The Trocadero in the 90s

NickClapperNickClapper Posts: 119
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Hey all!

I'm writing an article for a website about the Trocadero, the 'leisure space' on Shaftesbury Avenue in London. I wanted to speak to some people who went there, preferably as teenagers, in the 1990s when it had things like Segaworld, Nickolodeon studios and the Pepsi IMAX.

I'd be grateful for any experiences or associations with the place – good or bad! – and if you're willing to be quoted (anonymously), might include them in the article.

Cheers!

Comments

  • vosnevosne Posts: 14,131
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    I went there in the 80's. It was pish tbh.
  • NickClapperNickClapper Posts: 119
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    vosne wrote: »
    I went there in the 80's. It was pish tbh.

    Haha, it opened with such a wave of enthusiasm but just never seems to have been anything other than awful!
  • vosnevosne Posts: 14,131
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    I came to the bright lights all Dick Wittingtony expecting edgy street culture. It weren't there. Might have had me map upside down :(
  • Danny_SilverDanny_Silver Posts: 902
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    I visited once with friends, it was dark in their, lots of arcade games, loud music in the background, it was the cool place to go ones a month, but needed lots of money, pocket money was not enough.
  • MadamfluffMadamfluff Posts: 3,310
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    I managed the Athena Gallery in Leicester Square during that time, we were going to open a shop in the Trocadero but didn't in the end
  • vosnevosne Posts: 14,131
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    Madamfluff wrote: »
    I managed the Athena Gallery in Leicester Square during that time, we were going to open a shop in the Trocadero but didn't in the end

    Was that you with your arse out playing tennis?
  • karapote monkeykarapote monkey Posts: 3,688
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    It used to have the guinness world records in there. At the top I think it was.
  • MadamfluffMadamfluff Posts: 3,310
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    vosne wrote: »
    Was that you with your arse out playing tennis?

    It was our biggest selling poster that and the one with the guy cuddling a baby
  • RadiomaniacRadiomaniac Posts: 43,510
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    I used to spend a lot of time in there.

    Don't really have good memories of it, because it's where I was told, in around 1992, that my boyfriend at the time, who I hadn't been able to contact for a while, had been killed in a road accident.
  • CorbynDallasCorbynDallas Posts: 821
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    I used to love the Aliens ride there when the 'aliens' grabbed your feet at the end to scare you but my friend fought back and punched the guy in the suit and we were evicted.:p:D
  • JamieHTJamieHT Posts: 12,193
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    I went on the Pepsi Max drop with my cousin which I loved.

    In more recent years when they changed the entrance from the station to an urban dance area I didn't like it because you felt awkward walking through.
  • MustabusterMustabuster Posts: 5,973
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    They did host a Light Fantastic exhibition there in the late eighties or early nineties. It was an exhibition of holograms basically when holograms were relatively new, weird and wonderful.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,916
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    They had a good pizza place outside, Mr Pumpernickel, where you could get a massive slice for a quid.
  • deans6571deans6571 Posts: 6,137
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    Yes, I remember going there back in the day!!

    It was awsome! Like someone else said, there was that MASSIVE arcade inside - SEGA world was it?! I think you had to pay to get inside! They also had bumpers cars in there as well with music blaring out...!!

    Then there was also Planet Hollywood as well. This was back in the day when it was actually owned by Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and it had TONS of film memorabilia and the place was really buzzing (unlike now where its just another overpriced American Diner with only 1 or 2 bits and pieces on the wall - its truly awful!!). It was awsome back then and there were queues of people wanting to get in!

    The one time I went, the waiters and waitresses were all clothed american 60's style and when a certain song came over the neon flashing juke boxes, they would jump up onto the bar and start dancing - they even got the diners involved too!

    Also remember the cinema in there as well -think it was one of them 7 screens type place. Overpriced for sure but then again, the place was full of tourists so what did they know...?!!!!!
  • MikayMikay Posts: 10,503
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    I was about 7 when I went to Sega World on a visit to London with my brother and my grandparents. My brother and I were big fans of the Sega Megadrive so naturally we absolutely loved it (and I was 7, so I probably would have loved it anyway!!)

    I don't have too many memories except for the massive escalators (they seemed like we were going into space - remember, I was 7, lol!) We also went around playing all of the machines, and probably made my grandparents spend a lot of money.

    My lasting memory though, was seeing Frank Bruno at the bottom of the escalator on the way out. :D
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