A MORRISONS supermarket has been left covered in graffiti and old TV guides after being abandoned four years ago.
The store, in Shirley, West Midlands, closed down in late 2019 after the supermarket giant launched a review of its then-494 branches.
Don Andrew – FacebookThe urban explorers got inside an abandoned Morrisons in Shirley, West Midlands[/caption]
abandoned west MidlandsThe store has been completely gutted, with holes in the ceiling[/caption]
abandoned west MidlandsMagazines dating back to January 2020 are strewn across the floor[/caption]
Morrisons said at the time it aimed to redeploy staff where possible – but it’s not clear what the plans are for the building.
Urban explorer Don Andrew visited the eerie site with his brother Kieran and friend Aser on Sunday, live streaming what they found on Facebook.
Panels can be seen missing from the ceiling, with wires hanging down precariously, and plaster and damp on the floor.
Glass can be heard shattering in the background as the group ventures through, using torches and the light off their phones.
Don – holding the camera – attempts to open a fire escape but finds it jammed.
In one section of the old supermarket, on Stratford Road, they find a pile of magazines, including TV guides and OK!, some with January 2020 dates on them.
The group is also attempting to gain access to a neighbouring HSBC bank – also abandoned, but fail.
The bank closed its doors in September 2022.
abandoned west MidlandsDon Andrew (left) and his brother Kieran on the building’s roof[/caption]
abandoned west MidlandsThe explorers gained access to the supermarket via its rooftop car park[/caption]
Don says in the video: “This has pretty much just become a place for graffiti artists.”
Noticing a sign, he adds: “Got to be careful, lads, CCTV in operation.”
Looking at the magazines on the floor, he says: “It closed around Covid time, then.
“I think there was plans for the place to be knocked down and more retirement homes to be put here. Looks like the end of January.
“What was going on in the soaps, guys, four years ago?” Don says, opening a TV guide on the floor.
He continues: “This is in Shirley, popped down the other day. I still haven’t got into the bank. I’m determined to get into it.
“If I remember correctly, this is where the chemist used to be.”
Moving out into the main part of the supermarket, Don says: “There’s really not a lot. It’s a lot more delusional when you’re actually in here.
“F***ing hell, it’s windy in this bit.”
“There’s got to be a way from here into that bank,” he adds before the stream ends.
Speaking to The Sun, Don, 26, said he first gained access to the abandoned supermarket last summer and has since returned three times.
“Once we found the first entrance it was kind of an addiction to keep going back, as mad as it sounds,” he said.
“The fire exit is wide open, if you’re at the front of the building you can walk straight in there, up the stairs and you’re onto the roof of the car park.
“From the car park you can go down the stairs into the Morrisons. But it is pitch black and you need a torch.”
Describing what’s inside, the dad-of-one, from nearby Solihull, said: “There’s hanging wires, bits of graffiti, the TV catalogues, the shutters are half open. Pretty much everything is gone.”
He believes everything was stripped a couple of years ago by thieves.
“The first time I went in there it was freaky. It’s part of my town, there’s no windows, it was eerie and spooky.
“All I could hear was a door slamming behind me the whole time. It was weird. The more I’m doing it, I’m not as paranoid now.”
He added: “I haven’t been able to gain access to the bank – obviously without breaking and entering.”
Don – who makes caravan chassis for a living – started urban exploring in 2016, but stopped for a few years before taking up the hobby again last year.
He goes by Dee Explores online and, alongside his brother Kieran, 19 – or Brummie Explores – and their friend Aser, has visited 63 abandoned locations across the West Midlands.
Don said the one that sticks out is The Stag pub in Coventry.
“That place is untouched. You’ve got all the pumps and the glasses, cellar’s untouched,” he said.
“You can even pour a pint again if you want to. That took my breath away, it was shocking.
“We went back for a second time and the owner of the building was there and said ‘you can’t go in there again’.”
He added: “It’s nice because it’s like walking into a time capsule. All the drinks went out of date in 2019, so that led me to believe it was Covid-related.
“When I first started urban exploring, I was worried about people I might bump into, like drug users, people with weapons,” he continued.
“As I’ve continued doing it I’ve lost that fear. Everyone I’ve bumped into has been on a level. I’ve never actually had an issue.”
Don’s TikTok is @deeexplores1 and Kieran’s is @brummy.explores
abandoned west MidlandsThe supermarket’s walls are covered in graffiti[/caption]
abandoned west MidlandsPlaster and other debris cover much of the floor[/caption]
abandoned west MidlandsSpray paint cans are among the rubbish[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
