Kirkgate Shopping Centre has become something of a dead duck in Bradford city centre, ever since…read moreThe Broadway opened, it seemed more and more shops have relocated from here to the new mall (and who could blame them), sadly that means walking around Kirkgate Shopping Centre now is depressing, a run-down mall with empty units left, right and centre, and virtually no atmosphere. I'm not surprised to hear talks about this place being demolished. I got into the shopping centre from the escalators, opposite McDonald's, the first thing you could see is the giant Primark and pretty much nothing else. Not much going on inside - lack of mall staff/guides for shops that still exist here. A small number of units remain, including Primark and Sports Direct, both useful and many smaller/discount stores. 2* - Not worth going out of your way to visit, unless you specifically need one of the stores, certainly would be better to move the existing stores into the newer mall and use this space for something else.

I had a bad experience here yesterday. First, my shoelace came undone and it was too busy for me to…read morestop anywhere and do it up so I had to walk dead stupid because my right shoe was falling off. I don't normally wear shoes I have to lace up, which was probably the issue really, cos I'd just bought some converse hi-tops and wanted to wear them in a bit and had forgotten that double knots are the way forward. Anyhoo. Then I needed to pee. And finding the toilets was such a saga, with signs telling me to go upstairs (which I did), then to follow the concourse all the way round (which I did), and then queue up at the parking machines (which I did), and then get in a lift. At this point I got so confused and didn't believe that I had to come up an escalator and then get in a lift and so I ended up finding new toilets in the Kirkgate Market bit, which weren't very nice because they smelled of poop. I don't remember much else about Kirkgate Shopping Centre other than that it has an Argos and a Primark in it.

This library built me. Made me the person I am. I remember coming here after school everyday after…read moregetting dropped off by the 621 bus. Coming from Nabwood Grammar. A great large iconic building with so many floors and resources, this was a real library. All kinds of colourful characters would visit. Students, professors, retirees, vagrants, and families would be here. The ground floor inremmebr where people would scavenge for the daily newspapers. And all fiction books where I would get my first taste of Stephen King. Can tee had homemade sandwiches plus snacks and jacket potatoes were good and affordable. But the 5th floor was my spot. The reference floor where students would come and study. With its large tall windows bringing great light into the building and vast views of Bradford City. Such a shame this building is no more. I don't live in Bradford anymore but memories still linger and there will always be a special place of this library in my heart.

Bradford's main library isn't exactly entirely trad: walk into the reception seating 'n' eating…read morearea and you might think it's a social club - packed, chatty and really a little noisy, somewhat short of becardiganed ladies in flyaway spectacles saying 'Shhh!'. But its facilities are pretty cool: all your fiction, reference and research needs are catered to. There are regular library sales which are both cheap and eclectic, great for picking up some intriguing vintage bargains (that look cool on your Ikea bookshelves). Multiple floors, decent loos, nice and warm in winter and a ton of info available on local news and events, a good children's section and that great retro 70s architecture. Pretty damn good if you ask me.