Fascinating pictures inside Leicester’s ‘blue tower’ before it was refurbished

These pictures were taken by Dhiren Rocco, of Leicester, who was aged 15 at the time.

Here, he tells the story behind them.

“St. Georges Tower has always been a landmark building in Leicester City Centre, and in 2005 I had a part time job at the Royal Mail building next door. I was curious about the building and enquired with the security guard, who allowed me access over three days so I could photograph the interior before it’s redevelopment. It was an amazing experience. It felt so urban in it’s empty state and there were still little hints of the BT staff that had worked there before it was vacated. It was a wonderful opportunity, but very eerie at the same time. I used a Sony digital camera and an Olympus OM10 film camera that I was eager to experiment with. I got right up to the rooftop for some great shots across the city, but I drew the line at the basement car park – it was so dark down there that I did not dare to enter!

“2020 has been a challenging year. During quarantine, I found these photos in my archive & as I looked at them I realized just how much life has changed since 2005. I want to share this important part of Leicester’s history with the readers of the Leicester Mercury & hope that they enjoy the visual experience.”

Dhiren Rocco is a professional photographer with credits in the U.K, Europe, & USA. You can find his work at www.rocco.photography