Scenehitter

Perhaps the powers that be at G-MEX, sorry Manchester Central, only want politicians booking the hall for their conferences. Seems to have gone downhill since they changed the name of the venue anyway. Bolton has an arena and exhibition centre as part of the Middlebrook/Reebok Stadium complex with railway station and cheaper hotels. not that I am biased but it is on my doorstep...

Where in Leeds? I noticed that the Glasgow show has also moved into a shopping centre, like Milton Keynes. The Reebok Stadium is part of the big development on the outskirts of Bolton known as Middlebrook which is a large shopping centre that makes the area always busy and ideal for enticing people who might not always go to a Collectormnia event. It would certainly get the publicity from the local press that seemed to be absent from the oh-so-cool Manchester Evening News.

That's a real shame after taking the plunge and coming to Manchester in the first place. I know that G-MEX was taken over by the council in 2005 and they have lost staff as a consequence. As well as changing the name of the venue there are plans to do building work inside and outside - remember the disruptuion to GMEX 1 because the toilets were being done? It's always a fact of life that a big venue such as G-MEX will favour the trade shows over public shows. There is a smaller Exhibition hall 15 miles from G-MEX in the Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers, which regularly stages Collector and Antique fairs. It is only available when there is no football game - looking at the fixture list it is free on March 10th weekend. It is next to the M61 motorway, has free parking, has a railway station nearby and several hotels within walking distance including a 4-star hotel at the venue for the guests! The hotel itself has a large conference facility to save building rooms for the guest talks. i am not biased but it is also 2 miles from where I live.

Well Hel-lo (in my best Leslie Philips voice)

G-MEX are also going back into the concert business again with 2 Morrissey shows in December. Do you think he would come along to sign stuff? Nah! Gary Barlow might, he has an autobiography to promote and mentions G-MEX in it. Or how about Peter Kay?

Relax - I hope there will be many to come and as many as possible. it's just that The G-MEX Centre, to give its full name, will cease to be from next spring. It is due to be renamed as Manchester Central Convention Complex. Just a thought for your website link I would personally like to see Showmasters take over the whole place - imagine seeing somebody like Patrick Stewart or Leonard Nimoy speaking in the 800-seat auditorium.