As a kid this place was absolutely amazing. So many happy memories here. While the new cinema is really good, it can never replace Metroland. The centre as a whole lost all its character when the green railings and fountains were also taken away
Intu ruined metro, at least they got their karma. I wish they'd add back fountains and more greenery, it was escapism growing up. Now it's bland and the same as everywhere else :(
so as usual, a bunch of Idi*ots got a hold of it and just ruined it making it the same as every other shopping place. Exactly what the whole point of it was not built to be. New owners need to get it sorted and make it unique and fun again. As a regular for the shops, its boring once you buy what you need to. Sick of restaurants and you can only watch so many movies. The arcade and bowling is expensive. You could have what originally was intended. Theme park, Indoor sky slope. Even Go-kart track, Laser tag which again was removed. VR Centre like the Gate Newcastle has, Giant fish tanks like what a lot abroad have, You already have space for live events, You could make a big soft play. One you got is tiny. northeast needs a waterpark now Wet n Wild gone. Sure you can build or use some space for it. A lot of empty land between mall's. (Coachpark basically useless right now) Look at Xscape in leeds. Ice climbing walls, indoor skateparks etc... My point is there is a ton of stuff you can add to get it back to being unique and the way it was intended to be now its out of them idi*ts INTU's hands. Intu closed because they made all their centres the same and boring and then they wonder why it happened. Nobody wants to go when its just a average shopping centre.
I agree it’s a shame they didn’t keep the original builders ideas of keeping the place unique. These days people shop online and watch movies online, there’s isn’t really a need for such a large shopping centre the one thing that really would get people to go is something like metroland.
There are certainly things they can do to improve it (it's light years behind the two Westfields in London as well), but the days of the mega shopping mall in a place like the North East is over. Mall's like the Metrocentre were based on being anchored by department stores, and we all know how many of them have gone bust in recent years. "Boutique" department stores like Selfridge's, Harvey Nichols or Liberty, won't move to the North East because it's too poor, has too few people living here, and what limited local market there is is already saturated by Fenwick's in Newcastle. It's the same for a lot of other retailers. They also don't have any presence in the north east for the same reason. The bottom line is that no matter what attractions you hope to bring in, you have to make them pay. The odds have always been against the North East in that respect because we have a tiny population (the entire North East only accounts for around 4% of the UK population) and we're disproportionately poor. The Metrocentre was able to draw People from far and wide when it first opened because it was unique. They don't have to do that now with online shopping or with other malls closer to them, and the north east local market isn't big enough to sustain a lot.
Take Me back to my childhood days, I miss the old metro centre I spent my weekends here but Its a load of crap now
Can't count the number of happy times i spent at the metrocentre , god i miss the 80s
It was indeed the golden era especially as a kid you had somewhere to go and something to look forward too
I loved sitting in the food court and hearing the rollercoaster rush past. Good times.
Yes. You had to buy tickets to go on it.
Me too 😀
I had one of my birthday parties there. There was a fun mini-golf course as well
Metrocenter was awesome, I remember many happy summers spent there in the 90s travelling up from Cambridge 👌🏾
Love that old advert, I went to school with the girl shedding a tear at the end.
As a kid this place was absolutely amazing. So many happy memories here. While the new cinema is really good, it can never replace Metroland. The centre as a whole lost all its character when the green railings and fountains were also taken away
I agree the removal of metroland was a terrible idea.
Rip metroland
Many memories from the 90s. ahh the nostalgia! cheers
Pirate ship is at South Shields fair now.
Ooo didn't know that. Definitely went on about 2002.
Loved the metrocentre then
All my childhood memories from the 90s was the best times in metro land 😢 😪 cant believe they closed it down for a cinema 😒☹
I feel the same Becky, at least we have the memories of being there!
It’s a bland bore now. Was fab back in the day.
I agree
I used to go there all the time with my mum in the 90s and I absolutely loved it now it’s just awful, only reason I go now is for the Natwest.
@meowxoxo9419 yeah it was so fun back in the day, there was always something to look forward too.
@@livingonthetyne I absolutely hated the dragon at the entrance it was terrifying!
Intu ruined metro, at least they got their karma. I wish they'd add back fountains and more greenery, it was escapism growing up. Now it's bland and the same as everywhere else :(
It's sad it's gone 😢
Absolutely! I loved that place as a kid just having freedom to run around, have fun, meet other kids nothing like that for kids these days.
@@livingonthetyneyes different times then
so as usual, a bunch of Idi*ots got a hold of it and just ruined it making it the same as every other shopping place. Exactly what the whole point of it was not built to be. New owners need to get it sorted and make it unique and fun again. As a regular for the shops, its boring once you buy what you need to. Sick of restaurants and you can only watch so many movies. The arcade and bowling is expensive. You could have what originally was intended. Theme park, Indoor sky slope. Even Go-kart track, Laser tag which again was removed. VR Centre like the Gate Newcastle has, Giant fish tanks like what a lot abroad have, You already have space for live events, You could make a big soft play. One you got is tiny. northeast needs a waterpark now Wet n Wild gone. Sure you can build or use some space for it. A lot of empty land between mall's. (Coachpark basically useless right now) Look at Xscape in leeds. Ice climbing walls, indoor skateparks etc... My point is there is a ton of stuff you can add to get it back to being unique and the way it was intended to be now its out of them idi*ts INTU's hands. Intu closed because they made all their centres the same and boring and then they wonder why it happened. Nobody wants to go when its just a average shopping centre.
I agree it’s a shame they didn’t keep the original builders ideas of keeping the place unique. These days people shop online and watch movies online, there’s isn’t really a need for such a large shopping centre the one thing that really would get people to go is something like metroland.
Apparently the old Argos is going to be a go cart track.
There are certainly things they can do to improve it (it's light years behind the two Westfields in London as well), but the days of the mega shopping mall in a place like the North East is over. Mall's like the Metrocentre were based on being anchored by department stores, and we all know how many of them have gone bust in recent years. "Boutique" department stores like Selfridge's, Harvey Nichols or Liberty, won't move to the North East because it's too poor, has too few people living here, and what limited local market there is is already saturated by Fenwick's in Newcastle. It's the same for a lot of other retailers. They also don't have any presence in the north east for the same reason. The bottom line is that no matter what attractions you hope to bring in, you have to make them pay. The odds have always been against the North East in that respect because we have a tiny population (the entire North East only accounts for around 4% of the UK population) and we're disproportionately poor. The Metrocentre was able to draw People from far and wide when it first opened because it was unique. They don't have to do that now with online shopping or with other malls closer to them, and the north east local market isn't big enough to sustain a lot.
Metroland is like the UK equivalent of Mall Of America.