IT’S sad that Haymans, the only fishmongers in the Covered Market, has moved out after 225 years. It seems the new Westgate shopping centre is having an adverse effect on shops in other parts of the city. It doesn’t bode well with empty shops in Cornmarket Street and places like the Covered Market.

Personally I didn’t find anything wrong with the old Westgate and a John Lewis store could have been added. As for the larger footfall predicted, I don’t think it will be as great as they say. I know of one lady, a patron of John Lewis, who was so disgruntled with the Oxford store, she is going to continue going to Reading. Apparently it takes ages to be served beverages in their restaurant and some people were walking out.

Also, when one enters the centre from Queen Street it’s like going into a vast wind tunnel, freezing. Not a terribly good design. Why there are going to be 25 eateries in the new centre when there are other eateries in the rest of the town is beyond belief. Some will have to close because of lack of trade. In a couple of years there will be empty shops appearing in the new centre as trade will be poor. People only have a certain amount of disposable income and they cannot spend in every shop. The new Westgate centre is far too big for Oxford.

It’s a novelty at the moment but people will continue to go to other towns as they have been doing for years.

MIKE CLARKE
Old Marston