In the mid-1990s, Harrow Town Centre was at a turning point. Like many high streets around the UK, it was facing growing pressure from out-of-town shopping parks and changing habits. People were heading elsewhere for big shops, entertainment, and weekend plans. Something had to change — and it did, on St George’s Day in 1996.
That’s when St George’s Shopping and Leisure Centre officially opened its doors, right in the heart of Harrow. It was a £40 million development built to bring something different: not just another mall, but a place where people could shop, eat, watch films, and even play games — all under one roof. The date of the launch, 23rd April, wasn’t a coincidence. It was chosen on purpose to tie into the name, giving it a patriotic edge and a memorable start.
Before St George’s existed, the site was home to Adams furniture store, which had its own long history. Go back far enough and the building had even been a cinema — the Harrow Empire — in the early 1900s. By the ‘90s, it was time for something new. Boots Properties, the development arm of the well-known pharmacy chain, took the lead and brought the project to life with the backing of Harrow Council.
Opening day drew a large crowd. There was a real sense of occasion about it as there was a special guest – Hunter from the Gladiators, one of the biggest shows on TV at the time, who was brough in to open the center. Inside, the shopping centre had a modern look and feel — skylights, shiny tiles, glass lifts and a sweeping staircase that gave it a surprisingly grand feel. There were three main levels, a 640-space car park, and around thirty new retail units. For Harrow Town Centre, it was a major addition.
Two major retailers helped anchor the new shopping centre from day one — Boots, which moved into a large, modern space, and Woolworths, which relocated from Station Road after more than 60 years there. Woolies took up two floors and quickly became one of the busiest shops in the complex.
Elsewhere, there was the Virgin Megastore — a real magnet at the time. It was the sort of place you could lose an hour or two browsing through CDs, cassettes, posters and magazines. In April 1996, you could walk in and pick up singles like Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack,” The Fugees’ “Ready or Not,” or George Michael’s “Fastlove.” Oasis and Blur were still at the height of their chart battle, and Now That’s What I Call Music 33 had just come out.
The Disney Store also opened inside St George’s, bringing with it wall-to-wall merchandise, themed displays, and a few over-excited kids (and adults). For Harrow at the time, having a Disney Store on the high street felt like a bit of a coup.
But St George’s wasn’t just about shopping. Just a few days after the official opening, on 26th April 1996, the Warner Bros. cinema opened upstairs. This was Harrow’s first modern multiplex, offering nine screens, comfy new seats, and enough popcorn to feed a small army. The cinema arrived with a strong line-up. Pixar’s Toy Story was still showing, along with Sense and Sensibility, From Dusk Till Dawn, 12 Monkeys, and The Birdcage. The first Mission: Impossible was just a few weeks away. For local teenagers, families, and film lovers, the arrival of a Warner Cinema right in the town centre was a huge deal. No more trips to Watford or Brent Cross — everything you wanted was suddenly right here.
Then there was The Edge. It doesn’t get talked about as much these days, but in the early days of St George’s, The Edge was a highlight. It was a family entertainment zone tucked inside the centre, packed with arcade machines, dodgems, and even an internet café — which, in 1996, was still a novelty. The arcade games included Daytona USA, a classic sit-down racer with wheel-to-wheel multiplayer, as well as Time Crisis, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Virtua Cop 2 and House of the Dead. The sound of coins clinking into machines and the glow of screens made it a popular hangout — especially for those who preferred gaming to shopping. The Edge didn’t last forever, but while it did, it added something genuinely fun to the mix.
The design of St George’s had a mix of styles. On the outside, it was all glass and clean lines, but inside, the staircases and balconies gave it a slight Georgian flourish. The aim was to make it feel modern but not cold — and, to its credit, it worked. People noticed how light and open the space felt, which wasn’t always the case with shopping centres at the time.
The arrival of St George’s gave the town centre a real boost. Footfall increased, and the town’s retail ranking jumped nationally. It helped stop the drift of shoppers heading out of town, and by the early 2000s, Harrow was back in the top tier of London shopping destinations. Local businesses saw the benefit too, with more visitors staying in the area to shop and eat.
Of course, there were a few growing pains. The late-night cinema and McDonald’s opening hours caused some concern among nearby residents, with worries about noise and crowds. Harrow Council stepped in to limit late-night licenses, and security presence was increased — a compromise that helped things settle down.
Through the early 2000s, the shopping centre stayed busy. Most of the original retailers held on, and the cinema changed hands in 2004 when Warner Village was sold and rebranded as Vue. A gym opened upstairs, taking over some of the former leisure space. Virgin Megastore stayed open for several more years before eventually closing in line with national trends, but at the time, it remained a favourite spot for music lovers.
By 2006, St George’s had firmly established itself. Ten years after opening, the centre was still popular, still busy, and still seen as a central part of life in Harrow Town Centre. People had their routines — a browse around the shops, a quick bite to eat, maybe a film upstairs if something good was on.
Today, some of the original sparkle may have faded, and a few of those first-day stores are long gone, but the legacy of St George’s Shopping Centre still stands. It helped shape Harrow Town Centre into what it is now. For those who remember the excitement of opening day, the queues for Toy Story, the buzz of The Edge, and the weekly CD hauls from Virgin, it remains a defining part of local history.
Seamus Donaghy is a freelance writer with a strong interest in Harrow’s local history. Originally from Sligo in the Republic of Ireland, Seamus moved to Harrow with his family when he was seven years old and grew up in Wealdstone. He has lived in the borough for more than 30 years and writes about the people, places and stories that have shaped Harrow over the years.
