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Demolishing this for a 17-screen IMAX monstrosity too far out of the city to bother going when there are like three other cinemas in walking distance, was a CRIME. Damn, I miss this place.
it's not even a proper IMAX, it's just a little one. (It's actually quite nice and the restaurant area is alright, but it's so soulless compared to the old metroland)
Exactly! I'm in Newcastle and the metrocentre is now just too awkward to get to compared with the city centre, which offers all the same shops already, but with a little extra historical buildings to look at. Public transport is also very annoying for getting there, I feel like it should have been connected to the metro line, given the name.
It's kind of funny how malls slowly stripped out their amusements and added more shopping while people shopped less in person. I could see this being flipped in the next couple years where more amusements are added to malls that are trying to survive.
This has already happened in the case of the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, the plan of which was changed during construction to include Nickelodeon Universe and a water park
Yeh, I have very fond memories of the themed areas and Metroland in the MetroCentre as a kid in the very early 90s. Shame it stripped that away and became a generic shopping centre. Hopefully this trend can be reversed.
I cannot explain to you being under 10 years old an experiencing Metroland, Ive been to so many themed parks around the world and I know from the Video Metroland might not look that impressive but my god experiencing this place at such a young age it was a true fantasy park, the way the rollercoasters lift hills hid in the walls at the start and you dropped out right over the main entrance, all the giant cloth clouds hanging from the roof, the huge fantasy mountain murals painting on all the walls, The Wave Swings had you flying over everything in the park. Metroland was the only place ive ever know to do 80/90s fantasy so well you just had to have experienced it, it was truly the biggest loss I was in 4th grade and we were giving out flyers across all the schools in the North East trying to save it!
absolutely spot on was amazing place especially with the bad weather I've got a daughter now and I tell her about it the kids would of loved it these days why destroy the only place like this in England for more shops when ppl shop less now this is what would of made the metrocenter money
Your story telling is on levels that only war torn grandparents can reach. The level of detail and vivid descriptions made me shed a tear this place was gone then another when the rollercoaster was rebuilt. Absolute legend
Oh my god the nostalgia hit off this video, not just metroland but the images of how the whole centre used to look. As a child of the 80s from Northumberland, the Metro Centre was a big treat.
Amazing video man, really captured what it was like! The escalators when you arrived at the yellowmall doors were like a gateway to another realm too haha
And the smell of the water fountains with the big fish. Actually all the water fountains in general around the metro centre. It was nice to just sit on a ledge and dip your hands in while you stopped for a rest.
The Wave Swinger is now operating at Butlin’s Minehead and I operate it! It’s an amazing ride to operate especially when using the foot brake to slow it down it as it comes down!
Amusement rides generally seem to hold their value and even used ones tend to be a big investment especially for smaller parks and attractions. Unless they're too big / complex to dismantle and relocate, I tend to find that they really do have to be used up, worn out and totally beyond repair before they're scrappe, and even then, they have value as a source of parts for others of their type (especially if the original manufacturer is no longer around.)
@@rich_edwards79 most definitely, I believe the Wave Swinger was built in the late 80’s and then it travelled with Brandon Bishton for a few years and then Butlin’s bought it for £250,000 and still in great working order.
I have been on this Ride at Butlins Minehead. I loved how old it looks. Is The Chair'OPlane (Waveswinger) from the 1940,a or even pre 1940,s? I would like to know if it is an old ride, or decorated to look this way & authentic. My Grandma who is in her 80's used to ride the Chair'OPlane when she was a child.
I gasped when I saw this video come up in my subscriptions. As someone who lived 30 minutes from Metro Centre I visited a lot as a kid and still do to this day. I have so many memories of Metro Land as a kid and I still miss it as a 36 year old adult. I remember going in the morning and driving home in the dark after having so many great days. It's unfortunate now that the Metro Centre has been stripped of anything that made it unique and gave it character. You got it spot one, now it's nothing more than just a duplicate of every other shopping centre around. Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane.
Oh I loved this place Sam, I spent so much time here and we all took it for granted that it would be here forever. Metro Centre has never been the same again since, it’s now just a generic boring shopping centre. Thank you for bringing back the memories and thank you so much for adding my photos at the end, it’s an honour to appear in one of your videos. 🥰
I wouldn’t be shocked if most off those chain restaurants are now permanently closed. To get people to stop shopping people online they need experiences that they can’t get online.
I feel like I’ve found my spiritual home.. beyond the theme park (I regret that I never had an opportunity to visit, but was aware of it and rather wanted to) Intu - and Westfield to be honest - stripped their malls of anything that didn’t present retail space. Here In Nottingham, where we had one of each, social space was ripped out in favour of cheap ‘market’ stalls and the Emmett sculpture (I have heard that there are only two of his works on public display and the other, also in a shopping centre, is half way to ruin but I hope I’ve heard wrong there), was once the centrepiece of entrance but is now tucked away at the back where it can now only be admired from ground level and there are probably a fair few younger folk who don’t even know of its existence. Why do I bother going into a city centre with sky high parking charges when I have an Asda supermarket at the end of my street that has pretty much all the stuff I might buy? I went for the atmosphere.. but it feels like the shopping centres are determined to get rid of that. Sorry.. rant over :-)
Half the shops in the Metrocentre are closed and boarded up, even when they expanded the number of shops, the spare ones they had weren't used. Absolutely idiotic management by Intu.
@Mark Zinsmeyer Because there is nothing else available. No theme parks except in certain areas and the outdoor areas are usually full of people doing stuff. People are looking at their phones because all the entertainment is going away...
A lot of the stores are being closed now. It's also a pain to get to if you don't have a car so most people now go to Eldon Square, a mall in the city centre that's easier to get to. The only reason why I still go to The metrocentre is for Build a Bear....I'm not even joking :/ The mall is now so..empty. It needs a HUGE makeover that isn't half assed .Most of the people who go there now are elderly or mothers n fathers with their bored screaming kids.
Oh man I'm so happy you did this! I live in Newcastle and I LOVED this place when I was younger. I used to go to the MetroCentre just for this. I'm still so sad it's closed and it's been over 10 years. Thank you for this. The nostalgia.
This video hit me right in the nostalgic feelings. I can still smell that indescribable smell when you first walked in and hearing the whistle from the train. Such a massive miss as I wish I could have shared this with my kids!
Little fun fact for you about the rollercoaster: All the staff members had to ride it every morning as a wake up call! This fact comes from my Mum, who used to work there in 1989.
Metroland made the Metrocenter unique, plus i think the whole style of the Metrocentre looked way better in the past, especially with all the fountains and places like the Mediterranean village made it look awesome, it gave it a unique vibe and feel but sadly there's none of that now, its just a dull, generic shopping centre as many have said.
