Posted on by Janice

Short trip to Westfield

Monday, 21 January, 2018

Yesterday, after two failed attempts, I made it to Westfield – I had three goals. To try on some shoes on sale at the Ecco store (they’re on sale online but I don’t know my size) to buy some photo albums at the WHSmith sale, and to pick up some dumplings for dim sum.

I’m not a fan of shopping malls. Westfield has two big ones – the first was at Shepherds Bush, the second at Stratford – on opposite ends of London.

Stuff about Westfield – just a bit at least – at the bottom of my blog!

Walking from the bus towards one of the station entrances. This is one of two stations in my neighbourhood, Hackney Central
Hackney Central entrance
A narrow slope takes you up to the station. It can get pretty crowded at rush hour
Refreshment Stand, Hackney Central
There’s a little refreshment stand near the Station Hall. Now that a chain coffee place has opened just on the street outside, I’ve wondered if business has sufered. The sign reminds people it’s cheaper here!

Hackney Central is an Overground station. It used to be called The North London Line and it was a fast but nasty train route across North London from east to West. Then London Transport took it over and cleaned it up. It changed from dirty and rundown to clean and modern. It’s now a pleasure to use. My main uses are from here to Stratford, or in the other direction to Camden, and beyond.

Hackney Central station hall
In the station hall. There are just two platforms, for trains running east or west across north London
Hackney Central platform
The trains run every ten minutes this time of day and I had nine minutes to wait. I’m the queen of missing trains and buses
Open carriages on the Overground
I first saw this open carriage concept in Spain many years ago. It finally arrived in London in 2009 with the Overground, and now I see it everywhere
Stratford from the station
The journey through east London can be bleak but arriving at Stratford modern London greets you
The crowds converge on one of the station stairways at Stratford
The crowd converge on one of the station stairways at Stratford. Notice the signs to the mall and the Olympic complex
Queuing to get out
Queuing to get out
Stratford station has the underground, National Rail, the DLR, and the Overgound!
Stratford station has the underground, National Rail, the DLR, and the Overgound!
Basketball ad
Basketball ad – the mall to the left, the old shops, the bus station, and the older Stratford to the right. On my way!

The mall is large and has indoor and outdoor areas. I prefer the outdoor.

First the indoor:

Then some of the outdoor – atrium over part of it. Out here are chain restaurants and some stores, including an Ikea collection outlet.

If you keep walking along the outside area, you’ll be facing the Olympic Complex. I didn’t have a lot of time today so didn’t walk all the way out.

The Olympic stadium, now the home of West Ham FC, from the mall outside area
The Olympic stadium in the background, now the home of West Ham FC, from the mall outside area

The Olympics is always more than the Games themselves. Large areas of Stratford, a deprived area of East London, were razed. Residents were turfed out with the usual outcry and upset. As well as the Olympic complex  – stadium and smaller buildings for swimming, etc – the Olympic village was built, a new and modern area, and this community continues to grow with large luxury flats (think condos!) and more affordable housing, and this building hasn’t stopped – there are cranes everywhere.

Looking out from the back of the mall, a whole city - Stratford City, which includes the Olympic Village development, called East Village
Looking out from the back of the mall, a whole new city – Stratford City, which includes the Olympic Village development, called East Village

It can feel like a treat to eat at Westfield, but the prices keep rising so today I thought a piece or two of sushi might be fun. I went to Yo Sushi – far from a perfect Japanese chain but fast and easy.

Yo has a conveyor belt with different coloured plates. Each colour is coded for cost. Today was Blue Monday- all blue dishes at £2.80.

Yo Sushi service
Each table has two taps (one for unlimited still, one sparkling, water at £1.30), napkins, soy sauce, pickled ginger, chopsticks and wasabi. And a button to call for service. You grab from the conveyor belt or ask a server for special orders
My Yo Sushi meal
I picked two veg maki and ordered a miso soup. I then put back one of the maki. The bill for the very small miso and the two pieces of veg maki was £5. I am a spoiled Toronto gal
Wasabi at M&S
Then in Marks and Spencer, I remembered they now have a counter for Wasabi (a very innovative UK sushi chain). For only £1-2 more, I could have had one of *these* boxes! Sigh

All in all, I’m always glad that my visits aren’t too long here. I don’t like the shopping experience very much and prefer small independent high street stores.

For dim sum, I have to leave the new mall of Westfield and cross the road to the old Stratford shopping centre.

Walking across to the old shopping centre. I am torn on the weird sculpture here. Not sure how old it is but is it leaves? What?
Walking across to the old shopping centre. I am torn on the weird sculpture here. Not sure how old it is but is it leaves? What?
Old Stratford Centre
The good and the bad about the old centre. Good because there’s a Lithuanian store that sells kosher style pickles, and this nice ‘Oriental’ food market. Bad because it’s so claustrophobic and cramped

Then back to the station to go home. Such a contrast here. Walking towards the station, it’s 2018. Once inside there’s more claustrophobia and it’s back to bygone days!

And here’s something I saw at the Ikea depot – I’d like a bedroom set up like this if I had to sleep and work in one room!

Westfield Stratford City – the deets!

With a total retail floor area of 1,905,542 square feet (177,030.6 m2), it is one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe, and the third-largest shopping centre in the UK by retail space, behind the MetroCentre (Gateshead) and the Trafford Centre. Taking the surrounding shopping area into account, it is the largest urban shopping centre in the European Union. (Third largest, but tying for most visited, mall in the UK.)

Perhaps not coincidentally, the shopping mall, which is called Stratford City (it also includes a hotel, and surrounding community) was finished in September 2011, less than a year before the London 2012 Olympic Games. The stadium and Olympic village are adjacent to the mall. People arriving for the Games, and still now for football games (West Ham football club took over the stadium in 2016) and events, use the mall to get to the stadium – great exposure!  All in all, it’s a mammoth area.