Finally! Saint Joseph's Seminary Upholland June 2013

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Mars Lander

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I am now Mars Lander as I must cast off my former name, I was never to keen on it anyhow and now is as good a time so to celebrate let me share with you some EPIC!!

3 years ago when we first really started to get into the whole explore thing, we looked for things pretty close to home. We came across Saint Jo's Seminary Upholland, little realising at the time what the state of play was, Luckypants and I waltzed around like true beginners . I pressed my face right up to the security unit window looking in, no one at home (he was actually asleep) , me waving at all the CCTVs thinking they were all fake and props to deter the casual visitor. Oh no's as I doubled back to make sure we were in the clear, as we were about to test an entry , he appeared from nowhere. He was a big fella with scars on his forehead, he was ok tho , despite us asking for him to let us in, he walked us off the grounds saying we had disturbed his sleep, as he was warned of our presence from HQ haha.

After having seen what I saw , it never went away, I researched more and more, info was sketchy, hardly anyone had been in, cctvs everywhere outside and IN, Mr big secca man/mans, alarms throughout and occasional police dog training sessions, this one was gonna be one tough cookie.

Many more quick running into the grounds to see what's happening off again, as the cameras clocked me, and finally it was time. Me and a none explorer who's arm was well twisted up his back after I had mithered him half to death to come with me, such a good friend indeed is he to brave this the most intimidating of adventures.....we failed!!! and went to Pool Parc instead haha.

Fast forward to another recce recently Luckypants and I were itching to get in like looonies, finally a breakthrough ( not literally before you shout OI!! ) we had a way in and ran off to make plans.....and plan we did.

Ladies and Gentleman of all the Saint Joseph's in the UK this is the DADDY of them all, probably the finest explore the North West can muster up presenting to you....

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Going here you have to potentially go suicidal splore..i.e. get in and get caught and hopefully see as much and get as many piks as you can, I had a plan to try and prolong our visit and even as a bonus not get caught. I did goto Camelot a 5th time after all to show Andre Govia around and he warned me not to go too, as one of his comrades spent 6 hours in the cells and was accused of breaking things?? But we JUST had to see.

This place was once a priest college and had the distinction of having Johnny Vegas as a former pupil haha.

it also boasted at one time its own observatory , sadly the telescope is gone and the dome is in a bad state of repair, our crew assembles for the crew show immediately this could be the only shot as it were.

All up for the big day was Luckypants, ProjectMayhem , PerjurySaint and myself

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I wondered if Johnny himself had leafed thru this very ...good book.

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Navigating this place was gonna tricky not going into details but its not exactly a sunday stroll any means and its absolutely HUGEOUS with copious amounts of unchavved nicety and little architectural ornateness this place KIN rocks check out his iron flower of a staircase..am sure Luckypants and PerjurySaint will supply the more vertical viewpoint I gotta admit I was engrossed and bewildered with it all, I kept pinching Luckypants I can't believe we are ins St Jo's ...well I pinched him once. haha

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I wondered if we had been successful 3 years ago if the library would of been better stocked..

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no books just...dead things, I recreated my version of that thing out of Jason and the Argonauts, that he has to kill to get the golden fleece, St Jo's was my golden fleece ! , as I take this photograph , I think of that bell at the end of the said film and quote him aloud " ...arise children of the teeth (beaks) , kill them, KILL THEM ALL!" This had PerjurySaint quite bemused.

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down lengthy dark passageways we come across one of the most bizarre rooms outside of Furhouse more dead things but still in their skins as it were...

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Sadly there must of been heavyhandness as heads were off on some, most unseemly uncalled for and decidedly unsavoury I recreate a bird zombie attack and unleash it here on the internets so they might live once more ,digitally momentarily on your screenz arrrrrrrrr s e

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Other exhibits included this scene from the film "Finding Nemo" a nice normal looking starfish, one covered in unpleasantness in the form of mould and a multifingered mutant, alas none were of the chocolate species

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Time moves and so do we excitedly let' s explore some more.

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corridors like the above and then large expanses...