It really was so much fun, I spent a lot of time here in the 90s. Never been one to enjoy a shopping experience so Metroland was an absolute paradise for me 💕😍
I live near the Metro Center and can actually say it was shocking when INTU confirmed they were closing it. This would have been a good way for kids to be entertained whilst their parents went shopping.
We used to deliberately work ourselves so our Ma's would get sick of us and send us to Metroland, it also used to take them several hours to find us, we spot them and just spend the time sneaking on rides and keeping out of their sight, those were fun days...
I'm an American who has never had the pleasure of experiencing Metroland or any part of the UK (yet), but even I teared up during this video. Hearing the pride in Sir John Hall's voice as he talked about what he envisioned for this place, what it meant to him, and how much he wanted to create a place for the whole family to enjoy -- and he succeeded in doing it -- is something we don't often find today. I've been so fortunate to grow up with many trips to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, and the occasional County Fair offerings while I lived in California, and I can at least relate to that feeling of being a small child walking into a place of bright colors, lights, music, screams, and laughter. It is magical. It saddens me to see that Metroland closed, but I sincerely hope that England will someday be given another chance at an indoor amusement park. They really are something special even if they're small.
Absolutely brilliant documentary, thank you!! I am from London but spent many happy hours in metroland as my grandma lived in Gateshead. Without it, as you say, the MetroCentre is generic and has nothing to make it stand out
My dad used to bring me to metro centre as a kid and it’s what started our love for roller coasters. It’s a shame how depressing the metro centre is now , after seeing the old videos and pictures of what it used to look like for the first time. It’s lost all it’s character. Brilliant video though!
You make such grande shows. I’m an American who never even heard of Metroland. But you made me feel the nostalgia just by getting to know its history. Thank you for your amazing work, ETP!
❤Over the past few years now I have had so much for feedback from people telling me how much they miss it now.I worked there for fifteen years and I miss Metroland too Walter
Oh wow how did I miss this upload? As someone who lives local, Metroland was my weekly theme park trip every Sunday as a kid. Thank you for making this vid, I haven't watched it yet so will leave another comment afterwards.
Oh, how I miss the character and charm of the Metrocentre. I still go once a week, even after Metroland closed a day after my 6th Birthday. Before I was born, my Mum worked there for a short time as a mascot performer. She wore the costume for Whimsy, the purple dragon. One day, I asked her "Is Whimsy a boy or a girl?" She said "Whimsy is a dragon." So there you have it.
@@scoldedegg11yearsago17 I been there last week and most of the stores are closed and borded up, I used to go there many times but there is nothing there I want to do, so I rarely go anymore.
I live about a 50 minute drive from Gateshead. Me mum and dad used to take me and my sister here every couple of months, pay the fiver each then we’d run round it all day. Words can’t do justice how exciting it was ☺️ even just walking past the arcades and seeing Mortal Kombat or something… then getting in a 2 second queue to get on the swings again, then in the play area bit down the slides, it was wild. Mid 90s pop tunes playing all day. Having about 6 goes on the ship ride in a row hoping to the back seat for the seasick type feeling, so good. Such a shame they binned it, this place was a huge part of my childhood. Great documentary ☺️
I was 15 when Metroland opened and, as the commentary said, it made the Metro Centre far more than just a shopping mall. I have many happy memories of it, especially as it was the only theme park I could get to on public transport from where I lived at the time. The Metro Centre is all the poorer for having closed it.
I remember being at the Mall of America when it still had Camp Snoopy! We rode the log flume with my great-grandfather and in the ride photo he looks like he’s about to scream “oh shit” as we reached the final drop!
As someone who grew up going to this place, I know it looks like a bit of a dive. But, as a kid it was magical. The airplane ride, the trolley, the roller coaster, the soft play. It sucks that it closed, because now it's a really bad IMAX cinema and loads of chain restaurants which half of them are closed now. Also, fun fact, it was called the Metrocentre because when it was built, it was meant to have a metro line to it... but it's still never been built.
I actually always wondered why it was called that. the first time i was offered to go, s a young kid i thought it would some kind of metro themed amusement park where you just at on the metro. i was like whats special about that, lol.
Great video 👍I'm from Gateshead and this brought back lots of happy memories. I wish this was still open to take my kids. The Metrocenter was struggling to fill retail units even before COVID, in the long term I think Metroland would have attracted far more visitors and revenue than the cinema which replaced it, given it's unique and there are 5 cinemas within 10 miles. There's nothing like Metroland up here.
As an 80’s kid, I would’ve LOVED this place! I grew up near a similar looking mall in upstate New York (although no actual formal amusement park, just one of those balloon Ferris wheel rides, mini Golf and a carousel)...and sadly, it died a slow death until it was essentially a dead mall by 2009
This place haunts my dreams still. In my dreams though, the place is massive and reaches into the sky, and there's a second half of it which resembles a racing track or a waterpark of some kind (but with no water). I'm at the point now where I can't tell what is a memory and what is a memory of a dream.
@@ExpeditionThemePark it also had sound effects and smoke machines added to the tunnel. The sound effects were taken from first alien film when Ripley is setting self destruct on ship. You could hear Sigourney Weever heavy breathing in background.
As someone from the north east I truly appreciate this episode. I used to visit metro land all the time it was a blast especially with friends film rides McDonald’s was a great day throwing pennies in the pond that used to be there too great memories
Yes! The metroland rollercoaster was the first roller rollercoaster I had been on at a young age, screamed like a baby on it but wanted to go again, love rollercoasters ever since! Use to go often as a kid and hit the amusements, bowing and the 9 ball tables! Use to be a great day out
So many memories of Metroland and the center as it used to be when I was a kid/teen. Memories that I will cherish. The place was so unique at the time but now....as you said at the end of the video, it's just another bland shopping mall. Fun fact about the roller coaster: in the tunnel as you're going up the ramp, sound samples from Alien are played on the speakers. I didn't realise it at the time when I was a kid but when I was older and watched Alien and heard those exact alert sounds. I was like. "Hold on! So that's where metrolands coaster sounds came from!"
This is so crazy to see, all this footage. I live half an hour away from Metro Centre and used to go to Metroland all the time as a child; and now as an adult spend countless days shopping in metro (when everything is normal and not in the middle of a pandemic.)
So the story here is don’t let the Beancounters from London and the so-called experts from the Southeast of the UK turn your mall into just another cookie cutter mall. That probably goes for most places and things. What works in New York City probably doesn’t work in London, Utah.
Malls originally opened to be a full entertainment experience and as retail shopping declined these genius investors took out the entertainment and just added more retail space to the malls. In todays world of online shopping they need to reverse the change and put back in crazy things like Metroland to bring life back to them, there's so many abandoned malls in the US today just slowly deteriorating where there could instead be entertainment opportunities.
I’m from Tyne and Wear and Metroland was my childhood, growing up in the 80s… I feel lucky to have been the perfect age to enjoy this magical place for so many years. It was a travesty that it closed. It made no sense.
