Tales of the Urban Explorer: The House of Books
-= 'WARNING: ADULT CONTENT BELOW' =-
When I saw another explorer who I do regular location trades with visit ‘The House of Books’, I knew it was a must go to.
Knowing he injured himself and got talking to a neighbour who was unusually helpful and dealt with his cut hand, as well giving him information about the ex-resident was a bonus.
The house was formally owned by a self-employed electrician who also happened to be a ritual hoarder. He was taken ill, forced out of the house, and placed into a care home.
The locals then took it upon themselves to use his garden as a dumping ground for all their shit.
It’s not much but better than no history, and I was determined to find out more about 'the electrician' after going inside, that's if we could get in.
When viewed from outside of the front garden the view of 'The House of Books' is non-existent, with so much overgrowth and greenery covering, you would likely miss it.
We approached from the side and spotted the usual ineffective 'herras fencing' getting in the way. I could see a spot of climbing would be needed as well as possibly alerting the neighbours to our presence.
It wasn’t a big deal and we were in the grounds within minutes, the neighbours may have been out as it was a Saturday afternoon.
I noted this was far from a pretty house, built using those ugly red bricks that @dizzydiscovery often tells me about being most common in his local area of Oldham.
We immediately spotted the open door but took some time to check out the externals before heading to the main course.
‘The House of Books’ was in a sorry looking external state and I wondered just how many years it had seen neglect.
Why struggle through the back door when the front is wide open? We didn’t fart about and walked straight in.
The visual that struck us was quite surreal. No shit.., this dude was a hoarder and it was showing from the first steps inside.
Now.. if the back looked bad then what about inside?
Who reads the Sunday Sport? I hadn't seen a copy in years and this newspaper full of stories of aliens sleeping with dogs and other outrageous allegations has not changed I see.
I have my doubts that this story of the 30-stone wobbler sunbathing in public is real.
Books everywhere! My comrade was not bull-shitting when he named it ‘The House of Books’. He seemed to be very interested in Chemistry and genetics.
…as well as a touch of classic glamour.
A large room off to the left of the entrance revealed more… books.
These are very academic. Books on law, did he read all this stuff? I took note of the dates with 2006 being the newest.
Everywhere we looked revealed more and more literary material. Some quite coated with pigeon shit.
Was this dude a doctor as well as an electrician?
We climbed the stairs and looked down. Did someone really live like this?
Walking around on the first floor was decidedly more ropey. There was so much junk on the floor, you could not see if it was solid or covering some great big hole.
A rare book free room with some atmosphere and a roof looking to collapse.
This unopened Sunday Times supplement is from 2010, a little newer than the books.
Now should we try and get up to the second floor? The first one was not in great condition.
@dizzydiscovery was balking but I started upwards dragging him reluctantly up behind me.
There was a little problem however in the form of a missing landing area. Could I climb over the railings?
I did ponder and consider it before my sensible head came back and said NO.
Being relegated to somewhere between the first and second floors I could only look upwards to see what I was missing.
You don’t come across derelict hoarder’s houses often. It was quite a sight.
He probably had the entire lot if I had dug further; a star trek geek as well as a doctor, lawyer, and electrician.
It was getting derpier and derpier the higher we climbed.
Mary Millington, now that’s a blast from my teenage years. He is a real traditionalist, this one.
Was he one of these blokes that studied and took multitudes of tests and exams?
In anything scientific, even at the GCSE level?
Is anyone’s head big enough to take all of this in? We are not talking Mills and Boons here.
The cellar area appeared a little more normal. So he did wash and cook as well as throw all his other surplus crap down here.
The garden was not as congested as I thought and did not contain the large piles of stuff I was expecting.
I walked away from the 'The House of Books' feeling I knew the 'electrician', who also likes to hoard, fill his brain with every science known to man, has a thing for vintage porn, is a 'trekkie' and studies for GCSE's... a little better.
What a stunner that was, you don’t get them like this everyday!
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Another beautiful house left to rack and ruin. Why? Why? Why? 😢
I'm surprised you didn't look inside the note books. You'll need to go back so you can tell me what's inside them. 😂
I was overwhelmed by all the... stuff! I try and take note of details when I can. It's a growing skill!
Wow, what a house! You guys are braver than I am ahahaha, I would've taken one look at that mess and been like 'I'm going to die tripping on a fucking pile of garbage' and then would have turned around and gone home! Definitely an interesting place though. Pity that all those books were just left to waste away!
I was in awe after going through that front door. For every 40 I do, there's one just like this.., and when I find one.., it's like the holy grail hehe...
TO be honest, my study is starting to look pretty similar minus the pigeon shit.
Haha..., doing GCSE's as well?
Probably need to be honest :D
That was kind of the locals to dunno their shit in his garden.
What a collection though, he must have been one of those ones who just kept dabbling in everything including the nudie books of yesteryear! Things were so tame back then.
Great story around the pictures composed!
I had forgotten about Miss Millington.., she taught me the... ahem... basics, I'm sure @grindle will know of her too!
Lol @ the basics !!!
Ah, Mary, happy days (ahem, nights too!) it was a "toss up" between her and the sensational Miss Joanne Guest.
On a serious note another superb mooch. I think you are putting the sillies up dizzy with your perfectly adequate risk assessment
Climbing that bannister that was falling apart was a little much. I'm happy for you to try it.. if you visit 'The House of Books'!
It may be hanging off the edge now, as this was a good 6 months ago. Yes... this was the best one of the day.., another 'Coffin Maker's House' minus the deep history.
Hmmmmm! Maybe I will
Wow, what a tip! My study is borderline hoarder territory. Got a fair few books, but nothing like that and not the porn for sure. Very sad looking guitar.
Hehe.. I have seen pics of your study from those guitar sessions you do! It seems he did play guitar as well as all those other activities. I do wonder if he's still alive.., another one with no relatives to pass the property to I assume.
The shelves are full in here, but I also store the PA system for our pub gigs as well as all my music kit. Much of that is out of shot. I need to get rid of some of what doesn't get used.
...'If you haven't used it in 6 months, it may be time for it to go'
Last night I watched a DVD I've had at least 10 years for the first time. It's gone in the charity pile now. Hardly dents the problem though.
Holy Moly! That makes me shudder right down to my toes. It totally boggles my mind. 😜
They take some adjusting too, but once bitten.. the pull of doing more is strong!
I can understand the fascination! I remember some of your posts when you first started doing this. You have explored in some pretty creepy places.
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Amazing find. I am surprised that people haven't stolen more stuff from there. From the few abandoned buildings I recall visiting in my youth the places had almost always been stripped clean... but then again, thieves aren't exactly known for their interest in the written word
Wow so much clutter and so many books! Too bad he was such a hoarder and had to be taken away, a lot of those books will be lost and remain unused
now this was a real deal! love your post. Have read every line of it, and I probably is urged to comment back to every bit of it, haha! but I would skup it to save your time. really fascinated!
'a rare book free room' -- note, the garden also was books-free!
do you consider to make an x-post to the Hive Book Club Community?
PS. I exit this post now hating pigeons even more, than I did it before. They ruined such a splendid House of Hoarded Books! Damn...
PPS. What could happen with this man after 2006? a sudden death and no heirs? 15 years ago, the house was probably fine ... looks like a nice house. and if he was forced to move out - would he part with books and videotapes? ... (I know from myself, as a book hoarder, that this is out of the question!)
I have since heard that the hoarder has died, @amy-explores told me so!
thanks.
Yes he has the neighbours obviously chatting crap to you
The info was relayed by someone else (who did talk to those neighbours). I saw nobody.. as I try and be a stealthy ninja.