READER REACTION: Burnley people share what they miss most about the town centre

The Express shared several photos from old editions of the paper that have been digitised by Burnley Civic Trust.

The pictures show numerous changes in the town centre since the 1970s and 1980s.

We asked our readers what they miss most about Burnley town centre, with many sharing their fond memories of spending time at the Thompson Centre.

Craig Devlin says he loved meeting people there, adding: “My dad helped to build it.”

And Gary Kay says he has, “superb memories” and that the sports venue is “a massive loss with the facilities it had under one roof.”

Lee Damian Kerrigan agrees, saying he was “shocked” to see it is now a carpark, adding that he loved the Friday discos and the diving pool.

Shopping lovers like Debbie Bradley looked back at both the outdoor and indoor markets. Debbie says she never missed them on Saturday mornings.

"The stalls were great, you could get anything and everything. Not anymore. Just stinky stalls of food. Bring it back Burnley Council.”

Meanwhile, Barbara Wright says she loved the, “Outside market with black puddings and fish stalls,” while Marcia Deborah Gore feels nostalgic about, “the tight stall and Holden's Cafe in the market hall.”

Film fan Deborah Wilson would love to see The Odeon return while Tina Quigley says she misses the “123 Cinema up the ramp being 75p for a child, and I know this cause I watched Who’s That Girl in 1987 with Mum.”

Other Facebook users looked back fondly at the town’s night-time array of entertainment, like the pubs and clubs.

Speaking about Burnley’s pub culture, Stephen Johnston said there are, “none left with good beer. How many have we lost in the last ten years?”

An old favourite haunt for Julie Phillips was Cats Whiskers, who called it the “best place” and says she has “great memories” of it.

But Catherine Robe commented: “Angels nightclub for me!”

Some people say they miss certain landmarks in particular like the fountain or the bandstand while others wish a whole host of long-lost gems could be returned.

Julie Ellison listed: “Ames, Dawson's, Wimpy, Wednesday flea market, Woolies, GUS discount shop, Greenhalgh's veg stall, Zodiac toys, Chelsea Girl”.

And Julie Oldfield suggested: “Oobidoo, Hitchens, El Greco cafe near the bus station, Cordon Bleu frozen food shop and the record stall in the market.”

Kathy Brandstatter favourite stomping-grounds were: “Mecca, later Cats Whiskers, Atlantic coffee shop with a jukebox. The fountain, The Empress Grill. Rogers Chicken Shop. Lots of good things are gone.”

Sandra Martins said: “I miss how it used to be: market hall, outside market, plenty of shops. Now there’s nothing good about the town centre; the council has absolutely ruined it.”

Agreement came from Brenda Boden, who commented: “Yes, it was good; not our Burnley anymore.”

And Matt Allen wants, “Decent shops and record shops and independent shops.”

Finally, Lynne Bernard said: “I went into Burnley last Sunday. The first thing I saw were traffic wardens putting tickets on cars. What a shame. It does not encourage you to shop local.”

She added that she now shops at, “retail parks...sadly out of town.”