People 'clapped and cheered' as explosion ripped through precinct shoppers 'couldn't wait to see the death of'
11.06.2023 - 08:19
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Crowds "clapped and cheered" as the life of an unloved shopping precinct came to a dramatic end.
Generations of Greater Manchester shoppers will remember the widely regarded "disaster" that was St Peter's Precinct. Built in 1967, it was at the time Oldham's flagship retail destination, and provided subway access to Henshaw Street, Cheapside and Market Street.
In 1968, a new Tesco supermarket was opened in the precinct by the Liverpool comedian Ken Dodd. It was also the location of the town's main Post Office and the still fondly remembered Piazza Café.
But it wasn't long after it was built that the flaws in its design became painfully apparent. The precinct was deemed "ugly" by many shoppers and its exposed, roofless design meant that Oldham's winds blew wild, chilling to the bone those brave enough to shop there.
The subway link to the nearby C&A store is said to have acted like a wind tunnel while those on the upper floors would feel the building sway. With the precinct's layout leaving it hopelessly exposed to the elements, it soon acquired the name 'Windy City'.
The unattractive, windswept precinct had become so much of a running joke in the town, that an advertising feature placed in Oldham's The Advertiser newspaper in June, 1986 tried to make-light of its problems in an attempt to attract more shoppers.
The advertisement read: "Dull and uninspiring on first impression but don't be deceived. Pull on your warmest sweater to combat those notorious Oldham winds and you may be in for a pleasant surprise.
"There are many independent traders in this underestimated shopping precinct, each one offering a service on which customers can rely and thoroughly trust." Not quite selling it to prospective customers, a damning