68-527: Manchester Central Convention Complex (commonly known as Manchester Central or GMEX ( G reater M anchester Ex hibition Centre)) is an exhibition and conference centre converted from the former Manchester Central railway station in Manchester , England. The building has a distinctive arched roof with a span of 64 metres (210 ft) – the second-largest railway station roof span in the United Kingdom, and
136-546: A break in order to record an album with Angelo Badalamenti . In 1995 the band discovered they owed a £250,000 tax bill. Determined to continue despite the setbacks, the band set up studio in Baynton-Power's house. Former Sharkboy guitarist Adrian Oxaal was drafted in to replace Gott on guitar, while Booth returned periodically from the States to add his vocals. 1996 saw the release of Booth's album with Badalamenti ( Booth and
204-638: A few songs from their following album, Living in Extraordinary Times , released on 3 August 2018. Percussionist and backing vocalist Deborah Knox-Hewson joined the band during the tour, replacing Ron Yeadon. She left the band shortly after the album's release and was replaced by Chloe Alper . The band's 16th studio album, All the Colours of You , was released on 4 June 2021 on new label Virgin Music Label & Artists Services. The album has eleven tracks and
272-463: A further seven albums. Live performance has continually remained a central part of the band's output. As of 2010, the band had sold more than 25 million albums worldwide. James were formed in 1982 in Whalley Range , Manchester, when Paul Gilbertson persuaded his friend Jim Glennie to buy a bass guitar and form a band with him. Their line-up solidified when Gavan Whelan joined on drums. They played
340-464: A lukewarm reception. The recording of the follow-up album faced difficulties from the start. Two key members of the James organization resigned: guitarist and key composer Larry Gott (who left the group in order to spend more time with his family) and manager Martine McDonagh (who had had a sometimes fraught romantic relationship with Booth, resulting in a son, Ben). Booth announced that he also wished to take
408-683: A network of NHS Nightingale Hospitals similar to the NHS Nightingale Hospital London that was already under construction, intended to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and with 1,000 beds. It opened on 17 April 2020, and was closed in March 2021. Italics denote building under construction Manchester Central railway station Manchester Central railway station was a railway station in Manchester city centre , England. One of Manchester 's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969,
476-447: A new studio album. A live album, Live in 2008 , with a selection of songs recorded during the 2008 spring tour was exclusively sold at the merchandise stalls of the "We Are Sound" tour, and was limited to 5000 copies. The band announced plans to release two mini-albums by April 2010. The Night Before was released on 19 April, although its follow-up, The Morning After , was released later than expected, on 2 August 2010. Following
544-535: A slight remix to sound more radio-friendly, Sire released it in September 1988, over a year after its initial completion. However the album only reached number 90. After finding a clause for ending their contract, the band left Sire. James had by this point earned themselves a reputation as a live act and had built a solid fanbase. Sales of James T-shirts were particularly successful in Manchester even before they reached
612-498: A small-scale tour in the autumn of that year on which their set lists consisted almost entirely of new material. The album, Pleased To Meet You , was released in July 2001. The album's artwork featured a composite image of the faces of all the band members to create a new person. The album reached only number 11, the lowest position for a James studio album since their signing to Fontana. Shortly after their last album release, James reached
680-446: A solo artist in 2004 with the release of his solo album Bone , co-written and produced by Lee Muddy Baker . A new compilation album , The Collection was released in late 2004, and Seven – The Live Concert (a DVD version of a previously released video) in 2005. In January 2007 singer Tim Booth's personal website announced that "Tim will be rejoining James in early 2007 for a series of live shows to be announced very soon". At
748-520: A string of gigs under the names Venereal and the Diseases and Volume Distortion before settling on the name of Model Team International, then shortened to Model Team. They performed mostly improvised material derived from jam sessions , supporting the Fall at an early gig at Manchester Polytechnic . Vocalists and other musicians drifted rapidly in and out of their line-up until the band encountered Tim Booth at
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#1732873291991816-457: A student disco. Gilbertson invited him to the band's scout hut in Withington to join the band as a dancer; he was soon promoted to lead singer. In August 1982, after a brief period under the name Tribal Outlook, the band renamed themselves James, after Glennie. As Glennie later said: "No one ever calls me James, so I don't associate it with my name in that respect. We couldn't use Tim because he's
