Tales of the Urban Explorer: Aladdin's Cave

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(Edited)

I had a look on Google to find something about ‘Aladdin's Cave'. The search revealed a big nothing. Historical facts about an old bric-a-brac junk shops are not retained it seems, and nobody gives a shit.

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The sign told me, 'Fridges, Freezers, TVs, etc…', oh and house clearances. The last part is more akin to a 'junk shop'. @anidiotexplores had already done 'Aladdin's Cave’ and not recently. We could not rely on his intelligence on how to get in.

From my perspective, it looked like several houses glued together and made into a business. It was not close to anything in particular and looked like it had suffered an arson attack.

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I wasn't expecting priceless artifacts from India or full-sized illegal ivory tusks from African Elephants, it was probably yet another dilapidated ruin with perhaps some photography opportunities.

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…'this is a street view from May 2019 and an open-for-business store. I would guess COVID killed this one followed by a fire’…

Source

Climbing a wall and balancing precariously with my arms outstretched, I reached for what looked like a solid shelf landing area and pulled myself onto the second floor.

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It was looking a little bleak and smoke-damaged.

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@lpff had joined us for this and several forthcoming explores in the area and I distinctly remember him saying, 'don't tell me you are going down there?'.

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Why of course I was; I wanted to see what was on that far shelf which was no surprise.., a load of pottery. We were in the land of pots, after all. Going any closer than this would mean stepping on much-broken pottery with maybe not much else underneath.

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Halfway down the 'pot room' I noticed this sitting around. It's an item from a house clearance no doubt. I see vans arriving at car boot sales during the summer months trying to sell all this type of unwanted junk.

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Aladdin's Cave' was a ridiculously dangerous place if you wanted to progress with your exploration. The safety-conscious would stop at this room as the only way forward was to stand on those doors, complete with gaping holes underneath.

Had they been placed as a helpful way to get over there, or maybe a trap to main and disable the naïve and gullible?

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They did bend a little and creaked slightly, but all of us made it to this side. @lpff seemed a little more safety conscious than us and was balking a little. I think he has had several past close calls and that can do it for you.

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Passing a window, we noticed nobody around or waving to us.

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Beyond were more blackened rooms and some stairs. They seemed a little dodgy but if you ignore the big hole, and take it easy they were manageable.

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In fact, there were two ways down. This is the alternative one. It was a case of the lesser of two evils. Either of them could have proven fatal.

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Things were now getting a little easier with the next flight a lot more stable. We descended onto the ground floor of 'Aladdin's Cave’ in search of eastern promise.

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More like Eastern Junk. The room was full of old machinery, parts of TVs, gas canisters, and traffic cones.., I mean where do the cones come from?

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…’after many explores one becomes accustomed to standing on piles of stinking shit just like this. It’s as natural as sucking on your lady’s breasts during foreplay’…

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'Ceramics International'…, that way says the sign. Were the businesses interconnected? We would soon find out.

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Now this is just confusing. It’s supposed to be a junk shop, not a restaurant.

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Mixed in with the traffic cones were cat boxes, lots of them and many being incomplete and doused with an unhealthy spillage of pigeon shit.

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There were easier routes out rather than trying to climb through this window.

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Aladdin's Cave' seemingly specialised in the grotty parts of mobile phones. They were everywhere and all unsalvageable.

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This was one way into the next stage of this exploration, that was... 'Ceramics International'. We were to find an easier route rather than climbing over those fifty sofas to get there.

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I do like to use the local amenities if possible. Taking a piss while taking in nature, I mean what more can you ask?

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This room was so junk-crammed we didn’t bother. There could well have been treasures of the crushed type far down there underneath.

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A working TV? Likely not!

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The old entrance is not particularly inviting to customers these days.

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We walked around the areas which could have once been jammed with freezers that don't freeze very well and TVs you have to clout every five minutes for them to behave.

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Inspector Morse was sitting in the corner, or rather half of the complete collection. I was not a fan and preferred John Thaw in The Sweeney.

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The Bachelors, urk.., that’s dad music.

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Heading further into ‘Aladdin's Cave’ we passed the boundary and entered ‘Ceramics International’….

