries below. Could it be they were making lots of flags of the world? There’s a market I suppose but it doesn’t strike me as a large one.

Did the ghetto blaster still work? If there was a power socket close by, I would have tried it.

No protection is required anymore, except for perhaps my shoes which were a little wet.

The shelving that used to house flags; it’s now sharing the area with walled ivy.

Tyres, they get everywhere. If there is none, some generate from thin air.

From this end of the building, we gained access to the other side of the 'dangerous building' door. It was a large warehouse type of room. One has to expect flags in some form.

There could have been valuables if you like to rummage. I’m not here for that.

Looking out from the warehouse to the outside; thankfully we saw no cop cars, or armed officers ready to arrest us.

One room was so collapsed, @anidiotexplores decided to veto it. I didn’t and struggled to get through loose timbers and unstable flooring to access the office containing the bars.

…'there's always something good in offices..., isn't there?'…

Scrambling up and over beams, this was my prize, the big boss's office. Was it worth it?

I can surmise that the boss man liked watching videos while his staff was hard at work. It sounds about right.

The Muppet Show, Harry Potter, and Blind Terror, that's quite a mix.

If that was once a picture on the wall, it’s a little undecipherable now.

A jealous @anidiotexplores snaps me while I am having all the fun. The boss's office was something to behold.

It felt like being in jail, what if there was a fire? Bossman would surely fry alive like some middle age witch on a stake.

Backtracking and not looking forward to it at all, I made my way out.

How do you get past things like this? You twist your body around the beams like a lap dancer and try to not touch them.

What you see is the ceiling. One heavy touch and you're going to get crushed under all that wood. Nails sticking out and in you, are yet another hazard.

'Danger Fragile Roof'. I love the warning signs, danger little roof left might be more apt.

We left ‘United Flags And Flagstaffs' thinking that was not bad for a maybe. @anidiotexplores is still regretting not making it into Boss Mans's office.

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