Coopers Square shopping centre is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style on Wednesday 24 March and the local community is invited to help mark the special milestone for the shopping centre that helped to transform Burton town centre four decades ago.

Janet Brammer, daughter of the Burton Deputy Town Clerk, presents HRH Princess Alexandra with flowers at the opening of Coopers Square shopping centre in 1970

The official opening of Coopers Square by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra on Tuesday 24 March 1970 helped to trigger the town’s transformation, replacing an industrial centre with a retail hub. Forty years later and the shopping centre remains at the heart of the Burton community, attracting around 12 million shoppers each year.

With invaluable help from the Burton Civic Society, the Coopers Square team have created a fascinating exhibition, charting the history and development of the shopping centre and its locality, to mark the 40th anniversary.

Shoppers will be taken through the years, to learn about how a 21st century shopping centre was aptly named after the town’s most traditional and highly skilled craftsmen. The Coopers Square team is hoping that the display will ignite a trip down memory lane for many of its visitors, especially for three youngsters who have featured highly in the history of the centre.

The people of Burton turned out in avid support for the opening of Coopers Square on Tuesday 24 March, 1970. Photo courtesy of Burton Civic Society

Thousands of people lined the streets, on what looks to have been a brisk spring morning in 1970, in honour of the shopping centre’s opening. Getting a first-class view of the proceedings was Janet Brammer, daughter of Burton’s Deputy Town Clerk, who welcomed Princess Alexandra with a bouquet of flowers.

Fast forward nearly 25 years later and two Burton boys helped to mark another significant point in the annals of Coopers Square by creating a time capsule bearing examples of the town’s proud heritage, which still nestles beneath the famous Burton Cooper bronze statue in the Main Square.

Charles Wolfe, aged seven at the time, from Swadlincote and Iain Kelly from Tutbury won a competition run by Coopers Square to mark the move of the magnificent Cooper statue in 1994 from the High Street to the newly-roofed shopping centre. Fittingly, a barrel forms the outer casing to an argon filled box into which the boys placed a copy of the Burton Mail, a fashion catalogue, a list of the top ten selling hits, a set of coins, a shire horse shoe, a can of beer, a map of Burton and a jar of Bovril.

Dave Chadfield, Coopers Square Centre Manager, commented: “The 40th anniversary of Coopers Square marks a very special milestone for Burton. The opening of this shopping centre was obviously an important point in the town’s history and the anniversary exhibition features some stunning photography that certainly conveys that it was a proud occasion for all of the town’s people.

“Over the last four decades Coopers Square is proud to have remained at the heart of Burton. Without doubt, our success is testament to our loyal customers, so we want to share this important occasion with them and would like to hear what it was really like from those who experienced the opening day firsthand.

“With the help of the local media, we would particularly like to track down Janet Brammer, Charles Wolfe and Iain Kelly, so that we can invite them to join our anniversary celebrations later this month. If you can help, or would like to share your Coopers Square memories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing me at david.chadfield@cooperssquare.co.uk.”

A series of celebrations and lots of family fun activities are planned throughout the anniversary week. A cake presentation will accompany the official launch of the historic exhibition on Wednesday 24 March, while face painting, cake making and balloon modelling will help visitors of all ages join the party atmosphere in the Main Square on Saturday 27 March.

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