The year The Bridges had its first Christmas - and this is how it went at the busy Sunderland shopping centre
Christmas first came to The Bridges in Sunderland 37 years ago and we wonder if you remember how busy the shops were.
Business was booming at Sunderland’s newly-opened complex as shoppers rushed to buy before the big day.
A 1988 Sunderland Echo report said there was one factor which really made a difference back then.
“Late-night shopping on Thursdays has been such a success it looks set to continue throughout next year”, a spokesman for the shopping centre said at the time.
Figures show 10,600 shoppers per hour used the complex in the run-up to December 25.
Another big factor was the bus services which stayed on until late to cope with the demand for trade.
Bridges manager Ian Porter said: “People obviously like the idea of late-night shopping.
Talks will be held to see if Go Ahead Northern will continue its special Thursday late-night bus service and Sunderland Council on the possibility of continuing free late-night parking.
C&A store manager Chris Hutton said trade was “definitely showing an upward trend.”
Other shops which were in the centre in its early years included Shoefayre, Tesco, K Shoes, Carricks, Rayners and Peter Lord.
The Princess Royal first opened The Bridges. Thousands of flag-waving Wearsiders cheered the Princess into the brand-new centre.
She was determined to speak to the crowd
Huge crowds had gathered at both ends of the precinct and inside the mall to greet her on her walkabout tour.
She arrived in the Market Square 15 minutes later after her flight from London was delayed, causing her to cut short a visit to the Seaham Seafarers Centre.
Tell us what you remember about The Bridges when it first opened.
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