Eyyy, my local! That roller coaster packed a punch for such a tame thrill ride. Definitely looks out of place at the Big Sheep without the dark element. Should also point out that “the Monty Zoomers” is just Monty Zoomers - it’s a very large soft play area. Also the bit of the video about the Yellow Mall showed footage of the Green mall here, that’s on the other side of the centre!
So many happy memories from Metroland. I used to be such an exciting trip to the metro centre with my grandparents every summer holidays and at Christmas - spending the whole time shopping harassing them to go to metroland. Highlight of the trip! Absolutely gutted when it closed
I'm from South America and I hadn't heard of this place before, but you had me at Boyzone and Postman Pat launched a balloon race for charity. Iconic 90s vibe.
I live in Newcastle and remember this fondly. I still have a metroland token!!! I also remember riding the rollercoaster non stop 67 times. Then being sick lol
Thank you for sharing this. I have great memories of the park, including my first roller coaster ride. The Metrocentre is honestly now a shadow of its former self. The whole place was magic as a kid but now all themeing is gone and it's just a standard mall. Such a shame really.
As someone who only lives about 15 minutes from the MetroCentre, this really makes me wish I was alive in the 90s. I was only 4 when it closed so I had no idea it even existed until my Dad brought it up a few years back. Would've loved to visit. It's really disappointing how the MetroCentre has fallen. Even the Model village has lost its most interesting qualities (it used to have model people and a car crashing through a wall) now it's more of a ghost town than a village. Thanks for making this video. Great to see some love for the North East.
i totally agree about the village being more of a ghost town, i used to love the village when i was little but now it seems like more of an ally way to the other shops.
Thank you for making this, I watch all your videos, and growing up locally I remember Metrocentre and Metroland opening up. I also used to love taking my daughter there when she was little- it closed when she was 4, but she was able to go on the rollercoaster on that last weekend. I can still remember every turn of the rollercoaster I’ve been on it that many times!! (Especially as you went round twice)
Oh this was such a huge part of my childhood 💔 I think I was about 16 when me and my sister went to the final rides day and we still had just as much fun as ever ☺️ Honestly was devastated to lose it. I remember the first lift hill used to have chasing lights as you went up (if they were working) and mist was released as you left the tunnel into the drop. It’s so clinical and generic now in the shopping centre, no themeing left these days :(
This video is breaking my heart, I visited the Metrocentre & Metroland *incredibly* frequently as a kid - my parents got the NHS discount so we got wristbands for super cheap and would hang out in metroland all day. I graduated Uni the same year that Metroland closed, pretty significant in cementing that as the end of an era to me. Very sad to hear that the centre in general is just a faceless set of shops now. I had no idea that the themed zones was a deliberate choice to make the place feel like it wasn't just a for shopping, though it makes sense in retrospect. As a kid being able to go through the little countryside village area or the Mediterranean area felt like time travel, and it really sparked my imagination to slip through those shortcuts between the larger mall spaces, like an anti 'liminal space' liminal space that felt like a slice of an alternate world.
What a belta! Thanks for doing this one, it's such a shame that it went, absolutely total lack of ambition by Intu and the drab that's there now is depressing, the whole place is depressing and even more so as they struggle to fill shops as the majority of them are boarded up. I absolutely agree with what you've said about the identity of these shopping centres and I've said it for so long, Intu focused on themselves as a brand, but no one is saying, 'let's go to the Intu Metrocentre, or the Intu Trafford centre', they should have kept the identities and made them unique to each other instead of what they've became, soulless empty centres. Only the Metro Gnomes kept some part of the identity going.
God I miss Metroland so much. One of my earliest memories was getting lost in the mirror maze in the original, and then the new one was just so much fun. I was once invited to go by a friend whose dad worked for Nissan, and the company had booked the whole place for their annual family/friends night, so we had it to ourselves.
My gosh... What a blast from the past. I went on the rollercoaster hundreds of times... Most weekends were a trip to the MetroCentre, with enough money from mam and dad for the metro and buss there and back, entry into MetroLand and something to eat... Such happy happy memories that have had me smiling from ear to ear, and also a bit teary watching this. Thank you for posting!
Spent a lot of time at the metro centre as a kid. The place was an integral part of my youth and Metroland & Mr B’s arcade were my life! phenomenal memories, feel so lucky to have experienced it during the early 90’s at its peak.
Yeeeesss!! I'm glad to have found a channel that talks about former retail and entertainment spaces outside the US! Most videos about topics like this are always very American centric, and it's interesting to hear about the UK/Europe side of things.
Ive got a load of stories from visiting the Metro Centre from 87 onwards. It was a cool place at the time, like you said there was nothing else like it!
This was brilliantly made and you have some decent old clips aswell wow. Metroland and the metrocentre were a massive staple of my childhood. I had many firsts at metroland, first time I got served for cigarettes underage was at metroland lol, I had a romantic encounter there and it was my first job after school haha. I worked there in 2007 and left just before the announcement of the closure. I live just round the corner from metrocentre now I still visit during LOCKDOWN, it's heartbreaking how dead it is now. Theyve opened a job centre inside the metrocentre which I find highly ironic as most of its now closed other than the big chains and a sad sign of the times.
Loved this place, it actually looks like the metro centre have been adding more and more entertainment attractions recently, there's an arcade (with a decently large dodgems inside), recently they added an "angry birds" themed mini golf course, and a "clip 'n' climb" (a kids climbing centre). Looks like they could do with a new Metroland!
Thank you so much for this video!!! I never expected to see a full length video on Metroland!! I'm a geordie and spent my childhood here and my first rollercoaster experience. Love all the footage you've found. I'll never forget Metroland ❤️
Thank you so much for covering this. This was the first amusement park I ever visited and celebrated many an event at. Feels so strange to see metroland on your channel when I found you through your coverage of Orlando's parks!
Very nice tribute lad. That was the first rollercoaster I ever went on. When I was a kid I wanted to go to Disney Land. My parents said they would take me somewhere just like it. Ummm. Not quite. "Where's Mickey Mouse", I asked. My Mum pointed out the purple dragon, "Look there's a dragon." I did enjoy it though, even if it wasn't Disney Land. This video brought back some good memories. I'm so glad you found footage of that blasted dragon. It's just how I remembered it.
Excellent video, really brought on the nostalgia. One of my first jobs was making all the internal signage for Metroland. We were in there while it was being built, shame to see it being torn down.