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Mere looking at the pictures and after reading your post .
With my imagination , I will be kind of scared to go this kind of place where I am not sure of safety , looks dangerous .thanks for sharing

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It's all about the danger. I don't tend to do boring stuff what everyone else does.

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It looks like this was an international headquarters of a villainous gang who were trying to train pigeons to spy on their enemies by implanting mobile phone tech in them and keeping them in cat boxes. Ingenious!

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That was my thinking, we do indeed have a similar thought pattern. Entering via the roof reminded me of Assassins Creeds.

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Wow, I've never heard of Inspector Morse. Were those books or videos?

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It was a TV series, all very English. John Thaw is dead now (the main actor).

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I like Midsomer Murders, and the awesome English sets. I didn't know the English loved painting houses yellow inside until I saw this show. It might just be a quirk of the area, but my mind was blown. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. 😄

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I must recommend your camera 📸; it’s doing a nice job. The scenes are photographic opportunities and you seized them.

Good exploration @slobberchops

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It's an iPhone 12. I don't use a fancy camera as it doesn't help my climbing much. These places don't tend to be walk-ins.

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Lot of junks they just let to rot . I can't imagine the smell inside . do you wear a mask when going a such place?

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I don't wear a mask, and my nose seems to not care about stinky places anymore. It's well used to them.

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Is amazing the stuffs u can find around abandonated spots close to me only can find real trash nothing for recycling or cool to see, this is a really interesing place

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i thought you were of an age that appreciated the batchelors, and maybe the beverley sisters?

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(Edited)

Not heard of the latter, it's probably better suited to your age bracket 😃. Those Batchelors dudes ring a distant bell. Were they one of the lousy groups who did covers? I noticed at least one Simon & Garfunkel written on the battered record sleeve.

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no they were an irish trio combo! think westlife, but competent and vocally skilled

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I was just a nipper in short pants, can't even remember Neil standing on the moon in '69.

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No one has ever landed on the moon

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Beverly Sisters? Get a beer, sit back in your easy chair, and enjoy!

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Literally from the frying pan into the fire, only piece acceptable was the urinal with plants taking over....

Who listened to the Bachelors when you had Beatles?

Excellent photographic explore perhaps learning too much, places that sell off then burn normally after insurance claims, just saying....

!BEER

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Who listened to the Bachelors when you had Beatles?

It was before my time. I am a massive Beatles fan though, the talent was incredible and we may never encounter a band like them again.

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Plenty of great talent during that period, it was fun having grown up during that time.

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It was in a really bad shape!! On the outside looked better.

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Another shit-hole of the finest calibre, though one with some gear inside this time!

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Seems too much damn, anywhere could collapse any time :)

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anywhere could collapse any time :)

Hopefully after we have left, once done I hardly ever go back unless there is good reason.

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What a marvel of photos of burned walls and things!... One of these days you will have to propose to make an exhibition with those types of photos and surely people will be amazed and you will become famous!... Another great article, another surreal place... It seems impossible that just in 2019 there was a business running there and look at it now!

!discovery 37
!VSC
!PIZZA
!BBH

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It seems impossible that just in 2019 there was a business running there and look at it now!

The fire didn't help much and the roof being open is worse still. Give it another year and the upper areas will be inaccessible. There is another route down to the ground floor but we found that by exiting 'Ceramics International' much later. Thanks for the comment.. 😀

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Jeez - comparing the two pics 4 years apart is quite crazy - I find it hard to believe that it has gone down hill so quickly. But I guess an arson attack has that power !
A right jumble of crap in that place - no wonder they went out of business - looks like he invested in cast, just when dogs went on a bull run !

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Another interesting exploration.

For some reason, it made me think of that house from Fight Club. Not sure why.

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Is there a plan to restore the structure or they are just going to let it fall apart?

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my jaw dropped already after the first few pics! What a place! Is there nothing anywhere on the net (Internet archives) that may show the place as it once was?

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We were to find an easier route rather than climbing over those fifty sofas to get there.

I wonder why anyone would bother to stack furniture that weighs a ton! So far it looks like you only got a few interesting rooms?

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