Now, with the passage of the decades it will become more difficult to find people who parked up in GMex.
In fact even the name GMex will be passing out of the collective memory as the place is now the Manchester Central Convention Complex, which may describe perfectly what the building does, but somehow doesn’t have the same appeal as GMex.
It’s time as a car park was not that long and for most of its existence this was Central Railway Station.
I just missed being able to catch a train from the station which closed in May 1969 just five months before I washed up in the city.
Instead I had to content myself with a visit about ten years later, when instead of trains there were cars.
I took quite a few pictures on that day, of which this is one.
It would be another seven years before I returned by which time work was well underway to transform it from an old railway station/car park into a conference centre but that as they say is another story.
Location; Manchester
Picture; Central Station, 1979, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
It’s time as a car park was not that long and for most of its existence this was Central Railway Station.
I just missed being able to catch a train from the station which closed in May 1969 just five months before I washed up in the city.
Instead I had to content myself with a visit about ten years later, when instead of trains there were cars.
I took quite a few pictures on that day, of which this is one.
It would be another seven years before I returned by which time work was well underway to transform it from an old railway station/car park into a conference centre but that as they say is another story.
Location; Manchester
Picture; Central Station, 1979, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
Having lived in Urmston from 1947 till 1970, I must have used Central Station quite often, although most trips that were too far for buses (e.g. Blackpool) were probably by car or by coach from Lower Mosely Street bus station or Higher Road (Urmston) bus depot. My dad had a car from the early 50s (not because he was well off but because he worked in engineering & enjoyed car mainenance). We also had a neighbour who drove a coach & got a few trips with him when there were seats going spare. I seem to recall going on a school trip from Central Station to Liverpool and I guess that would be one of the main destinations from there. At school we had a number of pupils who travelled in from Irlam, Cadishead & beyond, who used to use the train to Urmston on that line. At some point the trains must have switched from steam to deisel. My main train journeys were on the electric line from Stretford to Timperley on the line that is now the Metro. That started out from London Road (now Piccadilly) or Oxford Road.
ReplyDeleteI went to a concert there. Dudley Moore with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Fabulous evening marred by the NCP car park being locked at midnight. Had to get back to Chester and return the next day to collect the car.
ReplyDeleteI went on a coach holiday to the south of France in around 78. The pick up spot was Central Station, as was. I recall that the wooden ticket barriers and booths were still in place at the time. Went to a few gigs there years later too.
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