884-459: Is a large brick undercroft with intersecting tunnel vaults, above which were six platforms above street level which exited the station onto viaducts and bridges. The undercroft was used for storage and connected to the adjacent goods sidings by a carriage lift. The station's two-storey south wall has 15 bays separated by brick pilasters . At ground-floor level the bays have three round-headed windows and at first-floor level three square-headed. In
952-463: Is served by two Metrolink tram stops – Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop and St Peter's Square tram stop , both of which are under a five-minute walk from the venue. National Rail local train services serve Deansgate railway station whilst Manchester Piccadilly is a 20 minute walk away. On 27 March 2020, the UK government announced that the building would be converted into an emergency hospital, part of
1020-627: The Girls' Day Out Show . In 2009 and 2010, it played host to the Manchester audition stages of the ITV programme The X Factor . In December 2012, it hosted the finals of series 9 of The X Factor . In September 2006, the Labour Party moved from traditional seaside venues to hold its annual party conference at the complex. It has also hosted conferences for the Confederation of British Industry , ECOFIN ,
1088-527: The Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party . The venue was also the filming location of Ninja Warrior UK between 2015 and 2019. The venue was selected to host the final of the 2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup , which saw England beat France 28–24 to lift their second world cup title equalling the record set by the runners-up. Located in the heart of the city, Manchester Central
1156-446: The Top 40 . James financed the production of One Man Clapping , recorded live at Bath's Moles nightclub , with a bank loan from RBS and the help of Rough Trade Records . The album went to number 1 in the indie charts in 1989, reinvigorating media interest in the band. In November 1988, drummer Whelan became involved in an on-stage fight with Booth and was asked to leave the band. He
1224-546: The West Coast Main Line , Central Station was the terminus for the Midland Pullman , a streamlined blue six-coach diesel multiple unit. This stopped at Cheadle Heath (now closed), before running fast to St Pancras. Services through Millers Dale finished in July 1968, when the line was closed as a through route. The station provided local services to Chester and Liverpool, but closed to passengers on 5 May 1969, when
1292-401: The "next big thing", several complex issues slowed their progress. Gilbertson's drug problems presented the band with no choice but to ask him to leave. Booth and Glennie had joined a sect named Lifewave that imposed many restrictions on their lifestyle and threatened the band's stability. The band's second EP, James II , was released over a year after the first and accompanied by a feature on
1360-575: The 1990s, with four top-10 hits on the UK Singles Chart and nine top-10 placings on the UK Albums Chart . The band's best-known singles include " Come Home ", " Sit Down ", " She's a Star " and " Laid ". "Laid" also became a hit on American college radio . Following the departure of lead singer Tim Booth in 2001, the band became inactive, but members reunited in January 2007 and have since released
1428-529: The 20th century a glazed canopy was erected at the entrance at north end. A temporary wooden building, erected at the front of the station to house ticket offices and waiting rooms was planned to be replaced by a grander edifice, for example a hotel and railway offices as at London St Pancras , but remained in use until the station closed. The Midland Hotel was built by the Midland Railway in 1898–1903 on an adjacent site. The Midland Railway (MR), one of
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#17328732919911496-590: The Bad Angel ). The new James album, Whiplash , followed in February 1997. The album proved a successful comeback, reaching the UK top 10, as did the single " She's a Star ". The band toured to promote the album, recruiting Michael Kulas as rhythm guitarist while in the States. Booth suffered a neck injury while dancing on stage in the US, resulting in a series of tour dates being cancelled as he underwent emergency surgery, and
1564-605: The CLC's partners, used Manchester Central as its terminus for services including express trains to London St Pancras . Beginning in 1938, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (successor to the MR) ran two prestige expresses, The Peaks and the Palatine , stopping en route at Chinley , Millers Dale , Matlock , Derby and Leicester . Between 1960 and 15 April 1966, during the electrification of
