Pyestock Diaries

It was a happy, carefree group who left Battle Test House in the glorious sunshine and began to pick their way through the undergrowth and pipes towards the confines of Cell 1 & 2. We’d bumped into two groups of explorers, had almost covered the entire width of the site, and had even seen security from afar; it was feeling very relaxed.

I paused and ran towards the inner security fence to take some exterior shots of the Power Station. I was wary that security could drive around at any moment, but I was feeling bold, and we hadn’t seen a patrol in a while. I took two shots before running back (almost tripping over my tripod bag) before joining the rest of the group as they slowly picked their way westward.

So it was time for our wake-up call. The security car appeared from no-where (although it just swung around the eastern end of Battle) and started its approach to Cell 1 & 2. By the time we’d noticed its arrival, it was almost level with us. Our stumbling attempts at hiding, luckily now just within the confines of Cell 1 & 2 were probably comical. Most of the group were down, and Tom either heard the car or our hisses, and dropped to the ground just in time.

We paused and listened. The car slowed.

And then, the car picked up speed and continued down the service road towards the south western corner of the site.

We picked ourselves up and watched the car drive slowly away from over the piping of Cell 1 & 2. Had we been seen? If so, the car hadn’t stopped and we hadn’t been challenged. And any approach by security would’ve been hampered by their new security fence which, for the first time aided us. But we didn’t need any prompting and took up speed, jogging north west across Cell 1 & 2, across the back of the Plant House and into the confines of Cell 3.

A snatched photograph of Admiralty's western side. The security car was a minute away. 21|04|07 © Simon Cornwell 2007