Marks and spencer Swansea

[exiledclaseboy]

When would that have been, after the likes of Amazon flooded the market with cheaper goods or maybe after the councils in their infinate wisdom granted permission for out of town retail outlets to spring up everywhere with free parking. All of the above sounding the death nell for city centres. We all had a choice, the majority chose the cheaper, easier option. Personally I hate shopping on line, and as has been said already, the shops that have survived dont carry the amount or variety of stock they used to. It is what it is, city centres need to evolve to suit the needs of a newer type of customer. It doesnt stop us mourning (not moaning about) what has now dispearing before our eyes.

I agree.

 

[Cooperman]

That post will probably need some context for anyone to see the point you're making.

If it's that Shrewsbury town centre is really good for retail in contrast to Swansea, a quick look would suggest being the only decent sized town in Shropshire would help, as would it remaining untouched in WW2, making it a far more appealing town centre to visit (over 660 listed buildings!).

I don’t think we can tie this back to Swansea getting smashed The Blitz. This all starts with the mindset of the council.

 

[Cooperman]

I thought that was what you were getting at. I've spent a fair amount of time in Exeter over the years and their city centre is quite vibrant.

Rob Stewart seems to have other ideas, mainly accommodation based.

Exeter, Bath, Canterbury, Cambridge… I’m thinking of all the places we visited when my kids were picking universities. It hit home then how nice things could be.

 

[Smurph]

Exeter, Bath, Canterbury, Cambridge… I’m thinking of all the places we visited when my kids were picking universities. It hit home then how nice things could be.

Add Bournemouth, Plymouth and Bristol to the list. Even Warrington has a better city centre than Swansea.

 

[Jack2jack]

I don’t think we can tie this back to Swansea getting smashed The Blitz. This all starts with the mindset of the council.

It didnt help mind, but you have to wonder, with almost a blank canvas to work with how we've ended up were we are today Don't get me wrong there are some good bits, I just cant help thinking we've missed so many opportunities.

 

[Smurph]

I don’t think we can tie this back to Swansea getting smashed The Blitz. This all starts with the mindset of the council.

The city centre was quite a vibrant place at one point. It's been run in to the ground for whatever reason.

We've lost House of Fraser, Debenhams, Zara and now M&S. I've probably missed a few off that list.

 

[Cooperman]

The city centre was quite a vibrant place at one point. It's been run in to the ground for whatever reason.

We've lost House of Fraser, Debenhams, Zara and now M&S. I've probably missed a few off that list.

I remember it from my toddler days forty odd years ago. My parents would make a once a month trip into Swansea, we would be there from 10am to 4pm and be ‘shopping’ for all that time, with the exception of lunch in Debenhams. I couldn’t occupy myself for more than an hour these days.

 

[Cooperman]

It didnt help mind, but you have to wonder, with almost a blank canvas to work with how we've ended up were we are today Don't get me wrong there are some good bits, I just cant help thinking we've missed so many opportunities.

And the biggest miss of the lot is not exploiting and marketing the coastline.

 

[Smurph]

I remember it from my toddler days forty odd years ago. My parents would make a once a month trip into Swansea, we would be there from 10am to 4pm and be ‘shopping’ for all that time, with the exception of lunch in Debenhams. I couldn’t occupy myself for more than an hour these days.

It's an hour longer than me

Always loved stopping in the Windsor for a chip, rissole and gravy dinner.

 

[Cooperman]

It's an hour longer than me

Always loved stopping in the Windsor for a chip, rissole and gravy dinner.

I don’t know why it was always Debenhams, I shall have to ask my parents. I can see myself sat there now eating fish fingers, beans and chips. Still a meal of champions today

 

[Jack2jack]

The city centre was quite a vibrant place at one point. It's been run in to the ground for whatever reason.

We've lost House of Fraser, Debenhams, Zara and now M&S. I've probably missed a few off that list.

It's a consequence of many factors, as have been discussed above. I do think after the war a blue print should have been laid down, albeit a fluid one. It's a hotch potch, with no cohesion whatsoever.

 

[Jack2jack]

And the biggest miss of the lot is not exploiting and marketing the coastline.

100% Coops, that's one of my biggest grips, 7 miles of nothingness.

 

[MrSwerve]

Nice city centres now are nice because they look pretty, i.e., gardens, cobbles, etc. Not the concrete abomination that Castle Gardens now is. What's happening to the renovation there now? I haven't driven passed it for at least a year probably. Make it pretty, make it nice to walk through - and people will pop into the shops on the way through.

There's zero reason I would walk through the soulless dump that is Swansea. I'd even argue that Neath is more attractive to walk through. Especially when Darran's about.

 

[Smurph]

It's a consequence of many factors, as have been discussed above. I do think after the war a blue print should have been laid down, albeit a fluid one. It's a hotch potch, with no cohesion whatsoever.

Personally think the neglect of the current council has played the biggest part for the state it currently finds itself in

 

[Jack2jack]

Personally think the neglect of the current council has played the biggest part for the state it currently finds itself in

Some poor decisions have definitely been made in recent times, I would agree