Wow, this is just incredible! – First look at Cabot Circus
Then Karen Peters exclaimed: "This is incredible!"
She and her three friends were looking at the spectacular sweeping curves of the glass roof above them and the shops and restaurants all around – including House of Fraser, Swarovski and New Look.
Karen, 35, who works for an internet security company, was the winner of the Bristol Evening Post's Shops and the City prize draw for an exclusive preview of Bristol's new £500 million shopping centre, which officially opens today.
She had arrived in a vintage Rolls-Royce accompanied by her friends Claire Turner, 34, an IT training manager; Paula Turner (no relation), 35, an operations manager at Lloyds TSB; and data officer Leigh Moncrieffe, 33.
"I'm really looking forward to bringing friends who visit Bristol here," said Karen, as they made their way around.
"I'm Bristol born and bred and proud of it. But until now, the city centre hasn't had a lot to offer."
The four friends got a taste of what shoppers will be able to enjoy at Cabot Circus and Quakers Friars on a trip that included visits to Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Brasserie Blanc and Giraffe restaurant.
They walked in along George White Street – a new road which, together with Brigstowe Street and Concorde Street, was named following a poll of Bristol Evening Post readers.
For the past few months, these streets had reverberated to the sound of heavy machinery as workmen prepared the stores for today's opening. Now they echoed to the sound of laughter and exclamations of delight as Karen and her friends were shown around by Cabot Circus centre director Richard Belt yesterday.
"The roof actually isn't a roof – it's a work of art," he informed them, with all the pride of the owner of a newly-built house, as they looked as the iconic glass structure above them.
"In fact, it's not even a roof in the traditional sense, but a number of sections of roofs going over each other. At night, it almost seems to be floating.
"Unlike most shopping centres, we don't have any doors at the entrances. This is about trying to embrace the rest of Broadmead."
Karen, who lives in Bradley Stoke with her husband Gavin and children Millie, five, and Jack, two, said she had happy memories of Broadmead in the 1970s and 80s – but less pleasant ones from recent years.
"As a little girl I used to go on a roundabout at Broadmead that had wooden horses and a bus," she said.
"As I got older, I'd go to Bhs for fish and chips and a cup of tea with my mum and nan. In my early 20s, I used to go into town with my friends on a Saturday and buy something new to wear that night. Then I'd go home, stuff down some tea and rush off out.
"I suppose I stopped going to Broadmead because I found parking difficult and after I had children, I started to feel it wasn't a very safe place to take them."
Now Karen is making plans to return to Bristol city centre with her family. She said: "Gavin will love Quakers Friars and I'd love to take my mother-in-law Valerie for a treat at Brasserie Blanc, as she has been really kind and looked after my children so I could come here today.
"I'm certainly coming back to visit Links of London. I love their jewellery but I've never been able to buy it in Bristol."
Karen and her friends were amazed by the transformation of Quakers Friars from an area once filled with delivery lorries and wheelie bins into a Continental-style piazza with stores including Hardy Amies, Apple, Reiss, The White Company and Kurt Geiger.
"The last time I was here it was at a wedding!" laughed Paula, as the friends sat down in the former register office that is now Brasserie Blanc for a coffee.
Next stop for the group – who were full of praise for their bosses for giving them the day off – was the invitation-only, circus-themed store preview at Harvey Nichols.
They enjoyed a performance by burlesque star Dita von Teese, and watched as stilt walkers and contortionists mingled with waiters bearing trays of canapes, cocktails and champagne.
Then it was off for lunch at Giraffe, the latest restaurant in the trendy chain frequented by stars including Girls Aloud, Kevin Spacey and Venus Williams.
Next stop was the jewel in the crown of Cabot Circus, the four-storey House of Fraser store, where the girls were treated like royalty. General manager Mark Valiant pointed out the myriad brands and explained the concept for the home furnishing department before showing them the luxurious Redchat Aveda health spa, where they will enjoy treatments at a later date.
Paula was lost for an hour while French make-up artist Daniel Hermy gave her a Dior makeover, and Claire tried on a pair of purple Pied a Terre boots.
Model Yasmin Le Bon, who was due to open the store today, made a guest appearance on the catwalk during two fashion shows and posed for a photograph before chatting to the friends about clothes and her life as a working mother married to Simon Le Bon, of Duran Duran fame. It was one of the unexpected high spots of the day.
Claire said: "She was really down to earth. She told us how she met Simon on a blind date."
At the end of the evening the girls tried to decide what they had enjoyed most.
Paula said: "Everything – they treated us like royalty. I really enjoyed having my make-up done and meeting Yasmin Le Bon.
Leigh said: "House of Fraser have really gone the extra mile for us – we will be back."
Karen said: "It has been fantastic. We have had a lovely, girly day out."
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