Meadowhall - Shop 'til you drop. (Meadowhall)

Member Name: msvforb

Product:	Meadowhall
Date:	04/08/09 (260 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well situated, great transport links and a great selection of retailers

Disadvantages: Gets really busy at peak times

Meadowhall shopping centre which first opened in 1990 is one of the largest shopping centres in the north of England. Situated at junction 34 of the M1 it's an easy journey for both those who live locally and those coming from further away.

Location and Transport:

Meadowhall is situated on the outskirts of Sheffield within sight of junction 34 of the M1 and about a fifteen minute drive from the city centre. There are about 12,000 parking spaces spread out over 6 large car parks which surround the centre therefore there is ample parking even at peak shopping times, parking is free of charge.

The travel interchange has frequent bus and tram links to places all round Sheffield and the greater South Yorkshire area. There is also a railway station with frequent train services covering routes to Leeds, Manchester and Lincoln as well as stations throughout South Yorkshire

Shopping:

The centre has all the typical shops that you might expect to find in any UK high street or shopping centre with Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Boots, WH Smith, Clinton, H Samuels etc etc all being represented. There are also a large number of more specialised shops such as Karen Millen, Kurt Geiger, Nut Bar and The Disney Store so you can pretty much find anything you want. There are also a wide range of high street banks and travel agents.

The only thing which is really missing from the centre is a supermarket, Marks & Spencer's food hall being the only place you can nip for a pint of milk or that night's dinner.

One of my favourite areas of Meadowhall is The Lanes, an area of smaller specialist shops where you can find all kinds of things from clothing to candles, ornaments to sheet music and jewellery to toys. I find this area of the centre great to browse around and usually head here if I'm in search of something that's a little bit different.

In addition to the main stores and The Lanes there are various stalls throughout the centre where you can often find a bargain. These stalls tend to sell jewellery or refreshments and I often find myself drawn to them whilst I'm passing.

Eating and Drinking

Situated right at the heart of the centre is the Oasis a large food court with ample seating surrounded by outlets selling all kinds of food. Whether you fancy a Chinese or a pizza, fish and chips or a jacket potato you'll find it here. The big screen in the Oasis shows Meadowhall TV which shows what's going on around the centre, features some of the best offers available and shows a selection of film trailers, music videos and some actual TV programmes.

Above and around the main part of the Oasis are a pub and a selection of eat in restaurants including well known chains such as Frankie & Benny's, Nandos, Pizza Express and Zizzi along with some lesser known restaurants which in my experience all serve great quality food and drink.

The Oasis isn't the only place to stop for a bite to eat with various coffee shops and other eateries being spread throughout the centre.

Other Facilities:

For me one of the main attractions at Meadowhall is the multi-screen Vue cinema which shows most of the latest releases. This is situated upstairs in the Oasis area

There are a number of customer service information points situated throughout the centre where it's possible to ask for help, pick up a map, purchase a Meadowhall gift card (which can be used in over 250 stores around the centre) or get an item gift wrapped.

As you would expect for somewhere this size there are numerous toilets and baby changing facilities situated around the centre and in my experience these are always clean and pleasant to use.

Finally, for those with kids ages 8 or under there's a play area where they can let of steam

Opening Times:

Generally the opening times for the main mall are as listed below, some shops do open earlier than the times stated and the Oasis area stays open for a while after the main shopping area has closed. Opening hours are of course extended near Christmas time, usually by an hour each day from Monday to Saturday.

Monday - Friday: 10 am - 9pm
Saturday: 9 am - 7pm
Sunday: 11 am - 5pm

In summary I find that Meadowhall meets all my shopping needs under one roof. Whether I'm looking for Poundland or Paperchase, Superdrug or Shoe Zone I can find it here. The centre is well situated with great transport links. Unfortunately at peak times the centre gets very busy. As I live locally I tend to avoid Meadowhall altogether on a Saturday afternoon especially when it's getting close to Christmas.

Summary: Everything you could want to buy under one roof