I used to go to Metroland and Metrocentre with my nana and grandad when I was younger, thank you for the wave of happy memories. I used to love the rollercoaster, the pirate ship and flying round on the dodgems. There used to have a huge dragon hanging from the roof in front of the other enterance, the sound of the rollercoaster made it sound like the dragon was roaring to my young ears. I now work in the centre and the word that I see coming up the most in describing the centre is soulless. This is so true, Intu have murdered the centre and everything Sir John created. They've chased all the shops away with ever increasing rent demands (surely having full shop units all pay a little less is better business sense then having over half empty and pay a lot more) It's so bad if you look on the website for what stores are there, they have actually listed the post office, amazon collection lockers and the police station as shops.
I really appreciated your description of the park in this one. I have never been there but I could feel the love in you documenting. Thanks for putting this out there.
Absolutely loved metroland as a kid, getting rewarded with a rollercoaster ride in exchange for behaving during a shopping trip. Although I really wish it was around when I started working at the MetroCentre, that would've been awesome for lunch breaks
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and spent my time inside Metrocenter Mall which is where they filmed the first Bill and Ted movie. No thene park in there but there was an ice rink and eventually they removed the ice rink and turned it into a giant arcade with a few very small rides. Sadly, the Phoenix Metrocenter closed last year. So its a real trip for me learning about the existence of a British Metro Centre.
I grew up going to the British Metro Centre but have also long been a fan of the Phoenix one (due to the B&T filmings) and was sad to see that it finally closed down last year. Luckily there's some good coverage on UA-cam of its final days!
I wish I could go back to these days, I remember as a kid loving the metrocentre both for metroland and for the simple things like the fountains and village they used to have, it used to have character, nowdays the metrocentre is just a soulless clone of every other shopping centre.
The good old days. I remember my secondary school doing school trips to the metro. I didn't buy anything. I always remember just going here & trying out all the arcade games and getting fast food. Good times. It just isn't the same going in there anymore. Damm i miss the late 90's early 2000's more & more with each passing day.
I loved Metroland growing up! It used to be part of our treat at the end of a shopping day. If we'd been good we could get an ice cream coated in sherbet and some time in Metroland. And we always entered the MetroCentre through the arcade in the Yellow Mall, now we only park in the Yellow Mall if we are going the the cinema.
Honestly, the rock work in the yellow mall when it still existed put some ‘theme park’ theming to shame. I miss metro land and the greenery and character of the metro centre in the 90s.
I still miss Metroland to this day, so many wonderful memories there. My first time on a rollercoaster, endless hours spent gliding down slides into ballpits at Montezuma's play park and when My Beautiful Balloons accidentally broke down, so me and a friend were trapped at the top for about 10 minutes. We loved it!
I remember my parents taking my siblings and I to Metroland when we were visiting our family in England (we live in America) and all of those memories were all so fun. I was so sad to see this go.
I remember an indoor amusement park in my country. It was so epic. It wasn't too big or dangerous so people could just let their kids do whatever they want. But because it was put in the poorest and least touristic part of the Netherlands, it flopped. I think that the property is now home to more refugees than there are locals in that town. It's sad that it's gone now, but at least it's used for a good cause. It's called "Speelstad Oranje" btw
When I was a child I lived not far from the West Edmonton mall, it's been a long time since I was there. I've never been to Metroland, but I can certainly see the similarities between it and it's Fantasyland inspiration.
Thank you so much for this upload. This place was a legend in the North East, gutted when it closed and it just became another shopping centre. Thanks for the memories 😊
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Luxor attractions is coming! What other Expedition's do you want to see? Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/expthemepark and Instagram instagram.com/expeditionthemeparkfor sneak peaks of upcoming episodes. Support the channel on Patreon at www.patreon.com/expeditionthemepark
I want to see videos on attractions from the west Edmonton mall in Alberta, Canada
I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but The Haunted Shack at Knott’s 🙂
Toyland Tours, Wicked Witches Haunt, or Mr. Rabbit's Tropical Travels
Awesome episode. Now do one about the short-lived Space Center Bremen, Germany. Btw...i worked there as Supervisior Operations if you need any info ;)
@@MrMeatHook Yes! I loved The Haunted Shack! Classic.
Demolishing this for a 17-screen IMAX monstrosity too far out of the city to bother going when there are like three other cinemas in walking distance, was a CRIME. Damn, I miss this place.
Right!
it's not even a proper IMAX, it's just a little one.
(It's actually quite nice and the restaurant area is alright, but it's so soulless compared to the old metroland)
Ikr, me and my freinds go to the Vue in Gateshead because it's closer and cheaper
Exactly! I'm in Newcastle and the metrocentre is now just too awkward to get to compared with the city centre, which offers all the same shops already, but with a little extra historical buildings to look at. Public transport is also very annoying for getting there, I feel like it should have been connected to the metro line, given the name.
@@jewelledlacertacare2712 :( I live in Newcastle and I feel offended. I LOVE the metrocentre
It's kind of funny how malls slowly stripped out their amusements and added more shopping while people shopped less in person. I could see this being flipped in the next couple years where more amusements are added to malls that are trying to survive.
I hope.so!
This has already happened in the case of the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, the plan of which was changed during construction to include Nickelodeon Universe and a water park
Yeh, I have very fond memories of the themed areas and Metroland in the MetroCentre as a kid in the very early 90s. Shame it stripped that away and became a generic shopping centre. Hopefully this trend can be reversed.
@@aledandrian hopefully it will survive as the pandemic hit right when it opened
@@Eaglescout217 lol I want that mall to burn to the ground (but not before saving the coasters)
The guy in the interviews sounds so passionate about this mall, that's really wholesome.. glad the mall was a success, he was probably very proud
yeah!
john hall a great creative force which is what retail isnt now intu turned it into a morgue like dull enviroment
This is the metro centre. I go here everyday because it is in newcastle which is where I live.
@@scoldedegg11yearsago17 it's actually in Gateshead, not Newcastle.
@@angemartindale144 well yea but gateshead is only 20 mins away from where I live in Newcastle.
If you were a kid of the 90’s this was a special visit, magic even. I’m tearing up actually. Thanks for doing this. Big up the north!
Thank you for watching!
+ a kid of the 80's.
Me too. I'm getting soppy in my old age. Good memories
Literally got a lump in my throat watching this
I was gutted when it close.. :( what I'd give to go back for a day..
I miss metroland so much. I spent so much time there as a child. As a Geordie this was the fastest click on a video ever
Same!
I cannot explain to you being under 10 years old an experiencing Metroland, Ive been to so many themed parks around the world and I know from the Video Metroland might not look that impressive but my god experiencing this place at such a young age it was a true fantasy park, the way the rollercoasters lift hills hid in the walls at the start and you dropped out right over the main entrance, all the giant cloth clouds hanging from the roof, the huge fantasy mountain murals painting on all the walls, The Wave Swings had you flying over everything in the park. Metroland was the only place ive ever know to do 80/90s fantasy so well you just had to have experienced it, it was truly the biggest loss I was in 4th grade and we were giving out flyers across all the schools in the North East trying to save it!
