NEWS
HEMPSTEAD VALLEY CELEBRATING 40 YEARS – 1978-2018
AFTER MANY YEARS OF PLANNING , SAVACENTRE AT HEMPSTEAD VALLEY OPENED ON 17TH OCTOBER 1978 . THE CENTRE OFFERED OUT-OF-TOWN SHOPPING MODELLED ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLEXES IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE . THE LARGE HYPERMARKET AND FIRST OUT-OF-TOWN SHOPPING CENTRE IN THE SOUTH EAST WON MANY AWARDS , INCLUDING THE EUROPEAN AWARD IN 1980 FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SHOPPING CENTRES FOR ITS CREATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS . THE CENTRE WAS INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE , ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS FROM THE LONDON AND THE CONTINENT .
The centre was built close to junction 4 of the M2 with easy access to the Medway towns , Sittingbourne and Maidstone . In 1979 , centre director , David Peek , said : “ We offer a new dimension in shopping with convenient free parking , reasonable prices , plenty of natural daylight and the novelty atmosphere of a market .” The late opening hours and the cut price petrol station and varied events staged supported their slogan ‘ there is always something going on at Hempstead Valley ’. Over 800 local people were employed , including mums who for the first time were able to return to work while fitting in with school hours .
Su Button , marketing manager , manages the archives for the centre and has a gained a great insight into the history of Hempstead Valley . Su said : “ Living locally in Medway , we regularly shop and dine at Hempstead Valley and when I was younger I enjoyed having birthday parties in the Food Court . I fondly remember the water features and fish pond . I have worked at Hempstead Valley for over a third of my life ; our longest serving employee has 35 years under his belt . Our staff take great pride in their work and the centre has strong reputation .”
Known as ‘ Happy Valley ’ to many , which is testament to its popularity , Hempstead Valley has attracted millions of customers over the past 40 years . To celebrate the centre ’ s 40th birthday , Hempstead Valley is looking back over its past – during October there will be displays of vintage fashion , toys , cars and music , and Medway Council ’ s archive team will be displaying their archive photos along with others from the centre as longstanding customers enjoy reminiscing , particularly with regards to the fish pond ! Celebrations will also look at the present and future , and local schoolchildren will be showcasing their ideas for the shopping centre of the future .
Many people still affectionately refer to Hempstead Valley as the SavaCentre , but it was re-branded to Sainsbury ’ s in 2004 . The centre has undergone a series of redevelopments including the M & S mall which was completed in 1992 , and more recently The Venue development was built and is home to the restaurant quarter – Nando ’ s , Frankie & Benny ’ s , Bella Italia and Friendly Phil ’ s . There is also a Subway , Costa Coffee and Kent Reliance Building Society in this new development . A new TK Maxx opened in 2016 and JD Sports moved to a new , larger purposebuilt unit this summer . In April 2018 , planning permission was granted by Medway Council for an 80,000-sqft extension , to include five large new units and decked car park .
If you would like to share your memories or photos of Hempstead Valley , please email them to Su Button : marketing @ hempsteadvalley . co . uk . The entire centre team is looking forward to celebrating the success of Hempstead Valley and to the future of this highly popular and thriving shopping centre .
Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre Hempstead Gillingham Kent ME7 3PD 01634 387076 www . hempsteadvalley . com
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