"This has to be it", I said in hushed tones to @anidiotexplores.
Hunting down 'Jermaine Pennant's' house had taken a little effort. I had figured out the town and road but my view from Google Maps was all so tree-infested, that it was tough to figure out which one was our target.
Everyone was into their trees and that meant no giveaways from a bird-eye view.
If there’s green slimy shit all over the fence, and an overabundance of pretend ‘Guard Dogs’, then that must be it. Dogs my arse, what did they eat, I was not hearing any ‘Woof-Woof’, and how many?
If that sign was to be believed, there were 20-25 in there all waiting to eat us alive.
…’judging by the fence and the amount of love this place had been given, those dogs would be positively salivating, starving and one step through the ajar gate would mean an instant devouring of our flesh and bones'…
We stepped into the grounds and placed the door as closed as possible.
Jemaine Pennant was an ex-Liverpool footballer on £80,000 a week during his peak years. He fluttered away the money on fast cars, floozies, designer clothes and booze and spent some time in jail.
His detached house ended up being a Cannabis Farm and was sadly burnt by Firestarters before we managed our visit. The full story can be found here.
I felt uneasy right from the start, as though we were being watched. This was it, just 30 yards in and a burnt-out building came into view. Surely there could be no CCTV, it had been 'done' by the TourBus, so why this feeling?
Access was never going to be an issue; simply walk in through one of many entrances, doors or windows, your pick.
Inside was a nightmare, nobody was ever going to live here again.
Some early explorers had seen ‘Jermaine’s Place’, before it was torched which leads me to believe the fire had been started due to the TourBus taking off. A sub-section of readers are in fact Arsonists and get some unspeakable pleasure out of seeing a lovely property go up in flames.
French doors as well as a bunch of dope farm materials left behind. Surely the neighbours could have smelled this lot when it was cooking?
Plant pots, or the insides of them. I have seen it many times.
The kitchen, and what’s left of it. The fire didn’t take hold in here apart from the vast amount of smoke damage.
I see plenty of Chinese writing. Jermaine was a fan of Far Eastern food. Most of us are, it's hardly uncommon.
Camping gear in the kitchen? That cooking oil somehow survived the blaze, now it can be used again as I’m sure it’s already been very hot once.
The lounge, with many half-burnt leather sofas. Jermaine and his mates would have spent many a drunken afternoon chilling here with the jungle backdrop.
I spot a children's jigsaw book in the wreckage and note that he did have a young son. Just like us ordinary mortals, Jermaine likes his 'series', even ones such as Lost that did not have many conclusions.
Were the DVDs still inside? Probably, I didn't look.
It’s true to say this jigsaw book is not going to be played with anymore. Quite sad.
Stepping outside via the French doors we looked upon this surreal image and then my ears pricked up. We could hear next door's chattering, and maybe they could hear us.
"Shhh", I mouthed to @anidiotexplores who is quite famous for his high-noise activities. In some places, you need to be deadly silent.
Over there was likely lovely once, now it’s impenetrable.
Why I would want to cross the line defies belief. A swamp complete with crocodiles in Liverpool? Who knows what Jermaine spent his money on, there could be anything living in there beyond the tape.
I quite like the designer bright green carpet, what do you think?
Above the broken-down cabinet, there looks to be fittings for a TV. He had it all and blew it.
A strange place for the oversized sofa; how do you open the doors and enjoy your local jungle if it’s in the way?
For a burnt-out wreck, several items had survived. I feel a few more bottles of 'Cif' may be required now for the floor and the mice have probably all fucked off due to lack of food strewn around.
I'm willing to bet Jermaine played 'himself' on his PES 2008 seasons. A footballer who plays console football games strikes me as a little odd. According to the linked article, Jermaine's Xbox was close to his heart, and he also owned a PS3. What a gamer geek.
I made my way upstairs which was not straightforward. The bottom step was not entirely accommodating, and I had to heave my way up to the next step utilising the window as leverage which left a nice smudging on blackened gunk on my clothes.
The rounded bath would fit two; him and one of his many chicks, all of which seem to be ex-models.
The spare room? This is where you sleep and wank alone after an argument with the (one of many models).
Look at that skyline, it's almost like sleeping outdoors, isn't it?
@andiotexplores tentatively descends avoiding the deadly bottom step.
The upper grow room and all of it's various add-ons.
"Hello….", came a questioning voice; two burly blokes entered the lower area.., Oh shit.
Both looked up at me with surprise as though existing upstairs was quite impossible.
@andiotexplores took over from here and started to explain were not here to burgle the valuable broken down blackened woodwork, or the used grow pots, which is something he does surprisingly well.
One of the blokes explained quite calmly that he was now the owner of the property and was renovating it. He was not an arse, or aggressive and appeared used to unwanted visitors like ourselves.
…’Steve Leonard was one of the two and you don’t want to fuck with him as he’s a big muscular bastard with menacing tattoos and likely to squash you'…
Source
One was definitely 'Steve', I remember the Turkey-Teeth like it was yesterday.
After some promises to tell the Urban Exploration Community to ‘keep the fuck away’ or Steve (above) will relieve you of your kneecaps (we didn't), both of us made a hurried exit but not before taking another of frontal external.
Were we the last explorers to visit 'Jermaine's Place'? Steve is doing a fine job of doing the place up, check the link above.
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'Tales of the Urban Explorer'
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