1632-570: The Cure in November 1992. G-Mex had a seating capacity of 9,500 for end stage concerts and 12,500 for standing events and stopped hosting concerts in 1997, with the last gig by Oasis in December. G-Mex was also the 2002 Commonwealth Games venue for gymnastics , weightlifting , judo and wrestling . After a nine-year break, it was again used for concerts by Snow Patrol in December 2006 with Morrissey ,
1700-644: The GMEX Centre, the venue was used for hosting rock concerts. Not long after its official opening, Factory Records used the venue for their Festival of the Tenth Summer in July 1986 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of punk in the city, and included appearances by the Smiths and Factory Records stalwarts New Order . James appeared in 1990, U2 in June 1992, Metallica in November 1992 on their The Black Album tour and
1768-534: The Haçienda with New Order , the Durutti Column , Section 25 and others. The show was filmed and released on video in 1983 by Factory Records as "A Factory Outing", but during the editing process at Factory's offices, it caught the attention of Factory's co-founder, Tony Wilson . He offered James an album deal with Factory, but the band, by now a settled live act, were worried about tarnishing their material in
1836-760: The Killers . Towards the end of 2011, James signalled a departure from their previous touring style, with the announcement of a series of dates in October and November of that year including an orchestra and a choir. This short, ten date tour saw James performing their back catalogue accompanied by the Orchestra of the Swan and the Manchester Consort Choir. They played at Kendal Calling Festival 2012 and toured again in 2013. James's first new album in six years, La Petite Mort ,
1904-585: The Verve , Marilyn Manson , Franz Ferdinand , Manic Street Preachers , Arctic Monkeys , Bloc Party and Hard-Fi holding concerts in 2007. Status Quo have performed there multiple times. The venue hosted concerts by Placebo in December 2009, Arcade Fire , Biffy Clyro , Thirty Seconds to Mars , the Taste of Chaos Tour 2010, deadmau5 , Pendulum in December 2010 and the Eighth Plague Tour . In 2011, it hosted
1972-728: The album Girl at the End of the World was released, with an accompanying tour – building up to the band's planned appearance opening 2016's Glastonbury Festival (the Other Stage) and later taking a top spot at the On Blackheath festival in September. In May 2018, James released a four-song EP, Better Than That, that reached number 1 of the Vinyl Singles Chart, and embarked on a sold-out UK tour to promote it. During this tour, they also previewed
2040-461: The album sold ten times more copies than Travis originally predicted. The song became one of the biggest-selling singles of the year. The band members spent the rest of the year recording their next album, Seven , which was released in February 1992. It reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart (its lead single, " Sound ", had followed "Sit Down" into the top 10 a few months earlier) and earned
2108-403: The band announced a UK tour in June 2024 in support of their 18th studio album, with Razorlight supporting. On 15 January 2024, the band debuted their new single "Is This Love" from their 18th studio album, Yummy , which was released on 12 April 2024. On 8 November 2024 a summer tour of the UK was announced, with support from Happy Mondays , Razorlight , Shed Seven and others, as well as
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2176-532: The band as trumpet player during the festival tour. April saw the release of a new compilation album, Fresh as a Daisy — The Singles , accompanied by a DVD compilation of all the band's promo videos. The new album Hey Ma was released on 7 April 2008, peaking at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, and a three-week tour to promote the album commenced on 10 April 2008. An arena tour of the UK called "We Are Sound" followed in December, on which two new songs ("Porcupine" and "Look Away") were previewed as tasters for
2244-504: The band being offered a place instead on the Lollapalooza tour. In March 1998, a greatest hits album, The Best Of , was released, compiling all the band's hits since their signing to Fontana. The album reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart, and sold-out tours throughout the year followed. The band then returned to the studio to begin work on their next album, Millionaires , which was released in October 1999. The album did not reach
2312-641: The band some recognition in the US as they embarked on their first Stateside tour. The band's activities culminated in a sold-out show to 30,000 people at the Alton Towers theme park in July, broadcast live on BBC Radio 1 , following which Andy Diagram left the group. In 1993, James were invited on an acoustic tour of the US supporting Neil Young at a series of natural outdoor venues in the autumn. They returned to England refreshed and ready to record their new album with Brian Eno , whom they had originally approached to produce Stutter but who had been unavailable at
