Ankerside Shopping Centre

As there are only really two shopping centres in Tamworth you really have little choice but to patronise this place anyway… or get into Birmingham which is not always practical.
The building architecturally is very 70s — it is ugly really, which when you think that is stuck right next to the Castle and many other historical buildings is not so good. Its small for a shopping centre and I feel has really gone down hill in the last few years.
It seems to have been taken over by card shops — I counted 5 I think on last visit, and mobile phone shops. There are 3 empty units — ridiculous! … and really the only brands worth mentioning are New Look, MK1, and The Early Learning Centre — oh and of course HMV. Add to that the fact that they have now decided to put these weird barrow stall things down the centre it really does seem to become less classy by the year. Most of these stalls are selling the kind of cheap tat you can get outside on the market for half the price so are pointless anyway.
The only redeeming features really are that the loos are excellent — call me weird but very clean and spacious and very good baby friendly feautures if you need ‘em. Also there are two decent places to eat with generous seating areas, BBs café being one of them and Drucker’s the other.
Only go here if you have no option really — much more choice on the out of town retail complex ‘Ventura’, which is part of the reason I believe that ‘Ankerside’ is failing so. All the decent shops have migrated to the newer site. A spot of cash injection please Tamworth Council!!?