If you REALLY went to Metroland, what is the mall it's in called and where is it located. Because I live there.
@@scoldedegg11yearsago17 .... not really sure what you'd prove by asking a question like that? Seemed like a pointless quest?
I am loving this description - thanks for the mental walk down memory lane
Good read.
absolutely spot on was amazing place especially with the bad weather I've got a daughter now and I tell her about it the kids would of loved it these days why destroy the only place like this in England for more shops when ppl shop less now this is what would of made the metrocenter money
Your story telling is on levels that only war torn grandparents can reach. The level of detail and vivid descriptions made me shed a tear this place was gone then another when the rollercoaster was rebuilt. Absolute legend
Thanks 🤣
@Brandon Y Stay put, I have people headed to your location.
Used to visit Metroland all the time as a kid! As a Geordie this video makes me so happy :) Thanks for the vid!
Thank you for watching!
Geordie squad
Geordie squad
Geordie Squad
Geordie squad
Oh my god the nostalgia hit off this video, not just metroland but the images of how the whole centre used to look. As a child of the 80s from Northumberland, the Metro Centre was a big treat.
Yes!
Amazing video man, really captured what it was like! The escalators when you arrived at the yellowmall doors were like a gateway to another realm too haha
Never did I expect of all creators philza Minecraft to comment on a expedition theme park video
And the smell of the water fountains with the big fish. Actually all the water fountains in general around the metro centre. It was nice to just sit on a ledge and dip your hands in while you stopped for a rest.
The Wave Swinger is now operating at Butlin’s Minehead and I operate it! It’s an amazing ride to operate especially when using the foot brake to slow it down it as it comes down!
Yeah really cool it still exists!
Amusement rides generally seem to hold their value and even used ones tend to be a big investment especially for smaller parks and attractions. Unless they're too big / complex to dismantle and relocate, I tend to find that they really do have to be used up, worn out and totally beyond repair before they're scrappe, and even then, they have value as a source of parts for others of their type (especially if the original manufacturer is no longer around.)
@@rich_edwards79 most definitely, I believe the Wave Swinger was built in the late 80’s and then it travelled with Brandon Bishton for a few years and then Butlin’s bought it for £250,000 and still in great working order.
I have been on this Ride at Butlins Minehead. I loved how old it looks. Is The Chair'OPlane (Waveswinger) from the 1940,a or even pre 1940,s? I would like to know if it is an old ride, or decorated to look this way & authentic. My Grandma who is in her 80's used to ride the Chair'OPlane when she was a child.
@@georgekoshti_richman1392 it’s a late 80’s ride, 1988 to be specific
I gasped when I saw this video come up in my subscriptions.
As someone who lived 30 minutes from Metro Centre I visited a lot as a kid and still do to this day. I have so many memories of Metro Land as a kid and I still miss it as a 36 year old adult. I remember going in the morning and driving home in the dark after having so many great days.
It's unfortunate now that the Metro Centre has been stripped of anything that made it unique and gave it character. You got it spot one, now it's nothing more than just a duplicate of every other shopping centre around.
Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane.
Thank you so much for watching
Oh I loved this place Sam, I spent so much time here and we all took it for granted that it would be here forever. Metro Centre has never been the same again since, it’s now just a generic boring shopping centre. Thank you for bringing back the memories and thank you so much for adding my photos at the end, it’s an honour to appear in one of your videos. 🥰
Thank you so much Mark! After I saw your video I knew it had to go in at the end :)
@@ExpeditionThemePark Thanks again 😊
I wouldn’t be shocked if most off those chain restaurants are now permanently closed. To get people to stop shopping people online they need experiences that they can’t get online.
Exactly
I feel like I’ve found my spiritual home.. beyond the theme park (I regret that I never had an opportunity to visit, but was aware of it and rather wanted to) Intu - and Westfield to be honest - stripped their malls of anything that didn’t present retail space. Here In Nottingham, where we had one of each, social space was ripped out in favour of cheap ‘market’ stalls and the Emmett sculpture (I have heard that there are only two of his works on public display and the other, also in a shopping centre, is half way to ruin but I hope I’ve heard wrong there), was once the centrepiece of entrance but is now tucked away at the back where it can now only be admired from ground level and there are probably a fair few younger folk who don’t even know of its existence. Why do I bother going into a city centre with sky high parking charges when I have an Asda supermarket at the end of my street that has pretty much all the stuff I might buy? I went for the atmosphere.. but it feels like the shopping centres are determined to get rid of that. Sorry.. rant over :-)
Half the shops in the Metrocentre are closed and boarded up, even when they expanded the number of shops, the spare ones they had weren't used. Absolutely idiotic management by Intu.
@Mark Zinsmeyer Because there is nothing else available. No theme parks except in certain areas and the outdoor areas are usually full of people doing stuff. People are looking at their phones because all the entertainment is going away...
A lot of the stores are being closed now. It's also a pain to get to if you don't have a car so most people now go to Eldon Square, a mall in the city centre that's easier to get to.
The only reason why I still go to The metrocentre is for Build a Bear....I'm not even joking :/
The mall is now so..empty. It needs a HUGE makeover that isn't half assed .Most of the people who go there now are elderly or mothers n fathers with their bored screaming kids.
Oh man I'm so happy you did this! I live in Newcastle and I LOVED this place when I was younger. I used to go to the MetroCentre just for this. I'm still so sad it's closed and it's been over 10 years. Thank you for this. The nostalgia.
Thank you for watching!
@@ExpeditionThemePark So much footage, I got excited and commented like five minutes into it but I'm really enjoying :)
Same man.
This video hit me right in the nostalgic feelings. I can still smell that indescribable smell when you first walked in and hearing the whistle from the train. Such a massive miss as I wish I could have shared this with my kids!
So many memories of this place growing up, used to think it was so cool to have an indoor roller coaster, and a waltzers with a smoke machine!
it is cool!
Little fun fact for you about the rollercoaster:
All the staff members had to ride it every morning as a wake up call!
This fact comes from my Mum, who used to work there in 1989.
The metrocentre car park - the true test of any relationship 😂
The amount of times me and my boyfriend have lost his car 😂
😂 is this why my folks are no longer together then?!!! 🤣
It was the only place you could win a 20 pack of Regals and a tin of corned beef in an arcade
20 regal with a fiver cellotaped to the box
Hahahahaha yes, I worked at the arcade section and had to do the bingo a few times and would laugh at the prizes hahahaha, but the oldies loved it!
Similar setup at hull fair in those days.
This looked like so much fun! Now it looks 100% identical to basically every other shopping mall in existence.
Trust me. It isn't. I love the metrocentre
It was so much fun! Now it's just another dull generic shopping centre. Lost all of it's unique charm
It was the best
Metroland made the Metrocenter unique, plus i think the whole style of the Metrocentre looked way better in the past, especially with all the fountains and places like the Mediterranean village made it look awesome, it gave it a unique vibe and feel but sadly there's none of that now, its just a dull, generic shopping centre as many have said.
