Today's most viewed
| LATEST NEWS | | | | | | | SALE SHARKS |  | | | | READERS' LETTERS | | |
|
|
|
Barton Square opens for business
 |
| The fountain at Barton Square |
Recession, what recession!
Trafford's newest shopping centre opened its doors today with high expectations of the Easter crowds flocking to see it - and hopefully buy into the experience.
And if the number of people wandering round even before the red ribbon had been cut, they could be right.
The Trafford Centre can never be accused of restraint, and its latest Barton Square lives up to the bling and extravaganza we've come to expect.
Four of the retailing world's biggest hitters in the homeware sector are already open - Next, Habitat, British Home Stores and Dwell, - with others such as Porcelenosa, Laura Ashley and Marks and Spencer expected to open soon.
The centre's trademark Roman pillars are here in abundance with the added advantage of an open sky to show them to effect.
The massive centrepiece, a fountain of mermaids and naked girls, is sure to be a talking point between those who see it as a bit of fun and those who think it outrageously tacky.
As the staff were making last minute adjustments to their displays before the doors opened at 12 noon there were many taking pictures of their handiwork - and they have a right to be proud.
The space at Barton has given them the opportunity to show off their wares to their fullest, and they have gone for it.
No longer do you have to spend hours wandering around putting a room together, it's all there with hundreds of individual room ideas to choose from.
Love it or loathe it, Barton Square is here to stay.
Tell us what you think.
11:00am Thursday 20th March 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: Adam, Stretford on 12:51pm Thu 20 Mar 08
This sounds more like a press release than a news article.
To be honest, I can't see Barton Square being that popular with the current market situation.
An open sky sounds wonderful on a day like today - dull and wet.
This sounds more like a press release than a news article.
To be honest, I can't see Barton Square being that popular with the current market situation.
An open sky sounds wonderful on a day like today - dull and wet.
Posted by: Mike, Partington on 3:48pm Thu 20 Mar 08
This article becomes a lot more interesting if you read it in the voice of a 1950s black and white film presenter trying to sound hip,talking about the activities of the 'youth of today'.
"Here comes Barbara with her new Bee Hive haircut. Hey, Barbara!! Bee careful you don't sting someone!!"
This article becomes a lot more interesting if you read it in the voice of a 1950s black and white film presenter trying to sound hip,talking about the activities of the 'youth of today'.
"Here comes Barbara with her new Bee Hive haircut. Hey, Barbara!! Bee careful you don't sting someone!!"
Posted by: enid, stretford on 4:32pm Thu 20 Mar 08
Another shop for the shopaholic!more dosh for the Trafford Centre!!Think I'll stick to other places!Where you can pickup a bargain!!Seems to me that means every persom who shops there will have houses all looking the same!!Now that is individuality!
Another shop for the shopaholic!more dosh for the Trafford Centre!!Think I'll stick to other places!Where you can pickup a bargain!!Seems to me that means every persom who shops there will have houses all looking the same!!Now that is individuality!
Posted by: Herb, Davyhulme on 5:00pm Thu 20 Mar 08
Yet another place designed to extract as much money from the public without any thoughts as to how you get the traffic in & out of the area. The present roads cannot cope so why build more shops to entice even more people & their cars in?
Yet another place designed to extract as much money from the public without any thoughts as to how you get the traffic in & out of the area. The present roads cannot cope so why build more shops to entice even more people & their cars in?
Posted by: Ian, stretford on 3:14pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Wow more shops in the trafford centre to pay over the odds for things
Wow more shops in the trafford centre to pay over the odds for things
Posted by: mark, Sale on 3:18pm Fri 21 Mar 08
I went to see the new Barton Square on Friday and to be honest it looks to have been rushed to open for the weekend.
You walk across from the main shopping centre to a nice tile floor walkway. Big gaps can be seen between the tiling, dirty windows and paint on the frames. You look up and there is a smashed window. There was also a workman covering airvents in the window frames with sellotape. You eventually get to the end to find that the escalators do not work.
