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It's been half a century since Manchester's Arndale shopping centre opened its doors to the city's shoppers. Although officially opened by HRH Princess Royal in 1979, the first phase of Manchester Arndale opened in 1975.

Still one of the largest in the UK, Manchester Arndale was built in phases between 1972 and 1979. Over the years, the mammoth indoor shopping centre has seen many changes, not least the major reconstruction that followed the IRA bomb in 1996 , which devastated the city centre .

However, the original plans to completely transform this part of the city began before the end of the Second World War . The city council decided that the area around Market Street needed major redevelopment, but no progress was made until the city surveyor said redevelopme

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