2380-625: The beginning of 2011, Tim Booth announced that he was working on some new solo material, although James remained active, participating in the Lollapalooza festival in Chile . The band appeared at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 13 and 20 April in Indio, California and Hard Rock Calling 2011 on 24 June in Hyde Park , London, where they were joined by Kaiser Chiefs and the headline act,
2448-502: The building was converted into an exhibition and conference centre which was opened in 1986, originally known as G-MEX, but now named Manchester Central . The structure is a Grade II* listed building . On 27 March 2020, the UK government announced that the building would be converted into an emergency hospital, intended to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and with 1,000 beds. It was opened in April 2020 and closed in March 2021. The station
2516-665: The complex became a temporary field hospital for non-critical COVID-19 patients, part of a network of temporary NHS Nightingale Hospitals . The complex was originally Manchester Central railway station, one of the city's main railway terminals. Designed by Sir John Fowler , the station was opened in July 1880 by the Cheshire Lines Committee . The station served as the terminus for Midland Railway express trains to London St Pancras . The station's large wrought-iron single-span arched roof, spanning 210 feet (64 m), 550 feet (168 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) high –
2584-525: The cover of the NME , Gilbertson having been replaced by the band's guitar tutor Larry Gott . The first two EPs would later be collected as Village Fire . Reviews were once again positive, and Factory were eager for James to record an album with it, but the band believed Factory were purely image-based and left the label, striking a deal with Sire Records . Their third release, the Sit Down EP (no relation to
2652-502: The end of 2009, included an extended foyer to the Grade II listed Central Hall. The old smoked-glass structure was demolished and replaced by a flat-roofed, clear-glazed structure exposing more of the original architecture. The final phase, completed in September 2010, focused on the rear of the building. New event spaces were built and rooms refurbished to increase the venue's range and size of meeting and banqueting spaces. During its days as
2720-538: The end of their contract, and Tim Booth announced he was leaving the band to concentrate on other projects of his own. They played a farewell tour of the UK at the end of the year. Their final hometown gig, at the Manchester Evening News arena on 7 December, was recorded for a live CD and DVD, Getting Away With It... Live . Past members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram rejoined them for the tour, and Brian Eno also joined them onstage at London's Wembley Arena during
2788-672: The introduction of Metrolink, rail services from south Manchester ran once more to Central Station. However, instead of trains running into the Central Station arch, light rail vehicles now cross the railway viaduct and stop at Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop . They then run down a ramp which runs parallel to Lower Mosley Street, alongside the south-eastern side of the former train shed, before reaching street level where they operate as trams and head towards St Peter's Square . James (band) James are an English rock band from Manchester , formed in 1982. They achieved popularity during
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2856-442: The opening of the Manchester (then NYNEX) Arena in 1995. In January 2007, the venue was renamed Manchester Central, evoking the memory of the former station and converted into an exhibition and conference centre. The building was renovated at a cost of £30 million in 2008 by Manchester-based architects, Stephenson Bell . The first phase to create a foyer took from February to November 2008. The second phase, completed towards
2924-411: The phenomenal sales level predicted, but still entered the UK Albums Chart at number 2, and sold over 150,000 copies. After the disappointing performance of Millionaires the band chose to start anew in their approach to their next album, working with Eno once again. They spent most of 2000 recording the album; writing the songs, then performing them live before actually recording them. They embarked on
2992-475: The release of The Night Before , the band embarked on a UK tour, the Mirrorball Tour, premièring songs from the album. Another UK tour took place in December. Both this tour and the US release of both mini-albums together as a 2-CD set called The Morning After The Night Before . A 19-date North American tour began in September to promote the combined album as well as showcase the songs before the UK tour. At
3060-513: The remaining services were switched to Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly stations. Over a decade, Central Station fell into a dilapidated state, was damaged by fire and was used as a car park . The property was acquired by Greater Manchester Council and, in 1982, work began on converting it into an exhibition centre, which opened in 1986 as the Greater Manchester Exhibition and Conference Centre or G-Mex. It