It really was so much fun, I spent a lot of time here in the 90s. Never been one to enjoy a shopping experience so Metroland was an absolute paradise for me 💕😍
I live near the Metro Center and can actually say it was shocking when INTU confirmed they were closing it. This would have been a good way for kids to be entertained whilst their parents went shopping.
Agreed!
*Centre (sorry, can't help myself)
Yeah its a sorry shell of its former self now, it's been sad seeing its long painful demise
We used to deliberately work ourselves so our Ma's would get sick of us and send us to Metroland, it also used to take them several hours to find us, we spot them and just spend the time sneaking on rides and keeping out of their sight, those were fun days...
I'm an American who has never had the pleasure of experiencing Metroland or any part of the UK (yet), but even I teared up during this video. Hearing the pride in Sir John Hall's voice as he talked about what he envisioned for this place, what it meant to him, and how much he wanted to create a place for the whole family to enjoy -- and he succeeded in doing it -- is something we don't often find today. I've been so fortunate to grow up with many trips to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, and the occasional County Fair offerings while I lived in California, and I can at least relate to that feeling of being a small child walking into a place of bright colors, lights, music, screams, and laughter. It is magical.
It saddens me to see that Metroland closed, but I sincerely hope that England will someday be given another chance at an indoor amusement park. They really are something special even if they're small.
This is your best video to date, never even visited metroland I'm sad it's gone
Thank you so much!
I’ve lived in Gateshead my whole life and used to go to metroland all of the time I have such amazing memories from this place!!
Thank you for manking this video. I used to love going to Metroland even if I was just walking through. Was so sad when it closed.
Absolutely brilliant documentary, thank you!! I am from London but spent many happy hours in metroland as my grandma lived in Gateshead. Without it, as you say, the MetroCentre is generic and has nothing to make it stand out
Love how you represent North East England! Massive fan of your videos, thank you for making them
My dad used to bring me to metro centre as a kid and it’s what started our love for roller coasters. It’s a shame how depressing the metro centre is now , after seeing the old videos and pictures of what it used to look like for the first time. It’s lost all it’s character. Brilliant video though!
thank you so much!
They shut it down because of the amount of chavs in the area
You make such grande shows. I’m an American who never even heard of Metroland. But you made me feel the nostalgia just by getting to know its history.
Thank you for your amazing work, ETP!
❤Over the past few years now I have had so much for feedback from people telling me how much they miss it now.I worked there for fifteen years and I miss Metroland too
Walter
Oh wow how did I miss this upload? As someone who lives local, Metroland was my weekly theme park trip every Sunday as a kid. Thank you for making this vid, I haven't watched it yet so will leave another comment afterwards.
This is such a blast from the past - thank you so much for highlighting something from the North East!!
my mom went to this park when she was a kid and I asked for this video and I love you
Ha thanks !
@@ExpeditionThemePark How many people requested this video? I see a few comments on here trying to take attribution :P
Oh, how I miss the character and charm of the Metrocentre. I still go once a week, even after Metroland closed a day after my 6th Birthday.
Before I was born, my Mum worked there for a short time as a mascot performer. She wore the costume for Whimsy, the purple dragon. One day, I asked her "Is Whimsy a boy or a girl?" She said "Whimsy is a dragon."
So there you have it.
And now the only way I can see big shopping centres surviving is to incorporate leisure with shopping, big mistake closing it
Exactly
Ironic isn't it
This is the metrocentre. It is still in Newcastle, I go everyday.
@@scoldedegg11yearsago17 I been there last week and most of the stores are closed and borded up, I used to go there many times but there is nothing there I want to do, so I rarely go anymore.
@@megazero952 I know, ive been over alot. its been getting better though. Luckily the village area is still open (it sells really good boba there)
I was a 90s kids living up north at the time! Great memories of Metroland and had my 8th birthday party here, McDonalds package and all!!
The best kind of party!
@@ExpeditionThemePark it really was!!
What's this about the m Donald's train? I have no memory of this
@@beckynik-nik721 I don't remember this either! Just the Toad stool seating area
I love the creator of this place, he has the correct ideas on family and using what was good about the past.
I live about a 50 minute drive from Gateshead. Me mum and dad used to take me and my sister here every couple of months, pay the fiver each then we’d run round it all day. Words can’t do justice how exciting it was ☺️ even just walking past the arcades and seeing Mortal Kombat or something… then getting in a 2 second queue to get on the swings again, then in the play area bit down the slides, it was wild. Mid 90s pop tunes playing all day. Having about 6 goes on the ship ride in a row hoping to the back seat for the seasick type feeling, so good. Such a shame they binned it, this place was a huge part of my childhood. Great documentary ☺️
I was 15 when Metroland opened and, as the commentary said, it made the Metro Centre far more than just a shopping mall. I have many happy memories of it, especially as it was the only theme park I could get to on public transport from where I lived at the time. The Metro Centre is all the poorer for having closed it.
So many memories thank you so much
I remember being at the Mall of America when it still had Camp Snoopy! We rode the log flume with my great-grandfather and in the ride photo he looks like he’s about to scream “oh shit” as we reached the final drop!
Lol
I love that ride
As someone who grew up going to this place, I know it looks like a bit of a dive. But, as a kid it was magical. The airplane ride, the trolley, the roller coaster, the soft play. It sucks that it closed, because now it's a really bad IMAX cinema and loads of chain restaurants which half of them are closed now. Also, fun fact, it was called the Metrocentre because when it was built, it was meant to have a metro line to it... but it's still never been built.
I actually always wondered why it was called that.
the first time i was offered to go, s a young kid i thought it would some kind of metro themed amusement park where you just at on the metro. i was like whats special about that, lol.
So many happy memories , literally went on that rollercoaster for 6 hours straight.
Great video 👍I'm from Gateshead and this brought back lots of happy memories. I wish this was still open to take my kids.
The Metrocenter was struggling to fill retail units even before COVID, in the long term I think Metroland would have attracted far more visitors and revenue than the cinema which replaced it, given it's unique and there are 5 cinemas within 10 miles. There's nothing like Metroland up here.
As an 80’s kid, I would’ve LOVED this place! I grew up near a similar looking mall in upstate New York (although no actual formal amusement park, just one of those balloon Ferris wheel rides, mini Golf and a carousel)...and sadly, it died a slow death until it was essentially a dead mall by 2009
This place haunts my dreams still. In my dreams though, the place is massive and reaches into the sky, and there's a second half of it which resembles a racing track or a waterpark of some kind (but with no water). I'm at the point now where I can't tell what is a memory and what is a memory of a dream.
11:51 The New Rollarcoaster? With painted supports!? Hot dang! It’s like a new ride!