The square is outside and very windy, this was blowing the water from the fountain at you.
No public toilets seen so back you go across the walkway.
I could carry on even more but I won't.
Shame on the owners as it should have been A+ before the opening.
I went to see the new Barton Square on Friday and to be honest it looks to have been rushed to open for the weekend.
You walk across from the main shopping centre to a nice tile floor walkway. Big gaps can be seen between the tiling, dirty windows and paint on the frames. You look up and there is a smashed window. There was also a workman covering airvents in the window frames with sellotape. You eventually get to the end to find that the escalators do not work.
The square is outside and very windy, this was blowing the water from the fountain at you.
No public toilets seen so back you go across the walkway.
I could carry on even more but I won't.
Shame on the owners as it should have been A+ before the opening.
Posted by: Crut J, Stretford on 3:35pm Fri 21 Mar 08
I'm afraid I have to disagree with Adam, Mike, Enid, and Herb.
Adam - You're just being purposely miserable and negative, probably for attention. The country wouldn't have got where it is today if we all thought like you seem to. Maybe you will have to spend your own money in the near future seeing as you're unlikely to get any more credit. Unless we really are all doomed to abject poverty from now until eternity (presumably how you see the future), we'll prosper again and this place will be as popular as the Trafford Center has been from the beginning. And as for the comment about the open air section: it's not all open air you know? The shops are covered and have covered walkways outside, and even if it was raining and you had to stand there gawking at the horror of it all surrounding you - it's JUST RAIN, not boiling acid. Why are you even concerned about strangers getting a bit wet at a place you're obviously not ever going to visit? Get over yourself.
Mike - That's very funny. It also works if you read it in an electronic robot voice, or a Deputy Dawg voice, or with the voice of somebody having their hair tugged whilst being poked in the eye (honestly - try it, go on, scroll up and have a quick go) - basically you're right. It's not a ground-breaking piece of journalism. I suppose you'd have written it as the epitome of objectivity, in 34 different languages and squeezed references to Shakespeare and the declaration of human rights in there too.
Enid - So, your house is populated with bargains is it? Sounds very individual. Why even bother shopping for trinkets with these evil profit-making schemes at every turn? There are plenty of bins and skips around the place, just have a snuffle around, presuming you've not already done so in your anticapitalistic quest for individuality. Sorry, only joking. Just out of interest though, where do you get this one-off stuff for your house? I can picture you nipping down to Travis Perkins with your leatherette trolley and plastic headscarf to pick up 16 meters of galvanised corrugated steel sheeting and 3 hundredweight of aggregate to make a nice new TV stand from. Then firing up the gas-forge in the outhouse to drop-cast yourself a new teapot from the molten reamins of the previous one for a quick brew. Yeah - better than having one that looks the same as everyone elses!! Argh, imagine it!!
Herb - It's the old 'place designed to extract as much money from the public without any thoughts as to how you get the traffic in & out of the area' problem AGAIN!! Yeah.. That old chesnut. Can't you just walk there? Or are you too preoccupied standing at busy junctions shaking your fist at the incomprhensible new world that's insidiously crept up around you?
I think the new place is a great idea. I just hope Adam, Mike, Enid or Herb aren't there when I turn up in my stretched Hummer which I bought with a fraction of the money I make loan-sharking to hasbeen wannabe individuals, then swan around buying the most popular stuff to kit out all of my mansions. Because that will probably also get their back up, too. :)
I'm afraid I have to disagree with Adam, Mike, Enid, and Herb.
Adam - You're just being purposely miserable and negative, probably for attention. The country wouldn't have got where it is today if we all thought like you seem to. Maybe you will have to spend your own money in the near future seeing as you're unlikely to get any more credit. Unless we really are all doomed to abject poverty from now until eternity (presumably how you see the future), we'll prosper again and this place will be as popular as the Trafford Center has been from the beginning. And as for the comment about the open air section: it's not all open air you know? The shops are covered and have covered walkways outside, and even if it was raining and you had to stand there gawking at the horror of it all surrounding you - it's JUST RAIN, not boiling acid. Why are you even concerned about strangers getting a bit wet at a place you're obviously not ever going to visit? Get over yourself.
