Nightclub
IT is the only nightclub within Cheshire’s ‘golden triangle’ - the playground of footballers, millionaires and famous faces.
So, as you might expect for the bar with the latest licence in this fertile territory, there have been plenty of intriguing guests and champagnefuelled revels since Symposium opened in Wilmslow 18 months ago.
For the club’s owners, Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor-Dawson, 36, and his business partner George Yiannis, 32, it has been a huge learning curve.
But the pals are both proud to have brought a live music venue and late night club back to the Cheshire town where they both grew up.
Ashley says: “This is the first time we’d both done this. I’d been around bars and the music industry all my life, but actually running a place, understanding your market and the people around you is key.
“I think after a year, finally, we’re getting there. But at the start we were just running around like headless chickens. It was sink or swim then, but we really did put our heart and soul into it.” George jokes: “And we haven’t actually killed each other yet. We haven’t even had an argument”. While they regularly attract celebrities and VIPs through their doors, they insist they never set out to be a ‘VIP venue.’ Ashley says: “Anyone who comes through your door should be treated the same, and that’s exactly how it is here. I think people feel like they’re part of the place. I don’t like the whole VIP thing. “The best thing about this place is that people – whoever they are – feel quite happy chilling by the bar, they don’t get hassled, there’s a nice vibe.” George adds: “It’s not a pretentious, glamorous venue as much as it is a classy, personal venue.” But they found their venue in the national spotlight in September last year when former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney was caught drink-driving in Wilmlsow after a night of revels with ‘party girl’ Laura Simpson that ended in Symposium before his drive home. In the aftermath, reporters were camped outside the venue and Ashley says he was besieged by phone calls. He says about the situation now: “I knew Wayne was in our venue, I’d spoken to him that night, but nothing happened in here. “You do get hounded by the press, that’s the game I’m in, but there was Symposium owner George Yiannis