Exactly!
@@ExpeditionThemePark it also had sound effects and smoke machines added to the tunnel. The sound effects were taken from first alien film when Ripley is setting self destruct on ship. You could hear Sigourney Weever heavy breathing in background.
"YOU NOW HAVE ONE MINUTE TO ABANDON SHIP!"
Metrocentre/metroland back then was such a nice place to go to. Metroland was so good. Shame they got rid of it, place is so different now/quiet/etc.
As someone from the north east I truly appreciate this episode. I used to visit metro land all the time it was a blast especially with friends film rides McDonald’s was a great day throwing pennies in the pond that used to be there too great memories
Yes! The metroland rollercoaster was the first roller rollercoaster I had been on at a young age, screamed like a baby on it but wanted to go again, love rollercoasters ever since! Use to go often as a kid and hit the amusements, bowing and the 9 ball tables! Use to be a great day out
So many memories of Metroland and the center as it used to be when I was a kid/teen. Memories that I will cherish. The place was so unique at the time but now....as you said at the end of the video, it's just another bland shopping mall. Fun fact about the roller coaster: in the tunnel as you're going up the ramp, sound samples from Alien are played on the speakers. I didn't realise it at the time when I was a kid but when I was older and watched Alien and heard those exact alert sounds. I was like. "Hold on! So that's where metrolands coaster sounds came from!"
This is so crazy to see, all this footage. I live half an hour away from Metro Centre and used to go to Metroland all the time as a child; and now as an adult spend countless days shopping in metro (when everything is normal and not in the middle of a pandemic.)
Thank you for watching!
Live 5 mins away.
Metro centre is just dying all the shops are going one by one.
Great video. I have fond memories of this place, my first coaster. It was amazing as a child! Still sad its gone 😭
So the story here is don’t let the Beancounters from London and the so-called experts from the Southeast of the UK turn your mall into just another cookie cutter mall. That probably goes for most places and things. What works in New York City probably doesn’t work in London, Utah.
Malls originally opened to be a full entertainment experience and as retail shopping declined these genius investors took out the entertainment and just added more retail space to the malls. In todays world of online shopping they need to reverse the change and put back in crazy things like Metroland to bring life back to them, there's so many abandoned malls in the US today just slowly deteriorating where there could instead be entertainment opportunities.
went to sooo many birthday parties here! Thank you so much for covering this, the nostalgia is real!
Thank you!
We used to skip college to to go there. It cost £5 for an all day wrist band. We lost count how many times we went on the roller coaster and the ship
"England, a place known of having bad weather"
Me: Yep, that sounds right
Yep aha
I’m from Tyne and Wear and Metroland was my childhood, growing up in the 80s… I feel lucky to have been the perfect age to enjoy this magical place for so many years.
It was a travesty that it closed. It made no sense.
Thanks for this wonderful nostalgic look back!
Eyyy, my local! That roller coaster packed a punch for such a tame thrill ride. Definitely looks out of place at the Big Sheep without the dark element.
Should also point out that “the Monty Zoomers” is just Monty Zoomers - it’s a very large soft play area.
Also the bit of the video about the Yellow Mall showed footage of the Green mall here, that’s on the other side of the centre!
So many happy memories from Metroland. I used to be such an exciting trip to the metro centre with my grandparents every summer holidays and at Christmas - spending the whole time shopping harassing them to go to metroland. Highlight of the trip! Absolutely gutted when it closed
I'm from South America and I hadn't heard of this place before, but you had me at Boyzone and Postman Pat launched a balloon race for charity. Iconic 90s vibe.
I live in Newcastle and remember this fondly. I still have a metroland token!!! I also remember riding the rollercoaster non stop 67 times. Then being sick lol
Rainbow Yawn on the Roller Coaster - although that was usually the cry from the Galleon/Ship
Spent many happy days there as a child 😍 Miss it and the unique feeling of the Metro Centre. Now just another shopping mall
Thank you for sharing this. I have great memories of the park, including my first roller coaster ride. The Metrocentre is honestly now a shadow of its former self. The whole place was magic as a kid but now all themeing is gone and it's just a standard mall. Such a shame really.
As someone who only lives about 15 minutes from the MetroCentre, this really makes me wish I was alive in the 90s. I was only 4 when it closed so I had no idea it even existed until my Dad brought it up a few years back. Would've loved to visit. It's really disappointing how the MetroCentre has fallen. Even the Model village has lost its most interesting qualities (it used to have model people and a car crashing through a wall) now it's more of a ghost town than a village. Thanks for making this video. Great to see some love for the North East.
i totally agree about the village being more of a ghost town, i used to love the village when i was little but now it seems like more of an ally way to the other shops.
Thank you for making this, I watch all your videos, and growing up locally I remember Metrocentre and Metroland opening up. I also used to love taking my daughter there when she was little- it closed when she was 4, but she was able to go on the rollercoaster on that last weekend. I can still remember every turn of the rollercoaster I’ve been on it that many times!! (Especially as you went round twice)
Oh this was such a huge part of my childhood 💔 I think I was about 16 when me and my sister went to the final rides day and we still had just as much fun as ever ☺️ Honestly was devastated to lose it. I remember the first lift hill used to have chasing lights as you went up (if they were working) and mist was released as you left the tunnel into the drop. It’s so clinical and generic now in the shopping centre, no themeing left these days :(
Yeah so boring now
This video is breaking my heart, I visited the Metrocentre & Metroland *incredibly* frequently as a kid - my parents got the NHS discount so we got wristbands for super cheap and would hang out in metroland all day. I graduated Uni the same year that Metroland closed, pretty significant in cementing that as the end of an era to me. Very sad to hear that the centre in general is just a faceless set of shops now.
I had no idea that the themed zones was a deliberate choice to make the place feel like it wasn't just a for shopping, though it makes sense in retrospect. As a kid being able to go through the little countryside village area or the Mediterranean area felt like time travel, and it really sparked my imagination to slip through those shortcuts between the larger mall spaces, like an anti 'liminal space' liminal space that felt like a slice of an alternate world.
What a belta! Thanks for doing this one, it's such a shame that it went, absolutely total lack of ambition by Intu and the drab that's there now is depressing, the whole place is depressing and even more so as they struggle to fill shops as the majority of them are boarded up. I absolutely agree with what you've said about the identity of these shopping centres and I've said it for so long, Intu focused on themselves as a brand, but no one is saying, 'let's go to the Intu Metrocentre, or the Intu Trafford centre', they should have kept the identities and made them unique to each other instead of what they've became, soulless empty centres. Only the Metro Gnomes kept some part of the identity going.
When the updated the signs , think I spent more time getting lost then actual shopping.
