(02 Jul 2020, 9:22 pm)BusLoverMum Yeah, their filter coffee is good. I bought a big bag of their ground coffee with my lunch order. The single origin one they do is a lovely light roast. A strong milky bucket of that has me ready to be vaguely sociable, in the morning.

(02 Jul 2020, 7:31 pm)BusLoverMum Another raft of restaurants disappearing

Newcastle restaurants to close as Bella Italia owner goes into administration

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-restaurants-close-bella-italia-18532114#ICID=Android_ChronicleNewsApp_AppShare

Pret have also announced that they won't be reopening their monument or Metrocentre stores. I bought a lot in their Haymarket store, this morning. I'd be gutted if they folded, too.

(04 Jul 2020, 4:36 pm)Metroline1511 I am saddened that Pret have started closing stores.  I used the one at Haymarket for breakfast on my most recent visit to the area, in 2017.

(10 Jun 2020, 12:55 pm)Andreos1 It was a few years ago, but I was reading something about the ghost malls in America. Starting to wonder if we will follow that trend too. 

One I don't mind, is The Oracle in Reading. Not sure if it's the design or because of its location by the river - but it has something about it that intu centres don't.
It's been a while since I was there, but the two in Nottingham that intu have, were pretty awful.

It doesn't seem too long ago, that the metro centre had independent retailers and stores. There was a sweetshop by the old cinema, the tat shop next door, a couple of places to buy stuff for my Amiga... That's just off the top of my head. 
Now, it's pretty much the same store in every town centre and shopping centre up and down the country. As you say, it's identikit.

(05 Jul 2020, 10:52 am)Adrian One of the biggest things for me is that both the Metrocentre and Eldon Square just fell into intu's bland corporate identity, rather than having their own unique quirks about them. Of course, they'd have needed a refurb anyway, but you can do that without losing all sense of identity. The Metrocentre used to have all the greenery everywhere, the 'street stalls' and of course the hot air balloons. It gave it a bit of an outdoor feel, which the village added to.

You of course also had Metroland, which I believe was completely unique at least in Europe... having a theme park inside a shopping mall. I know for a lot of people, it used to serve as a place to leave the kids to entertain themselves, whilst the parents went shopping.

I think the sweetshop is still where it used to be in the blue, but I am almost certain a second one has opened (perhaps in the yellow?), but there is not much else in the way of independent shops. They're a big miss for me, and something that would attract me to use a shopping centre. You've got no chance though with the sky high rents that the intu charge. They're not the only ones mind, as even the likes of the Bridges and Galleries are struggling on that front. Long gone are the days of finding independent record stores and grabbing bargains! 

I can remember the computer shop that used to be in the red mall upstairs? Can't think of the name of it. You also had the games shop that was in the bus station, next door to the Chinese takeaway and the bookies.

(05 Jul 2020, 10:52 am)Adrian One of the biggest things for me is that both the Metrocentre and Eldon Square just fell into intu's bland corporate identity, rather than having their own unique quirks about them. Of course, they'd have needed a refurb anyway, but you can do that without losing all sense of identity. The Metrocentre used to have all the greenery everywhere, the 'street stalls' and of course the hot air balloons. It gave it a bit of an outdoor feel, which the village added to.

You of course also had Metroland, which I believe was completely unique at least in Europe... having a theme park inside a shopping mall. I know for a lot of people, it used to serve as a place to leave the kids to entertain themselves, whilst the parents went shopping.

I think the sweetshop is still where it used to be in the blue, but I am almost certain a second one has opened (perhaps in the yellow?), but there is not much else in the way of independent shops. They're a big miss for me, and something that would attract me to use a shopping centre. You've got no chance though with the sky high rents that the intu charge. They're not the only ones mind, as even the likes of the Bridges and Galleries are struggling on that front. Long gone are the days of finding independent record stores and grabbing bargains! 

I can remember the computer shop that used to be in the red mall upstairs? Can't think of the name of it. You also had the games shop that was in the bus station, next door to the Chinese takeaway and the bookies.

(05 Jul 2020, 10:52 am)Adrian One of the biggest things for me is that both the Metrocentre and Eldon Square just fell into intu's bland corporate identity, rather than having their own unique quirks about them. Of course, they'd have needed a refurb anyway, but you can do that without losing all sense of identity. The Metrocentre used to have all the greenery everywhere, the 'street stalls' and of course the hot air balloons. It gave it a bit of an outdoor feel, which the village added to.

You of course also had Metroland, which I believe was completely unique at least in Europe... having a theme park inside a shopping mall. I know for a lot of people, it used to serve as a place to leave the kids to entertain themselves, whilst the parents went shopping.

I think the sweetshop is still where it used to be in the blue, but I am almost certain a second one has opened (perhaps in the yellow?), but there is not much else in the way of independent shops. They're a big miss for me, and something that would attract me to use a shopping centre. You've got no chance though with the sky high rents that the intu charge. They're not the only ones mind, as even the likes of the Bridges and Galleries are struggling on that front. Long gone are the days of finding independent record stores and grabbing bargains! 

I can remember the computer shop that used to be in the red mall upstairs? Can't think of the name of it. You also had the games shop that was in the bus station, next door to the Chinese takeaway and the bookies.

(08 Jul 2020, 10:35 pm)BusLoverMum I think the computer store was called byte, or something like that. 

(14 Jul 2020, 11:45 am)TEN 6083 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/face-masks-compulsory-shops-next-18592071

Face masks will be compulsory in shops from next week or you'll face a £100 fine


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(14 Jul 2020, 11:45 am)TEN 6083 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/face-masks-compulsory-shops-next-18592071

Face masks will be compulsory in shops from next week or you'll face a £100 fine


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(06 Aug 2020, 7:03 am)BusLoverMum More Swiss cheese on the high street with M&Co going into administration. I don't believe the ever intended on staying in the former markses store in Durham, mind. Same as with the old bhs store. 
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mco-permanently-closes-county-durham-18718999

(06 Aug 2020, 12:48 pm)MurdnunoC Haven't they been in administration before. I'm sure I remember stores closing a few years ago.

(21 Oct 2020, 10:45 am)cbma06 Since Eldon Square has been purchased , but Metrocentre hasn’t been purchased by any buyers as of yet, I wonder what will happen to the site complex if there’s no buyers?


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(26 Oct 2020, 8:23 am)cbma06 Leading shopping centre operators, Sovereign Centros, will today take over the running of Intu’s largest asset, the Metrocentre in Gateshead, heralding a new era for the premier North-East retail and leisure destination.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/18818766.new-buyer-found-metrocentre/?fbclid=IwAR01rIg6GBw7Dv3VXlW4TRcE2a5KJgPHnXMJrba1Az3txVFmPcmZW5kMREw


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(26 Oct 2020, 4:49 pm)Storx Sovereign's biggest centre is St Enoch which has a Hamleys which is probably how the Metro Centre has got one all of a sudden. 

(30 Oct 2020, 11:21 am)Rob44 I think its a "pop up" hamleys at the Metrocentre