Tales of the Urban Explorer: Stanley Tools

'We snuck up like thieves; thieves intent on capturing images and nothing material.'

“There are a lot of vehicles up there”, I quizzed @anidiotexplores with a frown.

The cars and vans were all present on Google Maps as well as being presented to our eyes, but we had other plans such as entering through the back. That information can also be discovered pre-explore.

...'Stanley Tools when it was operational. You can see the hideous yellow and blue building (above) on the extreme right of this image'... - Source

The Stanley Knife is kind of famous in the UK and made by none other than 'Stanley Tools' or it used to be. Cheap imports killed this one thriving business that closed in 2008.

Since then the plant has become increasingly derelict over the years attracting many an Urban Explorer. Today it was our turn. More historical information can be found here.

“Stanley Tools’ was supposed to be derelict, but over caution is a boon and one of the reasons I have still not encountered any police in over 400 explores.

The site looked enormous and this blue and yellow monstrosity in front of us was in a poor state but bore no visible holes…, yet.

First, we had to get past all this shit, but shit can be useful for masking an approach. Those old skips could be hidden behind if there was someone up there.

Sneaking around the back, and trying to avoid the many vines intent on tripping me up we were rewarded with a comforting sight. This was not going to be a fail, but inside could well be a pile of crap.

Having climbed the handy pallet and opted to go the low route we entered into a large room littered with mostly junk.

‘Zombie School’, hmmm, now what’s going on here?

Both of us were extra quiet as several white vans were close by and if a supposed worker was present eating his bacon sandwiches for lunch, we could be heard unless, of course, he was having a wank for dessert.

…' that type of concentration could well mask out everything else including
clumping boots from up above’…

"Shhhhh", I silently mouthed to @anidiotexplores who was descending lower down. We couldn't hear anything, not the chomping of jaws, the sound of a radio, or someone concentrating too much on their copy of Playboy.

On the way down I was treated to a little decent art. Like everywhere else, a substantial percentage was pure crap.

Wow, he’s decent, and definitely a Zombie. My thoughts went back to the paper I found on the upper floor. Was there a connection?

Where do all the tyres come from? It was looking more like a derelict mill than what appeared to be an office block from the outside.

A hastily written ‘Fire Exit’. Surely not a valid real one when this place was operational?

More tyres and not the type bought from your local Halfords. These ones are guaranteed worn, bald, and illegal.

What’s down there, bars of glittering silver? I think not.

Some more artwork…, but nothing particularly outstanding.

I was starting to think that “Stanley Tools” had changed direction in their waning years and had become “Stanley Tyres”.

‘Bravo’, so what happens when you pass through the door?

Some strange people have visited "Stanley Tools", I would not think the bible basher types would preach their beliefs in such a destructive manner.

@anidiotexplores (in the distance) gapes and marvels at the very average graffiti presented to him, or was he just having a piss?

Oooh… very nice but what fuck is it? Some type of mechanical monster hybrid that’s about to eat a poor rabbit come cat; great imagination.

Ahh, it's one of those weird Zombie Massacre places. The paper, the other artwork, was starting to become a little clearer. I don't know why running around pretending to be a Zombie could be fun. Am I missing something?

Was all the artwork for the benefit of the runners who were about to become infected? How do you become infected anyway?

Is it a dog, a hound, or a beast from Zombieland?

I peered out of the window and stared at those vans. Was there anyone out there, had the masturbating, bacon butty devourer left, or was he a figment of our imagination?

It was all so quiet, as Bjork sings. Too quiet, and as we had finished with this building it was time to say, ‘fuck it’, let’s go outside.

Still creeping about I spotted what looked like 'Stanley' etched into the badly coloured zombie-building. It looks more like 'The Stanley'.

From this angle, it was apparent that all the creeping about had been unnecessary. As well as much junk to be found in the many skips outside, the vehicles were hardly serviceable.

At the same time “Stanley Tools” fled their premises they decided to leave half a dozen vehicles; a strange concept.

The Vauxhall Corsa on the left looks perfectly fine and must belong to somebody. @anidiotexplores by now had given up any pretence of subterfuge and casually walked past the lot of them.

As did I.

What I don’t understand is why we didn’t explore the huge building to the right of this scene. It could have been sealed, or we could have had enough by this time.

Maybe a return trip to view the rest could be on the cards for the next Sheffield trip.

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