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Exhibition marks 50 years of shopping centre

Andy Routledge A large manufactured board with a maroon background with lots of different photos of the shopping centre from down the years on it. Andy Routledge
Weston Favell Shopping Centre opened in Northampton in 1974

A shopping centre is marking its 50th anniversary with a photo exhibition of snapshots from every era.

Weston Favell Shopping Centre, which opened in Northampton in 1974, has unveiled a collection of portraits contributed by local community groups and residents as part of its milestone celebrations.

The exhibition captures decades of memories and features complementary audio pieces, put together by local artist Subika Anwar-Khan.

Ms Anwar-Khan said people were "expressive" about their experiences of the centre, which attracts around seven million visitors a year.

Andy Routledge A large collection of photos of people in the shopping centre all put together on a wall. Andy Routledge
Local residents contributed their memories to the 50th anniversary celebration wall

Weston Favell was refurbished in 2002 with an extension to the south of the centre.

It underwent a £4m revamp in October 2014 to mark its 40th anniversary.

The complex has more than 60 high street and independent shops and restaurants and recently announced it will open a bouldering centre.

Ms Anwar-Khan said: "My earliest memory of the centre was when I was about five, going to Tesco with my dad, seeing so many different things in one place.”

Local theatre company Silhouette Youth Theatre and a separate photography exhibition were also part of the celebrations.

Subika Anwar-Khan A close-up selfie of Subika Anwar-Khan, wearing headphones, in front of a red sign that reads '50 Years of Weston Favell'Subika Anwar-Khan
Subika Anwar-Khan has made three audio stories about the shopping centre

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