Lewis's 5th Floor - Liverpool - May 2010 -

[georgie]

The fifth floor of Lewis's department store in Liverpool, which reopened after the Blitz in 1953, was once a bustling shopping mecca, done out in the latest modern design. But since its closure in the 1980s, all that remains is an eerily evocative time-warp, still furnished with its original fixtures.

i was on a public tour and it seems they dont like photos taken aswell at the start the bloke i met giving the tour said its was ok so i whipped out my tripod and camera to the astonishment of others with there little compacts then after a brief showing of different rooms your left to go as you please within a time limit

then a guy holding a big nikon turns up looking at me the tour bloke said he was "their photographer" and if anyone wants pics taken by various furnishings they could for a price......

anyway i went about my buisness on my own but this guy kept on looking at me

20 or so minutes pass and im back to where i started in the canteen area when a bloke in a suit and a woman approach me and say your not allowed professional pictures in here....im quite taken back by this and reply with im not its just a compact and the tripod is just so the pics dont blur id explained the guy said we could take pics she said no when he said pics he meant snapshots....wtf

she said something about being under licence i wasnt really listening to be honest id finished taking my "snapshots" (all 250 of them) and was packing up

reckon it was "their photographer" blew me up thinking i was going to sell the pics or something (prob where the licence thing comes in?)

the tours are on for a few weeks (you need to book) although im told the shop could close at anytime and the tours were lucky to be going ahead

but be weary if you whip a big camera out and a tripod they will follow you wherever you go

i know it aint proper urbex but its the only way to get to see this place and it wont be here for much longer

slaphead was present but he got off near the end

lewis's history and current events can be found below

http://www.lewissliverpool.co.uk/

external image taken from the website
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/lewis_building.jpg

you get out the lift and your greeted with this
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0652-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0700-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0683-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0692-1.jpg

onto the canteen
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/me.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0756-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0738-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0656-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0674-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0743-1.jpg

cologne counters
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0748-1.jpg

i forgot what this room was but these boards were recently uncovered stuff like the first grand national etchings and various liverpool landmarks on them
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0689-1.jpg

check out that wallpaper
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0706-1.jpg

haircut anyone?
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0695-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0725-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0728-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0719-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0710-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0677-1.jpg

[georgie]

heres a few ex display items currently getting auctioned off if anyones interested..

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/SPIDER-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0543-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0540-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0538-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0542-1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF0541-1.jpg

[georgie]

5th floor plan ..the far left is whats they have closed off totally the rest of the pic is whats open for viewing

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/plan.jpg

[georgie]

a few pics of the handout i was given

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF1007.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF1008.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh142/fortboyardo/lewis/DSCF1011.jpg


ill add some more when i upload em