Thursday, December 12, 2024

All the shops that were in the Broadmarsh Centre when it opened

Must read

The remains of the Broadmarsh Centre could be seen by some as a grim metaphor for Nottingham in 2024. The city we all love is skint and despite a lot of effort, the remnants of the hulking great building looms over one of the main pedestrian gateways into the city.

There is some hope though, despite a critical lack of funding. The Green Heart is on its way, in theory, and there’s plenty of other work ongoing in the Lister Gate area that should hopefully give the area a boost.




It wasn’t always that way though. Those who travelled to the city on the train used to walk through a thriving shopping centre full of big-name brands, many of whom no longer grace any UK high street.

We thought we’d look back at the Broadmarsh Centre’s glory days, when it first opened in 1974 and the official launch party for the city’s exciting new shopping experience a year later. The opening ceremony was performed by the Duke of Gloucester – outside Dolcis – on March 25 that year.

The entrance to the Broadmarsh Centre just after it opened in 1975

But what was there to attract shoppers to this new mall? The main draw in the centre was a large Cooperative store which had soft furnishings, electrical goods, hosiery and other goods, as well as a restaurant.

But there were plenty of other shops to choose from, too. They included:

Choice (lighting and homeware). This was on the entrance to the shopping centre from Drury Walk, directly opposite the old Bench and Bar pub.

The Drury Walk entrance to the Broadmarsh Centre in the 1970s, showing Choice
(Image: Nottingham City Council and www.picturethepast.org.uk)

Currys (electrical). Still very much going, but not in the Broadmarsh.

Latest article