Happy Birthday to Romford’s Retailery
The Retailery in Romford Market recently marked its first anniversary. The facility has been central to the recent revival of Romford’s town centre.
Romford is a town that has seen it all over the years, from ancient market town to crucial coaching stop on the road from London to Colchester, to a slump in the late 20th century.
Since the turn of the millennium, however, estate agents in Romford has seen a surge in popularity for Romford and the surrounding suburbs. In part, this is down to its amazing transport links, but there is more to Romford’s revival than the 20 minute train times into central London.
Investment in local infrastructure and the town centre has made Romford a more desirable place to live, work and play in its own right, and The Retailery has played a crucial role in the town’s regeneration.
About the Retailery
Based in Romford’s historic market, which dates back to 1247, there can be few institutions that blend modern innovation with a town’s proud history than the Retailery. Described as a playground for makers, thinkers and doers, the community-led space houses a whole range of diverse facilities.
These include restaurants, shops, and office facilities that are home to some of the most exciting new business startups in the area, and truly capture the entrepreneurial spirit of the modern age.
Even more than that, however, it emphasises Romford’s status as an increasingly popular hub. The town is one of the few truly established office centres in the suburbs of London, and almost half of those who work in the centre are employed in the office sector.
It’s not all work
The renaissance that Romford has enjoyed over the past decade or so is not purely down to business start ups and the commercial sector. Romford’s leisure facilities have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. In the 1990s, there was little to appeal beyond a variety of traditional pubs and a couple of clubs with bad reputations.
Anyone who has not spent time in Romford since those times would scarcely recognise it today! The telling factor is that while 20 years ago, Romford residents typically left the town to have their fun in London or Chelmsford, today’s traffic flows in the opposite direction, and the town attracts around 15,000 visitors every weekend.
Fiction, located in the town centre close to the station, has become one of the most popular entertainment venues in the whole of Essex. More than just a nightclub, the 2,000-capacity venue hosts some amazing party nights. Just up the road, you can find Kosho, a contemporary club that offers hostess service and VIP tables.
Don’t think that Romford is just a party town, however. For something a little less frantic, the Brookside Theatre is a wonderful experience that has been a huge success, in a time when we are told the traditional arts are dying out.
A town going places
These are just some of the innovations that show how Romford is evolving with the times. The 21st century seems certain to be one of the most successful in the town’s long history.
