For anyone who grew up in Bristol, the Galleries was the diamond in the crown that was Broadmead. It felt like the centre of everything, around which the rest of Broadmead revolved.
That, of course, changed in 2008, when Cabot Circus opened. Suddenly, there was competition to be the star of the Broadmead solar system. Nearly 14 years on, and things are unrecognisable.
While all retailers have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, the Galleries appears to have been impacted more than most. Wandering the squeaky white floors recently, at least 16 of the shopfronts in the mall were empty, with more seemingly closed down. In Cabot Circus, it was only a handful that were empty.
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Many shoppers consider the decline of the Galleries as stark, and sad. Steve and Sally Berry, who were making their first trip to the Galleries from their home in Gloucestershire since covid struck, said the centre had changed.
The pair were among those who spoke to Bristol Live during our recent visit to the shopping centre. "The whole area's changed a lot, with the shops closing down, which is a shame, because you've got nobody else to come along and take up all these little outlets," said Steve, who is in his mid-60s.
He noted the variety of shops becoming more limited, too. "We used to come in here and it used to be little different shops, outlets that did different types of clothing. But they just don't seem to be around no more. The diversity has gone."
Maureen Preece, 72, agreed with the lack of attractive shops. "It's very quiet around here, isn't it?" she said. "Not the amount of people that there was. And so many shops have closed down."
She added: "All the homeware stores that we used to go in - they're just non-existent now. Coffee shops, hairdressers, and nail bars - that's all you've got. You've got no department stores."
Maureen was visiting with her sister, Margaret Dean, 77. Similar to Steve and Sally, the pair were making their first trip to Broadmead from their home in Weston-super-Mare since lockdown, saying the fear of catching covid had stopped them up until this point.
"It's a long way to come. It's £7 on the bus - we don't have to pay, but it's £7 on the bus to come here."
They despaired at the state of the shopping centre, saying they were unable to shop online as many people do. Maureen said: "It's a shame, really, because we don't shop online because our age group don't do the computers, so it's difficult for us now the big stores are closed.
"You just haven't got the stores to look at. We like to look at stuff and try it, but you haven't got the stores to go and try them in."
They used to come "at least once a week", but said they wouldn't be rushing back after their latest visit. "We won't be coming now," Maureen said. "Unless we want something specific, where we know the shops are open."
As for why other people might be staying away, as they looked around the quiet mall, they offered covid and money as potential explanations. "I think everybody is watching their money at the moment, aren't they," Maureen said. "With bills - people are frightened to spend."
The kinds of shops have changed, too. Gone are HMV, Game, TK Maxx, Gap, Thornton's, and David Clulow, the upmarket optician's.
Discount stores are the most common sight these days - Poundland, Saver, and so on. All important stores, especially in the age of the cost of living crisis - but not ones likely to draw people in from far and wide.
The Galleries was contacted for comment but has yet to respond. Its website enthuses: "Home to more than 70 different stores and retailers, The Galleries is the perfect shopping destination in Bristol.
"Whether you're looking for a bargain, the latest fashion trends, or you're in the mood for some window shopping accompanied by a nice cup of hot chocolate, you can find it here."
One of the larger units upstairs is home to the Wed2Be bridal shop, which does draw in shoppers from further afield as one of only a handful of branches in the South West. Chains including Argos, WHSmith, Jack Wills and Waterstones also still have shops at the centre.
There are also some highly-rated independents still trading at the Galleries, including a boutique bridal shop and a computer repair shop. The Bristol Pop-Up Shop opens each year for Christmas in The Galleries, offering products from local sellers.
In January last year, plans were revealed to turn The Galleries into a mixed-used development over the next five to 10 years. Tim Davis, head of the Bristol office of real estate company Cushman & Wakefield, said at the time that the transformation could be one of the "most exciting" development opportunities in Britain in the next decade.
In 2019, the centre was sold off by global investment firm InfraRed Capital to LaSalle Investment Management for around £32million - down on the £50.1million it was sold for in January 2011.
Mike, a retired bus driver who was browsing with his wife, Trudy, said the decline "started with Marks and Sparks, Debenhams. If they move out, there's got to be something wrong."
"That place over there [Parsons, the jeweller] has been here for donkey's years and it's gone. Used to cost me a fortune every time I came down with her!" he joked.
In fact, Parsons was reported to be the oldest jeweller in Britain, having been established in 1710 and run by the same family for at least 10 generations. Its Broadmead store is now closed permanently.
Margaret agreed with Mike: "I think it's gone downhill terribly since Marks's closed." Maureen nodded: "No British Home Stores. No Debenhams."
"It's quite bad for shopping, really," Margaret said.
'I'd rather shop here than at Cabot'
Those department stores were, of course, outside the Galleries, but if a rising tide lifts all ships, an emptying town centre sinks many shops, too. But despite all the change - and the consensus that the Galleries is not what it once was - Mike, 78, still said he preferred it to the Galleries' sparkly next-door neighbour.
"I'd rather have the Galleries than Cabot Circus," he said firmly. "For a start, they [the shops in Cabot Circus] are double the price. And I just can't stand the place. I don't like it, full stop."
The couple, who live in St Anne's, were coming into town so Trudy could get her confidence back after not coming out for three years following an operation and then the pandemic. It was her 72nd birthday, too, so they headed to get her a present from Crystals. It's a reminder that shopping centres are not just a place of profit: they are cornerstones of the community, and they need to be preserved.
Maureen and Margaret, meanwhile, were looking for a suitcase for their trip to the Isle of Wight. And Steve and Sally? Why did they come in to the Galleries today?
"To go to the loo!" said Sally, as they wandered off in the direction of St Nick's market.