3128-548: The remixed " Come Home " and "Lose Control" all made the Top 40, and the band's newfound success was re-affirmed when they played two sold-out dates at the Manchester G-Mex at the end of the year. In March 1991, the popularity of "Sit Down" led to a re-recorded version being released as a single, which reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart . Gold Mother was re-released to include "Sit Down" and previous single "Lose Control", and
3196-461: The results. Laid was released in September 1993 to positive reviews. As well as being a success in the UK, the album also broke the band in the US, shipping over 600,000 copies and charting at number 72 in the Billboard 200 , propelled by the popularity of the single " Laid " on US college radio . The band spent most of 1994 touring the States. Wah Wah was eventually released in September 1994 to
3264-415: The rights to the album from Rough Trade. A successful winter tour in 1989 attracted a deal with Fontana Records , and the band ended a difficult decade on an optimistic note. Gold Mother was released in June 1990 just as the ' Madchester ' movement, with its wave of popular Manchester-based indie bands, brought James to public attention and won them mainstream recognition. Singles "How Was It for You,"
3332-440: The same time, James's old website was replaced by a new domain holder at wearejames.com. The site confirmed the line-up as that which recorded the album Laid : Booth, Gott, Glennie, Davies, Hunter and Baynton-Power. Booth confirmed in interviews that he became convinced to rejoin the band after meeting up with Glennie and Gott the previous November for a jamming session, out of which new songs were born. The initial five dates of
3400-401: The singer and that would be weird. Our drummer was called Gavan, and we thought it sounded too 'heavy metal,' and the other one was Paul, so it was either James or Paul, so we went with James. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time we just thought, "Cool let's call the band 'James. ' " On 17 November 1982, on the recommendation of Mike Pickering , James played a gig at Manchester nightclub
3468-402: The song of that name), came out in February 1986 and was followed by their debut album, Stutter , in July of that year. The album reached number 68 in the UK Albums Chart . Low on money and lacking coverage and promotion, the band recorded their second album, Strip-mine , attempting a more conventional song structure in an attempt to please Sire. The album almost went unreleased, but after
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#17328732919913536-581: The studio and settled instead for a three-track EP. Their debut release, the Jimone EP , was recorded at Strawberry Studios , Stockport , in August 1983 and released on Factory Records in September. It led to the band providing support for the Smiths between February and April 1985 on the Meat is Murder tour. The Smiths covered James's "What's The World" track during this tour. Although they were now being touted as
3604-440: The studio to record the third James album. New singles " Sit Down " and " Come Home " became strong hits in the independent charts, and the latter featured on the compilation album Happy Daze . The album Gold Mother was intended to be released on Rough Trade but the owner of the label, Geoff Travis , believed James could only reach an audience of 20,000 to 30,000. The band believed they had more potential than this and bought
3672-403: The time. Eno set about bringing out the ambience in James's music, and took them through a recording process that the band later described as a "journey of self-discovery". The process resulted in not one but two albums: the "song" album Laid and the experimental Wah Wah , which showcased the band's improvised jams recorded on the spot then mixed by Eno. Booth's vocals were then added to
3740-534: The tour were expanded to seven on the day tickets went on sale (26 January) due to high demand; the whole tour had sold out by close of business. The tour took place during late April 2007, and was followed later in the year by more live shows, including festival appearances at T in the Park and V Festival . The band also appeared at Summercase , Barcelona's top music concert in Spain during July 2007. Andy Diagram also rejoined
3808-505: The tour. The albums Gold Mother , Laid , and Whiplash (each containing bonus tracks) were re-released by Mercury Records the following year, as well as a B-sides compilation entitled B-Sides Ultra . A planned compilation of material from the band's Factory and Sire years was announced in 2001, but the album, Strange Dancing , was never released. The first two James albums, Stutter and Strip-mine , were re-pressed in June 2007, but without any additional rarities. Booth continued as
3876-407: Was 90 feet (27 m) high at its apex above the railtracks. Glass covered the middle section, timber (inside) and slate (outside) covered the outer quarters. The end screens were glazed with timber boarding surrounding the outer edges. It was constructed by Andrew Handyside and Co. The substructure and masonry partition were provided by Robert Neill and Sons of Manchester. Underneath the train shed
