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Concert says goodbye to city's 1970s shopping centre

Maddy Jennings & Andy Trigg
BBC News, Norfolk
BBC People walking through a large gazebo with blue columns and a clock tower. Two multi-storey buildings are either side of the gazeboBBC
The council says Anglia Square has fallen into a state of "considerable disrepair"

A community concert was held to bid farewell to an ageing shopping centre.

The demolition of Anglia Square in Norwich is set to begin in the coming weeks.

The site was purchased by the city council in December, which plans to build more than 1,000 homes, as well as offices and retail space.

About 200 people attended a "Goodbye Anglia Square" event on Sunday evening, organised by a local theatre company.

It featured songs about the history of the brutalist shopping centre, built in the 1970s.

"I love Anglia Square and I feel really sad that it's going so I wanted to pay my respects," said Ben Carroll, 37, who lives in Norwich.

"If a space means something to people, and it changes, I think it's important to mark that, even if there are positive things that come off the back of it."

Maddy Jennings/BBC About 30 people standing in a line singing. A man rests on one knee as he watches the performance while a woman films it on her phoneMaddy Jennings/BBC
The Common Lot theatre company says the event allowed people to reminisce
Maddy Jennings/BBC Simon Floyd stood in front of dozens of people. He is wearing a black leather jacket. He has short grey hair and a grey beardMaddy Jennings/BBC
Creative director Simon Floyd said in the past concerts at Anglia Square had attracted almost 1,000 people

The council acquired Anglia Square after years of uncertainty and unsuccessful development attempts.

The project has been awarded £34m from the government to prepare the area for development.

Simon Floyd, 57, a creative director at The Common Lot theatre company, which produced Sunday's show, said it was held to "say thanks" for the memories.

"It's been a place where people have found refuge and affordability," he said.

"It may have been a planning mistake in the past but it's been a lot of things to a lot of people."

Maddy Jennings/BBC Heather English and Margaret Goodyear sat on a bench. Both are wearing padded coats and woolly hats. Heather has shoulder length light brown hair and Margaret has round rimless glasses.Maddy Jennings/BBC
Friends Heather English and Margaret Goodyear attended the concert "to say goodbye"

Heather English, 75, attended the concert as she used to work nearby.

"The girls used to come out in their lunch-hour and find some good bargains," she said.

"It was a big part of our working lives.

"There's such a mix of people down here and I'm worried we'll lose that."

Ms English's friend, Margaret Goodyear, 83, who lives nearby, said it was "wonderful" to have the chance to say goodbye.

"We're going to be really affected by losing Anglia Square. It's going to be absolute hell when it's being demolished.

"I'm very sorry it's going."

An aerial view of Anglia Square. Cars are parked outside a concrete and glass building. A road is situated to the left of the building and homes are in the background
Sovereign House at Anglia Square has been vacant since the 1990s

Norwich City Council said it was still looking for a developer to regenerate the site.

It added it would work with existing traders "to understand their requirements" and provide business support.

Carli Harper, a Labour councillor and cabinet member for major projects, said: "There are a number of traders that we are hoping to relocate into a box park that will be situated adjacent to the current site.

"We're due to share our designs with traders at the end of this month or the beginning of April."

Goodbye Anglia Square

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