Comments on: Guardian Exchange: Manchester’s Cold War bunkers

By: 1goatie

1goatie — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:12:04 +0000

I worked in a building overlooking the main entrance on George St from 1999-2007, and I saw (and had other people I worked with tell me) that big articulated lorries would draw up every 6 months or so, and off load their supplies inside; dont know what it means, but it doesnt sound like a de-commissioned base.

By: Stupot

Stupot — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:48:48 +0000

its interesting to know that such a site exist, especially so close to home but what i find intriguing the goverments and militarys recent interest in the location. From my own research and many others like yourselfs, it seems to me like they are performing some kind of renovation and it makes you think with all this talk about 2012. im not much of a conspiracy thoeryiest but i haveto say something is coming and they know it. im not saying anything about the end of the world because in my opinion thats just a load of bollox, but… and this is a big but over the past half a century if not longer there has be a source of power within our goverments and many major world organisations working behind the scenes in secrecy pushing the world towards some sort of revolt (human revolution) on scale unseen on earth for thousands of years.

anyway take care be love and keep the peace :)

By: Jeff Powell

Jeff Powell — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:59:48 +0000

To Simon and others interested in the Post Office Telecoms/BT’s Gaurdian Exchange underground exchange

My Father was involved in the building of the Guardian Exchange and its set up in the late 60s/70s. I would very much like to make contact with the relatives of anyone who worked in this Exchange. Please contact me on pamandjeffp@yahoo.co.uk.

Many thanks

jeff

By: the sound of the underground | in a town so small there’s no escape from view

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:11:33 +0000

[...] of the network of tunnels which run underneath manchester. from the supposed nuclear bunker of the guardian telephone exchange which runs underneath the city, to the tunnels around deansgate, i find it fascinating. in a city [...]

By: MickeyD

MickeyD — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:17:49 +0000

Guardian Video now on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8DsOUtpzTI

By: MickeyD

MickeyD — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:16:16 +0000

Guardian video now uploaded onto YouTube see link above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8DsOUtpzTI

By: E Clucas

E Clucas — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:59:53 +0000

I worked on the instalation group (EL@P)in the 50,s lighting @ power supplies.Had to turn out one week end to repair main cables after a crane had accidently dropped a iron casting in a yard at the back of York St.

By: Barry

Barry — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:59:37 +0000

I visited Guardian in the mid 70’s when I was an apprentice in the GPO. We entered the tunnels via the cable chamber in Irwell House, Chapel Street through a vertical shaft via staggered galvanised steel stair cases secured on criss-cross platforms of the same material. It seemed to take ages to get the the bottom and then we walked through signposted tunnels (tubular about 7′ diameter with a flat bottom) with cable bearers on either side. We finally made it to Piccadilly and surfaced (having walked through the actual “Gaurdian Exchange” behind the doormans lodge in the Telephone Buildings in York St. An exciting experience.

Barry.

PS. Pioneer is (was!) actually an automatic trunk exchange built above ground in Dial House again on Chapel St.

By: Lee Howarth

Lee Howarth — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:23:43 +0000

I used to work in the guardian exchange back in the mid nineties.
I was installing fibre networks for BT. It is no big secret but I doubt many people will get the chance to go down and have a snoop it just isn’t safe enough. There are no intended occupants, it wouldnt protect anybody against a thermonuclear blast, it was designed for much smaller blasts as a method of maintaining communications for the government. I believe they did a tour a few years back for some society of manchester. It was a fascinating place to work and had a real cold war feel to it, id love to go back but that would never happen.

By: jim

jim — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:13:29 +0000

new building being built behind compound at Lockton Close, a lot of work going into it and reenforcing steel inside. and top floor maisonette num 45 directly opposite FOR SALE which is strange thought they were all council properties.