[dobbin]

If you've been to the Foundry recently you might have noticed a photo of Seb climbing the back of the city hall ballroom, nice photo too, black and white, looks a bit like a guardian cover - you get the picture. Anyway, I was on the bus tonight coming out of Sheffield city centre and I was gazing out of the window (as you do) and I spied that 60's monolith at the bottom of Ecclesall Road, on the other side to Safeways, opposite it on the roundabout - no windows, no signs, just these amazing concrete ribs running vertically down the sides - it looks ace. I wondered:-

A) What is it?

B) Has it ever been climbed? (it looks like it'd go but be quite hard)

Clearly I should point out that neither I, the webmaster of this site or its host condone the climbing of buildings, Alain Robert or his choice of pants. Some people take chatrooms too seriously...  :wink:

[Bubba]

Ah ha! You mean this little beauty (!) :



One of the ugliest buildings in Sheffield, and that's saying something. For years I wondered what was housed in this mysterious horror, but it's just a boring old electricity substation. But the strangest thing is that apparantly it's a listed building  :shock:

Go on Dobbin, get it climbed! I'm sure the police won't bat an eyelid - you could wear an "I luv Osama" t-shirt or something to encourage press-coverage  :wink:

[Avoiding the Traitor]

Or "I support Saddam"

[Bubba]

Oh fuck, we've got a thread with the words Osama and Saddam in it - FBI men in black will be casting their steely gaze over us shortly - oh shit, now it says FBI too!

Don't mention drugs or terrorism please...Doh!

[Avoiding the Traitor]

Anyway I've walked past this building every morning and night, looked fun and would love to try.

[dave]

When i was a student, i was constantly tortured by having to look at this beauty and know that if i even tried to climb it i would be immediatly kicked out of uni:



Which is a shame, cos i recon it would go.

[Bubba]

yeah, there's lots of churchy type things that would go - wasn't it "mad like dog too long in sun" John Redhead that did Sheffield cathedral?

I know the old church on Cemetry Rd has been climbed too.

Bet there's a lot of scary, friable rock on some of those old spires though...

[Bubba]

Actually, it was Norwich cathedral that Redhead climbed, can't remember who did Sheffield - think it may have been Tom Proctor (?)

[dave]

Didn't Redhead have a toss in the belfry of that cathedral? what a nice chap.

[Bubba]

I can imagine him doing that, he's a twisted muthafucka....

I remember when I was a young impressionable youth hanging out in 'Beris and ended up belaying him on some route he was trying on the Grochan. He was a very nice bloke but had the mad glint of a true nutter...he also told us nasty stories about why "Womb bits" was so named, etc.

What really did it for me though was driving back down through Nant Peris at about 70mph with him and I think it was Bob Drury, when all of a sudden he let go of the steering wheel, turned to me in the back of the car and said "you drive". Aaaaggghhhh!!! I shat it but had to steer for a while as they pissed themselves laughing...