By Dominic Ponsford Daily Express and Daily Star journalists are
holding a “wake” to mark the closure after 79 years of the titles’
Manchester offices in Great Ancoats Street.
In 1980 more than 300 journalists worked out of the offices when the Daily Star, launched in 1978, was completely based there.
In
recent years just three journalists have worked out of the offices, and
following the closure in August, they all now work from home.
The gathering starts at 3pm on Friday, 9 December, in the recently re-opened Crown and Kettle pub.
One
long-serving Express journalist said: “The pub will be remembered with
fondness by hundreds of executives, reporters, subs, inkies and other
staff because it played such a large part in their working lives.
“Many staff were said to spend more time in the pub than they did in the office.
“It
was not unknown for someone to pick up a piece of paper and make out
they were just nipping to another department, when in fact they would
charge down to the Crown.
“There they would have a quick pint and be back before anyone noticed.”
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