Mike - That's very funny. It also works if you read it in an electronic robot voice, or a Deputy Dawg voice, or with the voice of somebody having their hair tugged whilst being poked in the eye (honestly - try it, go on, scroll up and have a quick go) - basically you're right. It's not a ground-breaking piece of journalism. I suppose you'd have written it as the epitome of objectivity, in 34 different languages and squeezed references to Shakespeare and the declaration of human rights in there too.
Enid - So, your house is populated with bargains is it? Sounds very individual. Why even bother shopping for trinkets with these evil profit-making schemes at every turn? There are plenty of bins and skips around the place, just have a snuffle around, presuming you've not already done so in your anticapitalistic quest for individuality. Sorry, only joking. Just out of interest though, where do you get this one-off stuff for your house? I can picture you nipping down to Travis Perkins with your leatherette trolley and plastic headscarf to pick up 16 meters of galvanised corrugated steel sheeting and 3 hundredweight of aggregate to make a nice new TV stand from. Then firing up the gas-forge in the outhouse to drop-cast yourself a new teapot from the molten reamins of the previous one for a quick brew. Yeah - better than having one that looks the same as everyone elses!! Argh, imagine it!!
Herb - It's the old 'place designed to extract as much money from the public without any thoughts as to how you get the traffic in & out of the area' problem AGAIN!! Yeah.. That old chesnut. Can't you just walk there? Or are you too preoccupied standing at busy junctions shaking your fist at the incomprhensible new world that's insidiously crept up around you?
I think the new place is a great idea. I just hope Adam, Mike, Enid or Herb aren't there when I turn up in my stretched Hummer which I bought with a fraction of the money I make loan-sharking to hasbeen wannabe individuals, then swan around buying the most popular stuff to kit out all of my mansions. Because that will probably also get their back up, too. :)
Posted by: Jill, Urmston on 5:26pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Well went to do my shopping this morning and was treated to a huge traffic jam and a trip round Asda car park 4 times due to the opening of this extra eyesore. What would normally take me 30 mins, took me nearly 2 hours thanks to the extraordinary amount of people who think cos its new -they HAVE to go see it! I may pop round it one day, may not - I actually prefer how the landscape looked before the trafford centre and co took over the place. Oh its great to have all this on the doorstep sure - but to live next to it all 24/7 and to put up with the congestion and drivers who take no notice of which lane they are supposed to be using is a pain. Very badly planned!!!
Well went to do my shopping this morning and was treated to a huge traffic jam and a trip round Asda car park 4 times due to the opening of this extra eyesore. What would normally take me 30 mins, took me nearly 2 hours thanks to the extraordinary amount of people who think cos its new -they HAVE to go see it! I may pop round it one day, may not - I actually prefer how the landscape looked before the trafford centre and co took over the place. Oh its great to have all this on the doorstep sure - but to live next to it all 24/7 and to put up with the congestion and drivers who take no notice of which lane they are supposed to be using is a pain. Very badly planned!!!
Posted by: Adam, Stretford on 12:50am Sat 22 Mar 08
[quote]Adam - You're just being purposely miserable and negative, probably for attention. The country wouldn't have got where it is today if we all thought like you seem to. Maybe you will have to spend your own money in the near future seeing as you're unlikely to get any more credit. Unless we really are all doomed to abject poverty from now until eternity (presumably how you see the future), we'll prosper again and this place will be as popular as the Trafford Center has been from the beginning. And as for the comment about the open air section: it's not all open air you know? The shops are covered and have covered walkways outside, and even if it was raining and you had to stand there gawking at the horror of it all surrounding you - it's JUST RAIN, not boiling acid. Why are you even concerned about strangers getting a bit wet at a place you're obviously not ever going to visit? Get over yourself.
