WITH the glitz and glamour a soap star can bring to the occasion, Yate Shopping Centre opened its doors 40 years ago.

A crowd of about 3,000 packed the centre to see Pat Phoenix (Coronation Street's Elsie Tanner) and comedian Ted Ray on that autumn day in the middle of the swinging sixties.

Now, 40 years later, much has changed at the centre. Kirsty Ramsden paid a visit to find out more.

THE £1 million project to build Yate Shopping Centre attracted national attention when it was launched four decades ago.

Yate was developing from a village to a bustling town and the needs of residents had to be catered for.

The scheme - which when complete cost nearer £2 million, explained shopping centre marketing manager Beverley Organ - came to fruition in 1965.

It had 33 shops and a supermarket - the centre now boasts 108 retailers and there are plans for more.

Some of the shops remain such as Abraham and Sons Jewellers, Boots and Currys, although the type of goods they sell may have changed.

Indeed there were no DVD players or computers on offer but record players and tape recorders.

However, believe shopping centre staff, the community feel of the centre still exists.

Mrs Organ said: "It is the centre of the community. We do a lot of surveys and the thing that always comes back is that it is very friendly and you always see people you know.

"People do use the centre as a meeting place."

Most shoppers come from the town and surrounding areas although people will make a 30-minute drive to the centre.

"People come here for a change," said Mrs Organ.

She added it had approximately a million visitors a month taking into account seasonal fluctuations.

The centre, which is owned by the Capital and Income Trust Group of Companies, had more multi-nationals today and less independent shops than four decades ago, she said.

"It has to cater for the needs of the community," she explained.

"Shoppers can get everything they need here. It is easy to park and convenient. The roads are relatively uncongested coming to Yate."

The centre is also home to people who live in flats above the stores and it boasts a number of offices.

In fact the centre has 33 residential flats and two multi-let office blocks housing 10 different tenants.

And behind the scenes, there are 24 members of staff who run the centre - from the management and office team to security and cleaning staff.

Centre staff organise a variety of events at the shopping precinct including school holiday activities and competitions.

"It's a way of giving something back to the community and gives a reason for coming here rather than just shopping," she said.

"It's nice for the children to come and do something rather than being dragged round the shops by their mums."

Further attractions include the Christmas grotto complete with live reindeer parade and Yate Festival, which this year takes place on Saturday, June 18.

And the future of the centre looks rosy with plans afoot for further development.

Hopes were high, said Mrs Organ, for the development of Tesco and for more shops at the centre.

Plans to celebrate the anniversary in September are still being finalised however she did say a visit by a Coronation Street star of today would be rather apt.

A 40th anniversary commemorative clock is to be installed to replace one removed during building works.

And, there is a plan to invite schools to create a mural, similar to the feature which adorns a wall outside Tesco, as a permanent reminder of the anniversary.