When exploring subterranean spaces, there is always the risk of danger. Sewers, are no exception to this rule, gases, disease, feral rodents, angry workers and the potential of flash floods. Most of these can be prevented by utilising common sense, no drains when it rains, taking gas meters, so on so forth, you’ve heard it all before.

I know i tend to rant on about the weather in England, but who doesn’t. Its generally crap and when draining that tends to be a bit of a problem. The infamous rule ‘when it rains, don’t go in drains’ is always audible when the heavens decide to dump their load on you. But at what stage is the rule supposed to be enforced?, how much water has to fall before you can officially call off any exploration into the dark and chunky?

Its a big hole in the ground, dont fall into it. Enough said.

Compared to the 106 or Micra sleeping in the Toyota was like a 4 poster bed. Silky drapes, quilts covered in roses and a chocolate left on your pillow every night. Well ok maybe not, but at the very least i was able to stretch my legs out without having to wrap them between the pedals. However no matter which car we chose i always seem to wake up the same way, with my face stuck to the window. Such is the plight of someone too cheap to pay for a hostel. Oh well its 5am, we were somewhere south of Manchester and it was raining, heavily. Hurray for British summers.

It was still raining heavily and during the drive over it got so bad i had to pull over and stop. Visibility was zero, thunder and lightning flashed and roared in the skies above and the window wipers couldn’t cope. Even if we managed to get close enough i wasn’t about to walk across a waterlogged field in this, regardless of the fact i would be wearing waders.

Its been a while since i last ventured under London, problem is Ive visited most of the large diameter sewers now leaving only the smaller, unnamed and insignificant ones. While some swear by it, personally, unless there’s a good reason, i dislike the idea of stumbling and sloshing down small diameter pipes, you always end up soaked and dirty, there is a higher chance of gas due to less ventilation and most importantly, you have little chance of finding anything substantial.