Where has the year gone? But what a year! AS we see the Christmas lights going up around the town centre we could all be forgiven for asking ourselves 'where has the year gone?'

In the offices of the Town Centre Company we could probably tell you to a certain degree, although I think we are all breathless about the speed with which time has passed!

WHAT A YEAR!

You may remember that at the end of August we held an early first birthday party for the Town Centre Company, to tell business what we have been up to over the last year -- well last week, October 11, we reached the milestone of one year since the Company was launched, a lot has happened during the last year -- here are some of the main highlights:

Our membership has grown by more than 600pc, in other words the numbers of businesses funding improvements in your town centre has grown dramatically!

We have held three major events with the fourth 'The Icecapades' coming soon!

We have held or supported financially and promoted a further three events.

We funded and devised last year's Christmas TV, radio and press campaigns. Controversial though they may have been, visitor levels increased to the town centre, with new visitors from the Warrington and Manchester areas. Our radio campaign has also been nominated as a finalist in the London International Advertising Awards to be held in November.

CCTV

We operate and have expanded the retail radio links and have provided the police and CCTV control room with radios.

We have introduced in conjunction with the police the new Retail Crime Operation and Exclusion Order Scheme, both of which target persistent shoplifters.

We have, by the support of one of our members ADT, provided the police with Covert Radio Systems to enable undercover officers to monitor the radio link.

We have established annual campaigns on the radio and in the press, promoting Bolton town centre and our events programme.

We have introduced the Daytime Night Time Newsletter, published with the BEN, the third edition will be out later in November.

We have employed six Town Centre Ambassadors, our newest recruits will be out and about in the town in November.

We appointed legal representation to present the, town centre's case against the proposed factory outlet scheme at Middlebrook at the Public Inquiry held this summer.

We have recently finalised this year's Christmas marketing campaign -- to be launched in November.

We were winners of The Property Awards 2000, Town Centre Management Award.

We have hosted and made presentations on the way in which our Company operates to The World Congress on Town Centre Management, a delegation from Japan, and delegations from London, Middlesbrough and Carlisle, to name but a few.

We have, and are working with, the Association of Town Centre Management to provide other towns with examples of our work which is held up as an example of best practice nationally.

Oh, and lest I forget, with the kind support of the BEN I have been writing this column for more than a year!

I have undoubtedly forgotten to include some of the highlights, my apologies to anyone concerned, however I don't have enough space in this column to cover everything -- but who can forget our celebrity valentine couple of Ralf Little and Tracy Shaw, particularly Ralf's rendition of summer nights!

It has been a hectic but enjoyable first year, and we have seen the numbers of visitors to the town centre increasing, our goal over the coming year is to work with more businesses and agencies in the town to improve 'your' town centre, to make sure it is your first choice destination for shopping, leisure and commerce, stick around because there's lots more to come!

Karen Wheeldon

Bolton Town Centre Limited

Market Hall

Knowsley Street

Bolton, BL1 2AR

Tel: 01204 523762

Fax: 01204 523659

Karen@boltontowncentre.co.uk