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everything is so much different and unpredictable...as you suddenly see this out of the blue a rather large confessional room , I wonder if Johnny off loaded any unclean thoughts in here.

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Nothing a cold shower wont put out, but remember Johnny you know how some priests are, so don't bend down for the soap.

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Ok enough already with the Johnny thing, I know of something we must see the fabulous statues...We had seen them ages ago but working out how to get to them was quite a puzzle...a well deserved break here with drinks and nuts we need energy we been in here for hours by now.

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upward and onward what else does this place possess, altho many items are long gone there are a few artefacts remaining besides the stuffed birds and hamsters some internal organs

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the building is mostly in good nick but it is starting to deteriorate in parts mainly thru water damage, I wonder why the guy in Ireland who owns the place doesn't do anything withit, as I take this picture the dramas begin ...

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Luckypants and I hear fast approaching vehicle as it distrupts the gravel path just outside.. we gather together make for our stringency plan for evasion, we spy a look to see where the secca van is but oh dear it aint secca...the calvary has arrived complete with dog unit...thoughts of the paw prints we saw on our way in come to mind, we wait for a LOONG time and ascertain that it's just an impromptu training session, ah well sunbathe times...

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...Later we find more aceness grand corridors with fungi the size of tables and random religious artefacts

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more randomness a massive billiard table with scrabble letters on...

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Some of our party wander into the danger zone and the most awful alarm wailing ever!! I mean that loud it really is unbearable and it's a major shock to the senses literally, we run about like those headless birds in the attic , regroup and spend more time in anxiousness

We've had a good run , there is a lot more to see , but shall leave that to my comrades who will add or make their own reports on this massive and most delightful of explores, i'll leave you with Adolf...

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Just as we are about to embark on our departure ProjectMayhem spots a guy walking a dog with a camera, he points it at the building to take a picture , I wonder when he gets home and looks at his photo whether he spots us in the top window doing the metal salute haha :)

We escape into the sunlight and make haste with our images , leaving 11 hours later with Saint Joseph's screaming, alarmingly loud into the summer afternoon air.

Thanks for looking and hope you enjoyed my recount of one of the best explores I've been on and thanks to Luckypants, ProjectMayhem and PerjurySaint for being such wonderful team players and amazing friends.​
 
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This is full of epicness! by far one of the best days out I've ever had! Great work with the report and the photos! You did well with the dead stuff! I really wasn't feeling it in that room! Glad I managed to get a few zzzz's in though paid off later in the day :D
 
This is full of epicness! by far one of the best days out I've ever had! Great work with the report and the photos! You did well with the dead stuff! I really wasn't feeling it in that room! Glad I managed to get a few zzzz's in though paid off later in the day :D

same as mate!!!!, just wish Sshhhh... could of made it too , would then of been perfection :)
 
An intriguing text on friday night (wanna go epic shag?) had me hotfooting it in a northerly direction in the wee hours... With a small team assembled we were off to crack a right 'hard nut'! I was giving it 60/40 with the odds stacked against success!
Against the odds and 12 hours later, we emerged with the LOUDEST alarm known to man ringing in our ears!!
Not gonna top this un for a fair bit me thinks!!
Ace company, MANY sniggers and some jaw droppin' sights!!
Heres a few of me piccies...





























Right then Mr Lander... We best get off and find another impossibly hard nut eh? :)
 
You lot realy do go to extremes with your locations,and seem to be steps ahead of the rest...both sets of photos are amazing...Alts quality report,great pics,and P.S"s pics are of the highest quality...hats off....can you improve on this???I doubt,but im sure you will...nice touch with the hitler room :)
 
Oh just wow this is full of awesomeness and beauty! Love the stained glass window...love it all in fact. I'll be honest here though, your Jason and the Argonauts reference had me bemused also. I read 'arse children' not 'arise' about 5 times ;))) yeah we had no tv back in the day I am not familiar with Jason or his Argonauts.... bloody amazing place and super impressed by your bravery I would've shit it big time...dogs...alarms....cops....ugh. Impromptu sun snooze sounds nice too :)
 
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