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Stretford Arndale Centre will not mean much to folks outside Manchester, but its story is the same as many other shopping centres in Britain.
Built in the late 60s, the Arndale was a huge success at first, and was a day out for the people of Manchester and surrounding areas - a fabulous American style mall, and we all loved it. Its popularity gradually tailed off however, due to the opening of the bigger and better Manchester (city centre) Arndale, and later the even better Trafford Centre.
Now, Stretford Arndale is about to be demolished, sold by the council to housebuilders - another bit of the country's civic property sold.
The Arndale eventually got renamed 'Stretford Mall' in a modernisation attempt. Parts of it had been closed off for many years and left untouched, still with 1980s shop fronts and fittings.
www.theskyliner.org
Built in the late 60s, the Arndale was a huge success at first, and was a day out for the people of Manchester and surrounding areas - a fabulous American style mall, and we all loved it. Its popularity gradually tailed off however, due to the opening of the bigger and better Manchester (city centre) Arndale, and later the even better Trafford Centre.
Now, Stretford Arndale is about to be demolished, sold by the council to housebuilders - another bit of the country's civic property sold.
The Arndale eventually got renamed 'Stretford Mall' in a modernisation attempt. Parts of it had been closed off for many years and left untouched, still with 1980s shop fronts and fittings.
The Ghosts of Stretford Mall — Skyliner: Alternative Tours of Manchester
The forgotten shops of Stretford Mall, an exploration with Shirley Bainbridge.
www.theskyliner.org