please empty your brain below
When you see what they've done at Shepherd's Bush in terms of open space and airiness, it's rather disappointing that Bluewater is as drab as it is. You'd think being in a quarry outside of town they could spare a bit more space for "openness" than they did. Shopping malls will always be difficult places to get along with, so any attempt to make it less horrific is always welcome.

Chz | 09.01.12 - 7:39 a.m. | #

You must have had a long day there if you didn't get the bus until after 3.30pm.

Brian | 09.01.12 - 8:40 a.m. | #

Looking at your link on the word "film", I noticed that every "film" that was showing had 'digital projection' after the title. Maybe a more correct sentence would be,"throw in a meal somewhere, maybe a movie....." 2012 is expected to see the end of 35mm film being used to show pictures in most cinemas.

John | 09.01.12 - 9:17 a.m. | #

Stratford City isn't the largest shopping mall in Europe; it's the largest urban shopping mall in Europe. It's considerably smaller than Bluewater, which is not urban.

Mike Scott | 09.01.12 - 9:46 a.m. | #

Isn't the MetroCentre in Gateshead still the largest by most measures?

Andrew | 09.01.12 - 10:09 a.m. | #

yes, for measuring shopping centre sizethere are lots of different criteria, total floorspace (inc storage etc) or total floorspace available to the public are the main ones. Westfield is really a third generation shopping centre for this country, the second generation was in the late 70s like Brent Cross but the very first one was Elephant & Castle in the early 60s, like anything else shopping centre design changes over the years.

amber | 09.01.12 - 11:18 a.m. | #

Past Times is one of those shops that was more akin to a National Trust giftshop, but attached to a shopping centre instead of a NT property. Pity they've gone bust tho, where else can I buy stuff for little old ladies?

Steve | 09.01.12 - 1:57 p.m. | #

Very noble of you, DG, to go to Bluewater so that we don't have to.

Veronica 1 | 09.01.12 - 6:29 p.m. | #

Aha... I was wondering what you were doing at Bluewater on a Saturday morning!

swirlythingy | Homepage | 10.01.12 - 12:35 p.m. | #

I used to live near the Elephant and Castle shopping centre in the 70's. It was horrible, dirty and gloomy and not very child-friendly. No lift for your pushchair or any easy to find toilets from what I can remember. I only went there cos of Tescos.

SurreyGirl | 10.01.12 - 9:36 p.m. | #

as I pointed out, Elephant & Castle was the very first one, shopping centre planners have learnt from early experience and the newer centres don't have the faults you mention, though now they're much bigger which brings other problems....

amber | 11.01.12 - 10:34 a.m. | #











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