Sankeys

Located in what used to be a soap factory in the Victorian Beehive Mill on Jersey Street, Sankeys was originally opened as Sankeys Soap in 1994 by Andy Spiro and Rupert Campbell. They were considered quite naive to be opening a club/live music venue in the heart of the most rundown area in Manchester. It was not a place that people would be walking by on a night out or even probably during the day for that matter. After almost going bankrupt after 6 months the club managed to take off until closing in 1998.

However, in 2000 David Vincent re-opened the club and got it back on it's feet again winning Event of the Year in 2003 with a huge warehouse party. By 2006 David Vincent had left the club due to a rift in management and Sankeys Soap was once again closed.

David Vincent had however not given up on the place, he opened a new space in the Beehive Mill, dropped the soap part and joined forces with original owner and founder Andrew Spiro. They are both now considered as national heritage along with the club after its achievements up until now as it was recognised by a national museum for a club being culturally significant to a UK city and also crowned No. 1 in DJ Mag's Top 100 clubs in 2010.

As Ancoats is currently well known as the area hosting the famous club Sankeys I feel this is an important factor to consider in my research and the idea that it becomes alive at night, it is the spirit of Ancoats' nightlife.

For more infortmation on Sankeys history visit : http://www.sankeys.info/info/history/