Interviews and Project Findings:
Darlington Town Centre

"Q: How has the town centre changed?

A: The town has changed quite a bit over the last 50 years, like the new Cornmill shopping centre, cos it used to actually be a corn mill, you know. It's good cos I can get my bits and bobs in there cos there's some new shops. The market place has also been done up to make it a new centre spot for the town. And Riley's snooker hall used to be the Odeon picture house (cinema).

Q: Do you think it has changed for the better?

A: Yes, it has, because there's a lot more shops and variety to choose from and it's not too crowded, so on the whole, yes, I think it's better."



"A lot has changed in the Town Centre of Darlington in my lifetime so I thought that an elderly person may have seen it go through many more changes than I have. I asked her what she thought was better or worse than before and how it could be changed for the better.

Q: Do you think that the changes to Darlington's Town Centre that you have witnessed have been good or bad or a mixture of both?

A: I'd say a mixture of both. Some of the small businesses have been forced to close down which was a shame because l especially liked to see what they had. However l must admit that although some of the newer shops aren't my type of shop they are good because it helps Darlington to keep up with the other towns and cities.

Q: How could the Town Centre be improved at the moment?

A: l think that we could do something new with High Row and Skinnergate. Most of the shops are very similar. Also we could get rid of some of the buses as they pollute the air quite badly. Maybe we could have some tram service like Sheffield or Manchester."



"The town center has improved a great deal over the years with a new shopping mall called the Cornmill, which contains a wide variety of shops from the Early Learning Center to WH Smiths. Every day in the town the indoor market takes place and every Monday and Saturday the outdoor market takes place. Luckily the council haven't spoilt the town by filling it withskyscrapers; instead, the sizes of the buildings in town are reasonable, giving the town center a modern yet tidy appearance.To help with congestion in the town a multi-storey car park allows parking for the public when the town is open."



"Darlington town centre is very pretty. A lot of old buildings are still there and the outdoor market has been tastily refurbished. In the summer the town centre looks especially nice because of all the flowers that are planted. The town hall however is a very hideous building."