In this episode of Manchester Scene Stories, I sit down with Rafe, the founder of two of Manchester’s most unique venues: The Temple of Convenience and Big Hands.
Hidden beneath street level on Great Bridgewater Street, The Temple of Convenience began life as a Victorian public toilet before being transformed into one of Manchester’s most unusual bars in 1996. With space for just around 35 people, the tiny underground venue quickly became a cult spot where musicians, DJs, artists and night owls would collide late into the night.
Rafe explains how the idea first came to him in the early 1990s when Manchester City Council closed dozens of public toilets across the city due to funding cuts. Fascinated by these forgotten spaces, he began researching them and eventually approached the council with a plan to convert one into a bar.
The result was The Temple of Convenience — a welcoming underground venue known for its atmosphere, its eclectic jukebox, and the kind of unpredictable nights that defined Manchester nightlife. The jukebox itself was inspired by evenings spent drinking at Corbières before heading out to clubs like The Ritz, Berlin and Isadora’s.
Over the years the Temple hosted countless memorable nights and characters. Rafe even cooked food there for Mark E. Smith of The Fall, and recalls visits from Tony Wilson and many other familiar faces from Manchester’s music scene.
But the Temple was only the beginning.
Rafe later opened Big Hands on Oxford Road, inside the building that once housed Chambers nightclub. Big Hands became known for its sweaty late-night atmosphere, DJ sets, live music and its famous beer garden — now a favourite meeting place for Manchester music fans.
In this conversation we talk about:
• How The Temple of Convenience was created from an underground public toilet
• The legendary jukebox that shaped the venue’s music culture
• Early nights and chaotic opening parties
• Encounters with musicians and Manchester music figures
• The creation of Big Hands and its early days
• Cabaret nights, wild performances and unforgettable stories
• Manchester nightlife in the 1990s
• Rafe’s new creative platform designed to support artists
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