Festival Place celebrates 10 years (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Festival Place celebrates 10 years

6:00pm Wednesday 5th September 2012 in Local By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter

THERE have been a lot of reasons why 2012 has already been a special year – and more celebrations are on the way as a Basingstoke shopping centre marks its own special milestone.

On October 22, it will be 10 years since Basingstoke’s flagship shopping centre Festival Place opened its doors.

To celebrate the special occasion, Festival Place is holding surprise events for shoppers during the autumn – and the team at the award-winning centre are also seeking your help to create a special memory wall.

The wall will feature written quotations, images and keepsakes from past and present people who all have links with, or special memories of, the centre.

Members of the public are invited to share their memories and pictures. Suggestions include a memory of a first date in Festival Place, buying your child’s first school uniform, picking an engagement ring, or meeting a celebrity.

The best stories or pieces of memorabilia will win a gift card and a donation to the Hampshire Air Ambulance.

In October 2002, the £300million centre was the largest shopping centre to open in Britain that year, with 165 shops covering one million square foot.

Steven Connolly, centre director at Festival Place, said: “Festival Place has earned a place at the heart of the community by giving people special events, competitions, entertainment, fun, innovation and, of course, bringing some of the best retailers to Basingstoke.

“We can’t wait to kick off the celebrations with a wall full of the best contributions from our customers.”

To contribute to the memory wall, send your contribution to Jane Stewart, Centre Management Suite, 1st Floor Paddington House, Festival Place, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 7LJ or email talkto@festivalplace.co.uk before the end of September. You can also write a memory on Festival Place’s Facebook Page – facebook/FestivalPlace.