Happy days are here again

City centre shopping is always a pleasure when it is as easy to get about Gloucester as is. The pedestrianised city centre has four wide main gate streets forming a cross; Northgate Southgate Westgate and Eastgate. Off Eastgate there are two indoor shopping centres; the Eastgate Shopping Centre with an indoor market links to Southgate and King’s Walk links to King’s Square.  The Cathedral stands tall over the four gate-streets and city shops, if you can’t see it then you will certainly hear the bells ringing.

The usual high street stores are present along with a growing mix of independents tucked among the historic buildings and narrow lanes. The kingpin store is Debenhams in Northgate St. The café revolution continues especially so in the Westgate Quarter. Hubble Bubble deserves a mention, like ourselves an independent and privately run café as is the Crow’s Nest.

The process of re-generating the city centre continues. King’s Square will be redeveloped very soon and in the meantime has had a temporary facelift and buildings removed to make a popular open space that could tempt councillors to keep it that way. The latest addition is the Antiques centre, once of the Docks and Quays now in one of the most fabulous timbered buildings in the country, the Judges’ Lodgings Westgate St.

Gloucester Quays is a short walk from Southgate through the Docks. It is a designer Outlet that competes with the best with the added bonus of being in city centre with a magnificent Dockland backdrop and canal waterfront.

There are food festivals Xmas markets craft garden and antiques fairs held in the city and at the Quays. The farmers market is held in the city every Friday.

Parking in the centre of Gloucester especially on festival days can be busy so if you are arriving at the Edward then drop your car off here in the morning.