(Patch)'s photostream  

2012 - The year things changed forever, the best year yet.

- This is how I see myself and my crew in 12 months time taking a retrospective look at the year prior. Unfortunately for yourselves, the innocent bystanders and loyal followers, you will most likely not be privy to the amazing new things we will have seen and done.

The police have already confirmed their lack of interest in what we do but it would seem that Transport for London are deeply embarrassed by the last few years of exceptional achievement by the LCC and its precedent groups (or exceptional failure on their behalf depending on how you fill your glass), and have elected to try and solve a problem they have created in classic British government style by throwing your taxes at the symptoms instead of at the causes.

You will have noticed a distinct lack of fresh content on this flickr account over the last few months, and in truth almost all of the photographs I have posted recently are at least 6 months old. This has so far been through personal choice, a breakdown that works out roughly 50:50 in terms of enjoyment taken from knowing that keeping TfL in the dark as to what is really going on makes them squirm, to a sheer lack of motivation to share or sometimes even take photos lately. Already the direction our explorations, events and, increasingly, just simple unconnected actions have taken so far this year has filled me with excitement of the prospect of a fresh year ahead, and if having to keep the details of these urban spectacles and interventions to ourselves is what is required to ensure they continue to happen on the same scale for years to come then so be it.

It’s a shame that its come to this, but if Transport for London are so fearful of our power to influence and illustrate that they feel that a few gagging orders will be more effective than a proactive approach to network security then I guess they are the ones we should feel truly sorry for when all is said and done. After all even when the internet, our last bastion of a once-free speech utopia has been all but been burnt to the ground, the tunnels of the London Underground and other networks will still remain unchanged, unsecured and wide open to all those who dare open their eyes and see all that exists rather than just what is allowed.

Crack the surface, explore everything.

- - -

[Out first and foremost to Gary, taker of the above photo, principle London hardhitter and greatest of friends. Photo and abandoned station used without the owners’ permissions. Out secondly but no less sincerely to all who were taking to the tracks and living above the rules before us, and will continue to do so alongside us in the future no matter how diverse our means and ends may be.]

Saint Martin ghost station, Paris Metro.

Out to the good folk at Bitches Know for the feature, check them out.

We make our own tours - Brighton.

Another broken down train, another day in the metro.

Dans le Métro.

Oh Maximator, you made me backfocus again. C'est la vie.