IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
George Leigh Street, MANCHESTER, M4 5DL

Grade II* listed. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-388153-daily-express-building-

Grade II listed. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-388153-daily-express-building-

This redeveloped block incorporates, as part of the design, a gantry which would have featured in the original building.

The Mancunian example of the "house style" once favoured by Express newspapers for their editorial and printing sites in the days of "hot metal" newspaper production. Passers-by could see exactly what was involved in printing a paper as the key production processes were easily visible through the wide expanses of glass. Until the 1970s, newspapers produced at this and other Manchester sites would be drayed to Manchester Victoria station for rail transport across the north of England and further afield: Sunday papers would be carried as far as Aberdeen. Newspapers are now printed at various local centres with later deadlines and far lower transport costs.

This large black building on Great Ancoats Street used to be the printing works for the northern editions of the Daily Express. It one of three buildings (the others were in London and Glasgow) commissioned in the 1930s for the Daily Express. The London building opened in 1931, followed by the Glasgow building in 1937 and the Manchester building in 1939. All three buildings are very similar in design, this one is a Grade II* listed building (Historic England List Entry Number: 1218285 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1218285 ). When I used to pass this building on the bus into Manchester, during the 1960s, you could look through the glass curtain wall and see the printing presses working inside; however, after the Express had vacated the building by the end of the 1980s, the glass was changed to a reflective, mirrored surface so now you see a reflection of Great Ancoats Street. It has recently been converted to apartments and is now branded as “the Express Building”.

This is an old pub, but it had a recent spell of closure. It is good to see it open again and serving good beer. Abbeyvale was the best on my recent visit.

A classic Art Deco building, photographed during a student visit from the Liverpool University School of Architecture. Now Listed Grade II*. Compare with https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6372375