Bromley built the Glades in the 1980s, demolishing houses, the non-conformist church, and shops to make way for it. They sold part of Queen Gardens so that the remanent was blocked off from Market Square.
The new bypass curved round behind it, but alas, the shopping centre was opened for Christmas 1988, months before Kentish Way was completed, so the traffic jams were monumental.
Whatever the community had to sacrifice for our shopping centre, it is undeniable that Bromley would not be the same if it had not been built. And, it is a quality build that, thankfully, left brutalism behind, and has a style, that is not pastiche (heavens forbid) but is all of its own, borrowing elements from other heritage buildings in the town centre.
As it was called the Glades from the outset, the details of the building are themed: the arch on the high street is in green granite, the balustrades on the balconies are stylised trees, the railings of the car park balconies look like abstract fern shoots.
Browse our old photos, in 
from being dominated by tower blocks: Look here and email our ward councillors about:
*