3944-577: Was a noted piece of railway engineering and is the widest unsupported iron arch in Britain after the Barlow train shed at London St Pancras. At its height, in the 1930s, more than 400 trains passed through the station every day. The station operated for 89 years, before closing in May 1969. In 1978, the structure was acquired by Greater Manchester County Council to redevelop as a concert venue. In 1982, construction work
4012-474: Was built between 1875 and 1880 by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC), and was officially opened on 1 July 1880. The architect was Sir John Fowler and the engineers were Richard Johnson, Andrew Johnston and Charles Sacré for the three companies which formed the CLC. While it was being built, a temporary facility, Manchester Free Trade Hall Station (after the Free Trade Hall a landmark building nearby)
4080-549: Was granted Grade II* listed building status in 1963. After 89 years as a railway terminus, it closed to passengers in May 1969. It was renovated as an exhibition centre formerly known as the G-Mex Centre in 1982 and was Manchester's primary music concert venue until the construction of the Manchester Arena . After renovation the venue reverted to its former name Manchester Central in 2007. From April 2020 until March 2021,
4148-399: Was in use from 9 September 1877. It had two wooden platforms serving four tracks. When the station opened, the temporary station became Manchester Central Goods. In 1963, the building was Grade II* listed for its special architectural or historic interest. The station's roof is a single span wrought iron truss structure 550 feet (168 m) long with a span of 210 feet (64 m), and
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#17328732919914216-574: Was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986 after four years of renovation. In 2001, the Manchester International Convention Centre (MICC) was added, comprising an 804-seat auditorium and breakout rooms and the Great Northern Hall. In 2005, the company running the complex was bought by Manchester City Council . G-Mex was Manchester's primary concert venue from 1986 to 1995. Its position as a concert venue diminished after
4284-458: Was produced by Jacknife Lee . In December 2022 the band announced a UK tour with a live orchestra for 2023 to coincide with their 40th anniversary. On 23 March 2023 the band announced the release of their 17th studio album, Be Opened by the Wonderful , for 9 June 2023. The album is an all acoustic, orchestral re-working of hit singles plus the track "Love Make a Fool". On 29 September 2023,
4352-636: Was released on 2 June 2014 along with a promo single "Moving On". In July 2014, the band headlined on the Castle Stage for Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset and announced a ten date UK tour starting on 10 November, preceded by an 11 October headlining of the entertainment at the Rugby league Super League grand final at Old Trafford , performing a set before the game and in the half time show. They toured again in 2015, playing some shows without Larry Gott , who
4420-532: Was replaced by David Baynton-Power a few months later. During the following year James greatly expanded their line-up and sound palette by hiring three new members: guitarist-violinist-percussionist Saul Davies (whom Gott recruited from an amateur blues night), keyboard player Mark Hunter , and trumpeter/percussionist Andy Diagram (the latter a noted avant-garde and pop musician who had played with The Diagram Brothers, Dislocation Dance, The Cotton Singers and Pale Fountains ). This new seven-piece line-up went into
4488-489: Was subsequently renamed Manchester Central, in honour of its railway history. The undercroft was converted into a car park, serving the centre and Bridgewater Hall . The opening, in 1992, of the Metrolink light rail system has seen the conversion of suburban heavy rail lines such as the former Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway to Altrincham and the disused Cheshire Lines Committee route via Didsbury . With
4556-417: Was taking a break from touring: Adrian Oxaal re-joined the band for the duration of the tour (with the former Oceansize guitarist Mike Vennart covering for him for one show at Bingley Live), and would subsequently replace Gott in the active lineup. Keyboard technician Ron Yeadon, formerly of Unkle Bob , also appeared on stage, singing backing vocals; he later joined the band as a backing vocalist. In 2016,
4624-445: Was undertaken by Alfred McAlpine . It was the centrepiece of the regeneration plan for the area and wider Castlefield district. The hall covered 10,000 m (110,000 sq ft) and could be partitioned into various sized units for different exhibitions. Initial construction work concentrated on repairing the derelict structure and re-pointing brickwork which took 18 months. The Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre or G-Mex Centre
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