Tucked away behind an inconspicuous brown door, the garage was attached to an empty townhouse, and while we took a break from scrubbing the van's paintwork, we decided to take the opportunity to explore it.

The house is used as a studio by an artist, and as we worked our way through the rooms on the ground floor and up the many flights of stairs, we came across paintings, sculptures and other unidentifiable pieces of art - it was a genuine treasure trove of weird and wonderful things. I did my best to photograph some of it, but as I was using my phone the photos aren't of the best quality.

Exploring the house (all six floors of it) was probably one of the most exciting things I've ever done. The uneven, creaking floorboards; the intrigue of what bizarre art would be found in the next room; the smell, a mixture of paint and decay; the rooms, decorated with retro peeling wallpaper and hung with canvases; and the knowledge that apart from the artist, we were probably the only people to have set foot in the house for a long time.

My first abandoned building - I hope it won't be my last!

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