Images of The Hampshire Centre through the years

An email from an Echo reader expressed an interest in seeing pictures of the Hampshire Centre.

"My wife and I have lived in Bournemouth our entire lives and have seen things change dramatically in those years," wrote Bill White of Southbourne.

"We both have fond memories of Castle Point when it was the Hampshire Centre and would love to see some old pix of it.

"Such a shame Woolco never caught on. We loved it. It was so cheap"

Woolco, a giant version of Woolworth with budget prices, was the biggest store at the Bournemouth site.

The Hampshire Centre, Castle Lane, Bournemouth, inside Woolco 28th oct 1969

According to the Echo, it was Britain's largest out-of-town department store with 40 departments and more than 200 sales assistants.

Among the other tenants at the Hampshire Centre were food retailer Williamson & Treadgold who had traded in Bournemouth Arcade as early as 1882. Also located there were Barclays and National Provincial banks, as well as Rosees Fashions, Millets, Currys, Meesons and George Oliver (Footwear).

The Hampshire Centre, Castle Lane, Bournemouth, 23rd October 1988 picture by Richard Crease, Daily Echo photo

Woolco closed in 1986 and in 2001, work began on demolishing the Hampshire Centre – preparing the town for a new era of retail.