THIS month marks 21 years since Churchill Square re-opened its doors.

Following two years of redevelopment the Brighton shopping centre invited the public to celebrate its re-opening on September 4, 1998.

To celebrate the unveiling of the new-look shopping centre – which boasted 85 stores across 407,000 square foot of retail space - the mayor, Francis Tonks, was called in to officially cut the ribbon.

Hundreds of members of the public also flocked to the shopping centre to see how much had changed.

The originally shopping centre, which opened in the Sixties, was demolished in January 1996.

More than 510,000 bricks suitable for a coastal environment were used in rebuilding it.

Churchill Square centre director Mark Buchanan-Smith said: “It’s amazing that 21 years has gone by as quickly as it has.

“As a born and bred Brightonian, I remember the relaunch very well and all the buzz surrounding it.

“The re-development was an incredible investment for the centre and Brighton too, as it opened the gateway to explore different avenues and allowed us to put our stamp on what constitutes a superb shopping experience.

“With inclement coastal weather, the addition of the roof certainly helped Churchill Square become the go-to focal point in the city, where friends could meet up at the weekend and families could also enjoy spending their time together. It’s so encouraging that this continues to be the case today.

“I’ve been into the archives and found some fantastic photos capturing the centre’s history and it’s a joy to step back in time and have many great memories come flooding back.

“It’ll be interesting to see how things progress over the next couple of decades.

“On behalf of everybody at Churchill Square, we’d like to thank all our wonderful visitors for their ongoing support, and we look forward to an exciting future ahead.”