Galleries Shopping Centre, Bristol

...Thus the idea of The Galleries was born and completed in 1991. Thankfully the Almshouse was left well and alone and The Galleries was built around it. I'm suppose I'm used to it now, but many people may find the little bit of 18th century architecture surrounded by the 20th quite odd!

I've never been able to fathom out why it ended up being called the Galleries. Bristol has an industrial background so why not the 'Brunel' centre? Its ...
...is, incidentally, right opposite the Galleries if you ever want to visit. And just as I write this and check the news as well, I find that the Galleries has now been sold and is going to be called The Mall Galleries. Not too confusing then!

It is a really nice building spread out over 3 floors with 6 entrances which means no crushes trying to get in! Its also built up the side of a hill so the top entrance takes you directly onto the ... more

When I was a little girl, going into town with my mum was always a treat, she'd drag me round the shops wailing because I wanted everything in sight. But my mums so lovely, it would always end in a department store with a treat for me.
But there were some parts of Bristol shopping centre that weren't as nice. Just behind the main shopping area there were some dark and dingy streets with a few unsavoury characters lurking.

There was also Fairfax House, a huge mausoleum of 60's architecture, after House of Fraser moved out, it was left to slowly decay. For those who've been to Bristol it was right opposite the beautiful Castle Park. Another merit to the 70's was a huge 2 storey with restaurant Woolworths! Being on a slight decline in the 80's, it wasn't exactly stacked with goods. It was just a hideous place, in fact the whole of Broadmead was an eyesore. That is, except the beautiful Registry Office, stuck behind the tradesmens entrance of all the shops, and the Almshouse, home to Lloyds TSB and overshadowed by the Woolworths.

Then along the architects, nothing to do with the impending Cribbs Causeway being planned I'm sure! Their vision was created and the bulldozers moved in. Thus the idea of The Galleries was born and completed in 1991. Thankfully the Almshouse was left well and alone and The Galleries was built around it. I'm suppose I'm used to it now, but many people may find the little bit of 18th century architecture surrounded by the 20th quite odd!

I've never been able to fathom out why it ended up being called the Galleries. Bristol has an industrial background so why not the 'Brunel' centre? Its next to the medieval Castle Park, so why not something around that? Even more appropriately how about old John Wesley who established his first Methodist church in Bristol. Which is, incidentally, right opposite the Galleries if you ever want to visit. And just as I write this and check the news as well, I find that the Galleries has now been sold and is going to be called The Mall Galleries. Not too confusing then!

It is a really nice building spread out over 3 floors with 6 entrances which means no crushes trying to get in! Its also built up the side of a hill so the top entrance takes you directly onto the 3rd floor and the bottom entrance is quite easy to work out.

It's a lovely light building, there are sets of elevators at each end and two lifts slap, bang in the middle. They are transparent and the kids love them! They are also big enough for 3 or 4 buggies which means less waiting.

Now I've actually sat and thought about it they probably do have the 100 plus shops they claim to have had. Its that kind of place where you remember the major shops then gradually the other shops drift into your brain!
The major shops in here are: Boots - spread over 2 floors incorporating toiletries, food, perfumes, optical centre, photo centre, baby stuff, prescriptions and more. There are also Woolworths, Waterstones, Virgin, Gap and WH Smiths.
The smaller shops are the Early Learning Centre, Bear Factory, Claires Accessories, TK Maxx.
Fancy some pampering? Theres also a nail bar and 2 hairdressers, for your health theres 2 complementary health stores and 2 Chinese herbal shops.
Theres no shops galore for men and women including Ciro Citterio and MK1, theres also a fab kids designer shop. Ski wear and Skatewear also feature heavily.

Strangely theres only 1 travel agents and 2 small shoe shops. Theres also loads more that I couldn't possibly mention in one small review!

Of course once you've done all that shopping you just want to sit down for a cup of coffee , or hungry enough for a meal, then theres quite a few food places. A cookie store, the new Costa Coffee in WH Smiths on the bottom floor, on the 2nd floor is a coffee and cake restaurant. On the top theres a Greggs Baker and a gorgeous Cornish pastie shop.
Up here is also the Food Hall, a large area, although large there's never enough seats on a busy day!
Theres plenty of different things to choose from, Cafe Nero, another coffee and pastry shop, another selling breakfasts, roasts, lasagnas, etc. Singapore Sams which unsurprisingly sells Chinese food, a jacket potato place, a baguette shop and ineviatbly a Burger King. I'm sure the fact that it is right next to the kids dining area is no coincidence!

Theres just one problem, with the exception of Burger King which follows a standard formula, the standard is pretty poor, even verging on the awful! Singapore Sams and the British place is probably the worse, the food being luke warm and usually over-cooked and dried up (yes, food can be over-cooked and luke warm!). Avoid the cheese in the jacket potato place, its like pencil rubber! The baguettes are those that are full of salad and very little else. Cafe Nero is also a bit hit and miss depending on which 15yr old Saturday school girl you get.
The prices are also quite extortionate! An ungenerous portion of Chicken Chow Mein,, noodles with chicken and mushroom and small and one regular drink costs £10! Yep £10, and it was luke warm. You're far better off buying a can of coke and a Cornish pastie. Beef and Stilton...ooooh. Another slight problem? Theres no seating on the upstairs floor!
The only positive point is that the Food Hall is spotlessly clean, theres quite an army of cleaners who move around clearing tables and wiping them down.

In fact the whole of the Galleries is spotlessly clean, there are cleaners continually picking up litter and sweeping the floor. The only let down is the toilets which are beginning to look dated and for such a large place there are only 15 toilets in the whole place!. There is always water around the sinks, and yep, missing toilet paper and broken doors. In fact the 2 baby changing areas are usually cleaner and well stocked.

Christmas is always good though, the place is beautifully decorated and theres always a fantastic grotto in the middle of the centre where the kids can meet Santa and get a present for a pretty reasonable price.

I do like the Galleries, somehow I feel its a little more personalised then The Mall. You wouldn't go to Broadmead just for the Galleries though, you'd combine it as part of a shopping trip, especially with Marks & Spencers, Debenhams, House of Fraser, and BHS so close by.
Its also got a car park incorporated but you have to get there pretty early to get a space.

Remember our lovely Registry Office I was talking about? The ones that's stuck behind those hideous buildings? Thankfully that's all going to change. The whole of Broadmead is being regenerated and modernised. Soon the whole of Broadmead is going to be a thoroughly pleasant place to visit! 

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