How Is This Place Even Still Open?

Totally apathetic attitude from the councils around the country. How hard would it be to offer the empty units, rent/rate free, for 24 months whilst you build your little business.

Somewhere in Newcastle there's a graffiti supplies shop that's doing fantastically well.

16:57 you missed a little gem being the Central Arcade, beautiful small glass roofed building cutting through two main streets Grainger Street & Grey Street

I think it suffered because it was a weird little bit in the corner of Eldon Square. There is a flow through the rest of Eldon Square but you have to make an effort to walk off and around Eldon Garden and then come back into the main mall again if you're just generally shopping.

I think people like you who make videos touring the UK are doing really important work in drawing attention to the situation and getting us talking and thinking about what to do with it.

Eldon Garden was never a hub of shopping. An absolute fortune was spent to extend Eldon Square, and literally no-one ever went. Two problems are the cost of Newcastle's business rates, and the fact that we're all totally skint here :D

It was always very quiet. It was an attachment to the Eldon Square centre and was mainly an access for the shop mobility and car parks over the road. Lakeland had one of the stores which pulled people down from the main centre. There was no footfall when that shop left. They can't really shut it as it is an entrance. It was never a busy hub down there.

The Eldon Gardens was put for sale in early 2023, which is why many of the few remaining shops have closed or relocated. The main Eldon Square shopping mall is still pretty busy, esp on a Saturday, as is Northumberland Street. (featured in the video). Basically cannot compete with the Metro Centre (15 minutes away by car) and Amazon. Shame ... it had some nice bars and restaurants when it first opened. The shops were too specialized though and pricey for typical Geordie shoppers. Just came back from a holiday in Valencia, Spain. All malls were vibrant (old and new) ... Spanish still love to shop and eat out. There are other factors at play here ... not just changing customer shopping habits. Sky high rent and rates, greedy landlords, apathetic councils etc etc. Great video ... thanks for posting.

The flag at the end of the video depicts Britain. Worn out, fatigued and no more care. Great Britain should be renamed, Broken Britain and no government is willing to repair it as long as greed exists. "Scrap business rates" and those shops will be alive with trade, culture, meeting places, music shops and farm produce. Governments are supposed to care for us, not neglect us.

I saw an ad on TV about visiting Turkey last week and thought that'd be nice. As I was searching online and came across a nice hotel and flights included for 250pp, I had a call from a mate who wanted me to go into town with him so I could sit in his car so he can park close to where he wanted to go to avoid a ticket. Three parking attendants turned up in 15 minutes, and three times I went round the block and came back. Most of the shops were boarded up except a few, including one travel agent. When my mate got back, I went to it and found the same package for £489pp! Here's why I think the high street is dead. It can't compete with online experience, let alone parking fines of £100 for a few minutes over and their silly overheads. Impossible.

Glad you got to the castle I used to play in the castle when I was a child 1952 sixpence entry the dungeon was very spooky I have been all over the castle. I emigrated to Australia with my wife and children 1970 When I came back on holiday to visit my family I made a beeline to the castle and was sadly disappointed most of it was cordoned off, so thank you for happy memories

Excellent summary of the city's struggling retail industry. Balmbra's - still closed - was the iconic place mentioned in the famous Geordie tune entitled The Blaydon Races. Sad times indeed.

It's been a total White Elephant from day one. The worst thing is, they demolished the fantastic Handyside Arcade of 1906 to make way for this monstrosity.

You would be amazed at how many malls are gone and dying here in the United States. Developers built way too many malls in the 1980s and 90s…. It’s a mess and many properties are rotting away while homeless people are everywhere.

I laughed when John said it was back in the day in the late 90s when he went to the night club. The night club was called Madison with Chassons in the mid 70s when it opened and we got in there. I actually got to dance with Hot Gossip in there. There were two dance floors. The main dance floor was for your mainstream disco music. But at the top end was a smaller dance floor for funk music and 12th inch singles.

From Newcastle and I remember when the giant building (7:04) used to be a Barclays Bank. Also used to work part-time at the cafe in the centre of Eldon Gardens (before it changed to Sambuca's), the area was deserted of shops even then (granted only around 10 years ago) - some businesses came, then left and their was a broken air-con/fan constantly making a noise.

I remember when this first opened - it was filled with super-high end boutique shops, all priced way above your average geordie's means. I think their prime custom was WAGs of footballers and that's about it.

Despite the similar names - Eldon Garden and Eldon Square are owned by two separate companies. Eldon Garden was due to be put up for sale last I heard in 2023.

Thankyou for featuring my city Newcastle! Love that you checked out the history and the cats!

My cousin had his wedding at the castle in Newcastle. It was class!