The Centre, Livingston is inviting locals to join them in a trip down memory lane as it unveils plans for a ‘History of The Centre’ exhibition.
The exhibition will feature the history of the shopping centre, which was built in the mid-70s and was originally known as Livingston Regional Centre and then Almondvale Shopping Centre and is designed to give shoppers the chance to reminisce and share stories from years gone by.
Over the decades there have been many changes to the mall, which has always remained at the heart of the local community.
These include its first extension in 1995, when it welcomed stores including Vodaphone and Boots.
The second extension took place in 2008, which saw the arrival of more stores such as Marks & Spencer, making it one of the largest indoor shopping centres in Scotland, boasting more than 150 retailers and restaurants, spanning one million sq ft.
The ‘History of The Centre’ exhibition will include archive photos of some of the first shops to open, including Presto, Virgo, Coda Music and the superstore, Woolco, which was officially opened in 1976 by musicians J. J. Barrie and his wife Christine Holmes, who was a presenter on the children’s programme Crackerjack.
The Centre, Livingston is giving locals the chance to take part in the exhibition by inviting them to share stories of their fondest memories of
the mall over the years, either by emailing enquiries@thecentrelivingston.com or handing in old photographs to the Customer Service Desk.
Ashley Bisland, deputy centre director at The Centre, Livingston, believes the exhibition will see locals enjoy a real trip down memory lane and urged them to get in touch with any tales and photographs.
She said: “We’re really looking forward to unveiling our ‘History of The Centre’ exhibition and sharing some of the great memories people have of our shopping centre.
“We are asking people to either email us their photos and stories, maybe from when they worked in the mall when it opened or of their favourite stores, or hand them in to our Customer Service Desk to help us tell the wonderful story of the mall’s history over the decades.”
The exhibition will also feature key milestones over the years including The Centre receiving its first-ever quality assurance VisitScotland accreditation with the highest accolade of five stars in 2019.
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