For anyone who grew up in Bristol, the Galleries was the diamond in the crown that was Broadmead. It felt like the centre of everything, around which the rest of Broadmead revolved.
That, of course, changed in 2008, when Cabot Circus opened. Suddenly, there was competition to be the star of the Broadmead solar system. Nearly 14 years on, and things are unrecognisable.
While all retailers have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, the Galleries appears to have been impacted more than most. Wandering the squeaky white floors recently, at least 16 of the shopfronts in the mall were empty, with more seemingly closed down. In Cabot Circus, it was only a handful that were empty.