God I miss Metroland so much. One of my earliest memories was getting lost in the mirror maze in the original, and then the new one was just so much fun. I was once invited to go by a friend whose dad worked for Nissan, and the company had booked the whole place for their annual family/friends night, so we had it to ourselves.
My gosh... What a blast from the past. I went on the rollercoaster hundreds of times... Most weekends were a trip to the MetroCentre, with enough money from mam and dad for the metro and buss there and back, entry into MetroLand and something to eat... Such happy happy memories that have had me smiling from ear to ear, and also a bit teary watching this. Thank you for posting!
Spent a lot of time at the metro centre as a kid. The place was an integral part of my youth and Metroland & Mr B’s arcade were my life! phenomenal memories, feel so lucky to have experienced it during the early 90’s at its peak.
Yeeeesss!! I'm glad to have found a channel that talks about former retail and entertainment spaces outside the US! Most videos about topics like this are always very American centric, and it's interesting to hear about the UK/Europe side of things.
Ive got a load of stories from visiting the Metro Centre from 87 onwards. It was a cool place at the time, like you said there was nothing else like it!
This was brilliantly made and you have some decent old clips aswell wow. Metroland and the metrocentre were a massive staple of my childhood. I had many firsts at metroland, first time I got served for cigarettes underage was at metroland lol, I had a romantic encounter there and it was my first job after school haha. I worked there in 2007 and left just before the announcement of the closure. I live just round the corner from metrocentre now I still visit during LOCKDOWN, it's heartbreaking how dead it is now. Theyve opened a job centre inside the metrocentre which I find highly ironic as most of its now closed other than the big chains and a sad sign of the times.
I'm from the North of England and I always went to Metroland. Such good childhood memories
Loved this place, it actually looks like the metro centre have been adding more and more entertainment attractions recently, there's an arcade (with a decently large dodgems inside), recently they added an "angry birds" themed mini golf course, and a "clip 'n' climb" (a kids climbing centre). Looks like they could do with a new Metroland!
Thank you so much for this video!!! I never expected to see a full length video on Metroland!! I'm a geordie and spent my childhood here and my first rollercoaster experience. Love all the footage you've found. I'll never forget Metroland ❤️
Thank you so much for watching!
I remember this place in the mid 90s loved it thanks for bringing back the great memories of this wonderful indoor theme park 😀
Thank you so much for covering this. This was the first amusement park I ever visited and celebrated many an event at. Feels so strange to see metroland on your channel when I found you through your coverage of Orlando's parks!
Very nice tribute lad. That was the first rollercoaster I ever went on. When I was a kid I wanted to go to Disney Land. My parents said they would take me somewhere just like it. Ummm. Not quite. "Where's Mickey Mouse", I asked. My Mum pointed out the purple dragon, "Look there's a dragon." I did enjoy it though, even if it wasn't Disney Land. This video brought back some good memories. I'm so glad you found footage of that blasted dragon. It's just how I remembered it.
Excellent video, really brought on the nostalgia. One of my first jobs was making all the internal signage for Metroland. We were in there while it was being built, shame to see it being torn down.
I used to go to Metroland and Metrocentre with my nana and grandad when I was younger, thank you for the wave of happy memories. I used to love the rollercoaster, the pirate ship and flying round on the dodgems. There used to have a huge dragon hanging from the roof in front of the other enterance, the sound of the rollercoaster made it sound like the dragon was roaring to my young ears. I now work in the centre and the word that I see coming up the most in describing the centre is soulless. This is so true, Intu have murdered the centre and everything Sir John created. They've chased all the shops away with ever increasing rent demands (surely having full shop units all pay a little less is better business sense then having over half empty and pay a lot more) It's so bad if you look on the website for what stores are there, they have actually listed the post office, amazon collection lockers and the police station as shops.
I really appreciated your description of the park in this one. I have never been there but I could feel the love in you documenting. Thanks for putting this out there.
Absolutely loved metroland as a kid, getting rewarded with a rollercoaster ride in exchange for behaving during a shopping trip. Although I really wish it was around when I started working at the MetroCentre, that would've been awesome for lunch breaks
I’m so glad this video exists. This place was out of this world in the 90s. I loved my days spent in there. Pure joy.
I spent so long in there as a kid! Ah the memories :')
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and spent my time inside Metrocenter Mall which is where they filmed the first Bill and Ted movie. No thene park in there but there was an ice rink and eventually they removed the ice rink and turned it into a giant arcade with a few very small rides. Sadly, the Phoenix Metrocenter closed last year. So its a real trip for me learning about the existence of a British Metro Centre.
I grew up going to the British Metro Centre but have also long been a fan of the Phoenix one (due to the B&T filmings) and was sad to see that it finally closed down last year. Luckily there's some good coverage on UA-cam of its final days!
Interesting
I wish I could go back to these days, I remember as a kid loving the metrocentre both for metroland and for the simple things like the fountains and village they used to have, it used to have character, nowdays the metrocentre is just a soulless clone of every other shopping centre.
The good old days. I remember my secondary school doing school trips to the metro. I didn't buy anything. I always remember just going here & trying out all the arcade games and getting fast food. Good times. It just isn't the same going in there anymore. Damm i miss the late 90's early 2000's more & more with each passing day.
I loved Metroland growing up! It used to be part of our treat at the end of a shopping day. If we'd been good we could get an ice cream coated in sherbet and some time in Metroland. And we always entered the MetroCentre through the arcade in the Yellow Mall, now we only park in the Yellow Mall if we are going the the cinema.
It always breaks my heart when I hear that rides/parks close down wish I could have gotten the chance to experience this
Honestly, the rock work in the yellow mall when it still existed put some ‘theme park’ theming to shame. I miss metro land and the greenery and character of the metro centre in the 90s.
I still miss Metroland to this day, so many wonderful memories there. My first time on a rollercoaster, endless hours spent gliding down slides into ballpits at Montezuma's play park and when My Beautiful Balloons accidentally broke down, so me and a friend were trapped at the top for about 10 minutes. We loved it!
I remember my parents taking my siblings and I to Metroland when we were visiting our family in England (we live in America) and all of those memories were all so fun. I was so sad to see this go.
I remember an indoor amusement park in my country. It was so epic. It wasn't too big or dangerous so people could just let their kids do whatever they want. But because it was put in the poorest and least touristic part of the Netherlands, it flopped. I think that the property is now home to more refugees than there are locals in that town. It's sad that it's gone now, but at least it's used for a good cause.
It's called "Speelstad Oranje" btw
When I was a child I lived not far from the West Edmonton mall, it's been a long time since I was there. I've never been to Metroland, but I can certainly see the similarities between it and it's Fantasyland inspiration.
Thank you so much for this upload. This place was a legend in the North East, gutted when it closed and it just became another shopping centre. Thanks for the memories 😊
thank you so much for watching
That was really cool, I haven't heard of this one. Any kids growing up going to it must have really enjoyed it