British Xylonite, Manningtree / Brantham Essex, July 20

[slwx]

My very first explore... A disused factory in Manningtree. I've seen this place plenty of times on the train on my way to Ipswich, and always wanted to get in there. It was used mainly for the production of celluloid. Some of the site is still active, but it's pretty easy to tell which parts they are.

Some building were subject to an arson attack, and I understand a lot of the interesting stuff was destroyed. So the buildings I entered were mostly just wrecked.

Now, pictures, sorry for all the fisheye... New lens, got way too carried away!

Thanks for looking.

 

[skeleton key]

Fish eyes cool and crisp shot

Cheers for posting

 

[silverainbow]

Lovely pics, Think my eyesight has just returned to normal, lol all in good humour, be nice to see a bit of history about the place, so far so good

 

[slwx]

Fish eyes cool and crisp shot Cheers for posting

Lovely pics, Think my eyesight has just returned to normal, lol all in good humour, be nice to see a bit of history about the place, so far so good

Thank you both. 50mm was also with me, but first time nerves / excitement kept me from using it....

I'll get some history, nicked from somewhere else

The British Xylonite Company could justifiably claim to be the first British firm successfully to manufacture a plastic material in commercial quantities. Xylonite, better known by its American equivalent of 'celluloid', was invented by Alexander Parkes and first displayed in 1862 under the name of 'Parkesine'.The original site being small and unsuitable, it was decided in 1887 to buy land at Brantham on the Suffolk bank of the River Stour and erect a purpose-built factory; finished goods continued to be made at Homerton until 1897 when a new factory was built at Hale End near Walthamstow which also housed the head office. Other types of plastics were introduced, and in 1938 the British Xylonite Company became a holding company with three subsidiaries.

The Distillers Company took a half-interest in 1939 and bought the entire Group in 1961, but in 1963 it formed part of a new grouping called Bakelite Xylonite Ltd. Several sales and mergers took place in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Brantham site operated under the name of Wardle Storeys and until recently manufactured limited quantities of xylonite using traditional processes and equipment. The company went into liquidation in January 2007.

 

[silverainbow]

Great loved reading that extract !

 

[Nelly]

Excellent stuff, The almost swastika symbol in pic 2 is a icon from a band called "CRASS", I'm confused by how new it looks though, Crass formed in the late 70's and disbanded in 1984, the band was headed by a bloke called "Steve Ignorant" and they were one of my Punk heros, with songs such as "Shaved Women", "Nagasaki Nightmare" and "Sheep Farming In The Falklands"

 

[slwx]

Great loved reading that extract !

Glad to hear!

Excellent stuff, The almost swastika symbol in pic 2 is a icon from a band called "CRASS", I'm confused by how new it looks though, Crass formed in the late 70's and disbanded in 1984, the band was headed by a bloke called "Steve Ignorant" and they were one of my Punk heros, with songs such as "Shaved Women", "Nagasaki Nightmare" and "Sheep Farming In The Falklands"

I had no idea! Thanks for the information though. I was trying to make out the green writing but I'm not sure what it all says.

 

[Nelly]

I had no idea! Thanks for the information though. I was trying to make out the green writing but I'm not sure what it all says.

Its the lyrics from from Crass's "Big A, Little a"

Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do

I am he and she is she but you're the only you

No one else has got your eyes, can see the things you see

It's up to you to change your life and my life's up to me

The problems that you suffer from are problems that you make

The shit we have to climb through is the shit we choose to take

If you don't like the life you live, change it now it's yours

Nothing has effects if you don't recognise the cause

If the programme's not the one you want, get up, turn off the set

It's only you that can decide what life you're gonna get

 

[Wevsky]

Trust you to know that nelly you old punk you!!

and yes mate nothing wrong with that report..trashed or not

 

[silverainbow]

Class Nelly, you as a Punk mate must have been epic !

:beer2:

 

[Nelly]

At one time, I had black hair with an orange fringe, tartan trousers, a bum flap, 14 hole DM's and a destroy T-Shirt, and I thought I was the bollocks