The BCFA’s Northern Dinner took place on 21st April 2022 in the newly refurbished Hallé St Peters, Ancoats, Manchester. This magical venue provided the perfect backdrop to a long-awaited evening, and it was clear that members and guests were delighted to finally join the BCFA to enjoy great food, wonderful people and exceptional entertainment.
It was a glorious spring evening, and the sun shone boldly through the breath-taking stain glass windows of the former church, now the permanent rehearsal centre for the Hallé ensembles. The construction of St Peter’s used mill technology with brick and narrow iron beams creating a light and spacious building, with impressive acoustics.
This year, we saw the introduction of Design Insider’s seeded cards, placed on tables for guests to bookmark Design Insider Live. These we’re a lovely addition to the evening and offered a thoughtful keepsake from the evening.
After a smooth entrance and a buzzing drinks reception, everyone was seated for Jeremy Stein’s heartfelt speech. Having noted that the Northern Dinner had been postponed twice due to COVID, Jeremy expressed how pleased The BCFA were to finally be spending the evening in such a beautiful place. As drinks were poured and conversations began, guests we’re swiftly served a three-course meal. The food went down a treat and everyone was delighted by the selection.
The Silver Service Singers came as a surprise to many of us and provided joyous post-dinner entertainment. With guests singing along to old time classics, the room lit up with laughter, dancing and a sea of swinging napkins. The crowd soon morphed into a 150 people long conga line in commemoration of Nadia Hussain’s final event with the BCFA. After 6 years in the BCFA, working her way up to Marketing and Events Manager, Nadia has worked tirelessly to deliver unique and memorable events for our industry, and the Northern Dinner 2022 proved a true testimony to all her hard work.
Guests then took to the twinkling dancefloor at the top of the venue and danced the rest of the night away. With a stunning view of the room, lit up with fairy lights and a soft glow from the stain glass windows, the atmosphere was magical until the very end of the night.
This year’s Northern Dinner was a true success and we’re looking forward to our next BCFA event, Glasgow Networking and Mini Pop-Up on 5th May. We’d like to thank our Sponsors, Agua Fabrics, Ege Carpets, Roca, Sanipex and Vescom. We would also like to thank those who attended, for making this an evening to remember.
Please see below for a gallery of images. You can find more images on The BCFA Facebook.
