For in some ways the world was like a shopping centre, and he himself was a doubtful customer, often ineffectual, being talked into buying things he didn't want, things indeed which nobody in their right mind would want to buy.
Margaret Mahy - The Catalogue of the Universe
About a 15-minute bus ride, or 5 minutes by train, from Blaydon lies the Gateshead Metrocentre.
It first opened its many, many doors in 1986. At the time, the Centre was a visitor attraction for people in the area even if they didn’t wish to shop there. It was of a scale that attracted attention. At the time, Newcastle’s Eldon Square was the only other shopping mall of any size. Yet, the Metrocentre dwarfed it. So large that a couple of years after opening, it encompassed an entirely enclosed theme park called Metroland above the ground-floor shops. Europe’s largest indoor amusement park featured a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, pirate ship, waltzers, a miniature railway and dodgem cars among its rides. I recall visiting the Metrocentre in those early days and feeling very disconcerted as the roller coaster swooped and soared above my head.
That fairground has now gone, making way for an upper floor with more shops, a restaurant area, and a 17-screen cinema. On my recent visit, I counted as many restaurants as there were cinema screens, all sitting cheek by jowl competing for custom. And on my visit, given the paucity of diners, competing they were.
So why did I visit this complex? I’m not one for such massive out-of-town shopping places. Whenever practicable, I will frequent local shops to meet my needs. However, I left my last home with scant furniture and needed a bookcase, table, chairs, a small sofa, and a single bed for the guest room. I was happy to purchase the first three items in a second-hand shop whose proceeds go to charity. As is often the case with such furniture, the items I bought are well-made and well-cared for. I guess that is why the name used for such things these days is pre-loved. However, as pre-loved as older items might have been, I felt I should purchase a new sofa and bed. For this reason, I ventured to the Metrocentre in search of said items.
I recalled from those early visits in the 1980s a thriving centre with bustling crowds and busy shops. That was not the case on this visit. The malls (now two, one on top of the other) make a cross pattern with each section labelled red, blue, yellow, green, and platinum. Those malls almost echoed the sound of my footsteps. The circa three hundred shops were quiet, and indeed, just as with any high street, a number were now vacant, hoping for tenancy. It was a living testament to people moving away from shopping in these vast, anonymous centre complexes. The busiest place was the coffee shop outside the mega cinema, with people waiting for their performance to begin.
At its opening, the car user was very much in mind in the design and layout of the Metrocentre, with ample parking around the complex. That’s not to say that those using public transport are not now well served with the opening of a large bus station and a small railway station. As mentioned earlier, I can reach the Metrocentre by bus or train from Blaydon. Given I am now entitled to State Benefits because of my age, then for me, the former is free, and the latter costs only 50p. But, of course, the drawback is that without a car, it limits what one can carry. Thus, while well served by public transport, people do not make much use of it to visit unless, if like me, they are seeking bulky items that require delivery. As with the coffee shop, I also suspect many public transport users visit the centre to see something at the cinema.
The rent for the shops in the Centre is high. And, of course, energy costs have climbed too. Given the current economic climate and its impact on potential customers, one wonders what future there might be for the Centre. Ownership changed in 2020 after the collapse of the then-holding company due to the Covid lockdown devastating their income.
I did come across this alternative, ‘Angel of the North’ in the Centre. The Sculpture, by Scottish contemporary artist Alexander Millar, is called simply ‘The Angel’. Maybe the new owners will need his ‘celestial’ help….
Interesting reflections, Harry ... we are seeing very few of these large, out-of-town complexes over here in France (they are there, of course, but often in much smaller scale as a commercial centre in a small to medium size town) but that means that village life survives intact, with markets, small village shops, the ubiquitous boulangerie, of course. I hope you got the items you were after and home is starting to take shape. Warm regards as ever,
Barrie