[/quote]
Believe you me, I'm not doing this for attention. I'm setting my expectations low. I love the fact that you're assuming that I need credit. I don't have a credit card and I have no desire to own a credit card. I didn't say that poverty was inevitable - you're putting words into my mouth. As you know, the global market runs on a cycle, approximately every 20 years we go from a peak to a trough and vice-versa, so we're not doomed to poverty. Instead, most people (not including those whose heads are far enough up their own back side to see out of their mouth) will have less money to spend on non-essential items, and will probably spend a little less money on home décor.
The Trafford Centre (note the correct spelling) has prospered because it's unique, is advertised well and it opened whilst the UK was in a brilliant financial situation. It has a wide range of shops under one roof, Barton Square, however, focuses on homeware. Another point to note is that when The Trafford Centre opened, I believe that nearly every unit was open on day one. This doesn't seem to be the case with Barton Square.
Rain is becoming more acidic all the time - it's simple chemistry - as we pump more Sulphur Trioxide and Nitrogen dioxide into the air; they react with Water and OH ions respectively to form Sulphuric Acid and Nitric Acid. This means that there is acid falling out of the sky, and with global warming supposedly happening at a record rate, it probably won't be long until we have boiling acid falling from the sky. Although I'm purposely exaggerating, you will start to see the building deteriorate noticably within 15 years. The Trafford Centre's exterior doesn't look as shiny and new as it did originally.
As for getting over myself, I give you these three words. Pot, kettle and black.
Adam - You're just being purposely miserable and negative, probably for attention. The country wouldn't have got where it is today if we all thought like you seem to. Maybe you will have to spend your own money in the near future seeing as you're unlikely to get any more credit. Unless we really are all doomed to abject poverty from now until eternity (presumably how you see the future), we'll prosper again and this place will be as popular as the Trafford Center has been from the beginning. And as for the comment about the open air section: it's not all open air you know? The shops are covered and have covered walkways outside, and even if it was raining and you had to stand there gawking at the horror of it all surrounding you - it's JUST RAIN, not boiling acid. Why are you even concerned about strangers getting a bit wet at a place you're obviously not ever going to visit? Get over yourself.
Believe you me, I'm not doing this for attention. I'm setting my expectations low. I love the fact that you're assuming that I need credit. I don't have a credit card and I have no desire to own a credit card. I didn't say that poverty was inevitable - you're putting words into my mouth. As you know, the global market runs on a cycle, approximately every 20 years we go from a peak to a trough and vice-versa, so we're not doomed to poverty. Instead, most people (not including those whose heads are far enough up their own back side to see out of their mouth) will have less money to spend on non-essential items, and will probably spend a little less money on home décor.
The Trafford Centre (note the correct spelling) has prospered because it's unique, is advertised well and it opened whilst the UK was in a brilliant financial situation. It has a wide range of shops under one roof, Barton Square, however, focuses on homeware. Another point to note is that when The Trafford Centre opened, I believe that nearly every unit was open on day one. This doesn't seem to be the case with Barton Square.
Rain is becoming more acidic all the time - it's simple chemistry - as we pump more Sulphur Trioxide and Nitrogen dioxide into the air; they react with Water and OH ions respectively to form Sulphuric Acid and Nitric Acid. This means that there is acid falling out of the sky, and with global warming supposedly happening at a record rate, it probably won't be long until we have boiling acid falling from the sky. Although I'm purposely exaggerating, you will start to see the building deteriorate noticably within 15 years. The Trafford Centre's exterior doesn't look as shiny and new as it did originally.
As for getting over myself, I give you these three words. Pot, kettle and black.
Posted by: Crut J, Stretford on 5:20pm Sat 22 Mar 08
Good points, thanks.
Please accept my apologies [bold]:)[/bold]
Good points, thanks.
Please accept my apologies
:) Posted by: ag, Manchester on 4:18pm Fri 28 Mar 08
Adam - "This sounds more like a press release than a news article." - How the hell do you think stories make it into the press!?
Adam - "This sounds more like a press release than a news article." - How the hell do you think stories make it into the press!?
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
