Long before Soho House had set its sights on Manchester, there was an exclusive private members club that would go on to change the city's social scene. The Circle club launched in 2001 in the basement of the Barton Arcade on Deansgate and fast became the place that everyone wanted to see and be seen.
Access was via a hidden door on a back alley at the rear of the Victorian shopping mall. Heading down the steps into an opulent underground club space with leather booths and a late, late licence meaning you might not stagger out again until dawn.
The club was initially launched by fashion stylist Dominic Apenteng, who alongside broadcaster Deepa Parekh, had the idea of establishing a "creative space for creative people". Membership was initially restricted to media and creative industries.
