Media Release: Dolphin Shopping Centre Celebrates 40th Birthday

Tuesday 23 June, 2009; Forty years ago on 1 July the Arndale Centre first opened its doors as one of the most modern shopping centres in the south of England. Four decades later it’s still a thriving retail hub, and the Dolphin Shopping Centre invites the community to join its 40th anniversary celebrations on Saturday 4 July.

It’s hard to believe that so much time has gone by since then Mayor of Poole, Ald. Ron Hart, cut the first turf to mark the beginning of the Arndale development in March 1967. Buildings past repair following the economic difficulties after the Second World War were cleared to make way for new roads, modern housing and new developments which would dramatically change the town’s landscape. These included Poole General Hospital and the Arndale Centre, which became the Dolphin Shopping Centre in 1988. Transforming Poole town centre and linking the Bus Station with Kingland Crescent and the High Street, the Arndale Centre was believed to be only the second centre of its kind in the country, bringing an American-style undercover shopping experience to Poole. The shopping centre has undergone various phases of development since then, with the most recent refurbishment in 2004. Despite its changing faces, the Centre has continued to attract top High Street stores and independent retailers. In fact some of the shops that were present when the Arndale opened can still be found in the Dolphin Shopping Centre today, including Marks & Spencer, Beales, Oswald Bailey, HM Samuel and Boots. Forty years on and the Dolphin Shopping Centre remains at the heart of Poole and still enjoys millions of visitors each year. A series of exciting celebrations are planned to mark the 40th anniversary on Saturday 4 July, with lots of free fun for all of the family. Children can decorate their very own cake to take home and have their face painted to mark this special occasion in the town’s history. Bluey, the Dolphin Shopping Centre’s mascot will be making appearances throughout the day and no birthday party would be complete without a balloon modeller. Stilt walkers and a wondering birthday present will also be part of the fun while the whole family can also enjoy hunting for the birthday cards hidden in stores throughout the Centre for the chance to win some great prizes. Officials at the Dolphin Shopping Centre have worked with the Daily Echo to trace the history of the shopping centre from the Sixties up to the present day in preparation for the anniversary celebrations. The Centre has used cuttings from the paper to form a large part of a unique exhibition which opens on Saturday 4 July on the Main Mall, charting the development of the Centre and the land on which it stands. Stephanie Connelly, Dolphin Shopping Centre Manager, said: “We are very proud to be celebrating our 40th anniversary; this shopping centre has been a very important part of the town’s history for a long time. The exhibition and Daily Echo cuttings provide us with a valuable insight into the Centre’s earliest days. We are very grateful to the Daily Echo for making this resource available to us. The management team and staff, together with the stores, are certainly looking forward to marking this important occasion with our loyal shoppers. We hope lots of local people will come and join in the fun over our anniversary weekend.” What was happening in your life when the Arndale Centre opened in 1969? The Dolphin Shopping Centre is inviting the local community to share their memories of the late 1960s in Poole. Simply write to the Dolphin Shopping Centre, Management Suite, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1SZ. -Ends- Notes to Editors In 2003, The Dolphin Shopping Centre was acquired by Grosvenor – the leading international property development, investment and management group – for its Grosvenor Shopping Centre Fund. The centre contains 115 stores and covers an area of over 47,000 square metres. The Grosvenor Shopping Centre Fund was established in 1998. It is a partnership created to invest in high quality, dominant shopping centres around the UK. The Fund is managed by Grosvenor from its office in London, combining the expertise of the company’s fund and asset managers. The Fund currently owns Dolphin Shopping Centre, Poole; Coopers Square, Burton upon Trent; Eastgate Shopping Centre, Inverness; and Freshney Place Shopping Centre, Grimsby. For further information please contact the Dolphin Shopping Centre Press Office: Emma Spearing, Hazel PR Tel: 01202 862411 Fax: 01202 862301 Mobile: 07736 341828 Email: emma.spearing@hazelpr.com