4/5 Shanroy D. 9 months ago on Google
When
I
visited
Bluewater
Shopping
Centre,
I
wondered
to
myself
why
they
called
this
place,
'Bluewater',
especially
as
the
water
area
in
front
of
the
shopping
centre
was
all
green!
Why
didn't
they
call
it:
'Greenwater
Shopping
Centre!'
This
would
have
perhaps
been
a
better
name.
But
then
as
I
strolled
through
the
Shopping
centre,
I
could
see
a
theme
developing,
but
you
have
to
look
to
the
ceiling
that
was
decorated
with
blue
sails,
patterning
perhaps
a
boat
sailing
along
some
Bluewater.
The
ceiling
again
had
an
interesting
poem,
in
marble
about
the
River
Thames,
linking
it
to
time,
'Kingdoms
may
Rise,
Kingdoms
may
fall,
but
like
Time,
The
Great
Father
Thames
Keep
Rolling
On..."
or
something
to
that
effect.
But
you
really
won't
appreciate
or
see
this
message
unless
you
are
on
the
upper
floor
and
paying
close
attention
to
the
writings
in
the
concrete
on
the
top
of
the
ceiling
area.
Here,
you
can
also
find
several
intricate
carvings
of
the
variety
of
professions
that
could
be
found
in
London
(or
was
it
in
England's
as
a
whole?
All
this
could
have
been
made
clearer)
Apart
from
the
subliminal
historical
messages,
which
I
was
more
fascinated
by,
there's
much
more
to
Bluewater
than
meets
the
eyes.
Loads
of
shops,
you
can
literally
shop
till
you
drop!
There's
something
here
for
everyone.
Lots
of
restaurants
that
served
good
portions
at
a
reasonable
price
and
some
activity
areas,
where
both
kids
and
teenagers
can
venture.
It
was
challenging
to
find
a
parking
space,
but
that
was
because
the
place
was
just
so
busy!
But
once
we
found
one,
it
was
spacious
and
well
marked
with
letters
so
that
we
could
return
to
our
vehicle
with
ease,
with
the
added
bonus
that
we
didn't
have
to
pay
for
parking.
We
went
into
the
Marks
and
Spencer,
which
had
loads
of
fresh
food
products,
including
special
deals
on
their
seasonal
fruits
and
vegetables.
We
then
went
through
one
of
the
food
court
area
(I
think
it
was
called:
'The
Rose
Garden)
where
we
were
greeted
with
a
Nandos
restaurant,
pity
it
wasn't
halal,
so
we
gave
it
a
miss
and
tried
out
the
food
from
Wings
Stop
instead,
which
was
tasty
and
reasonably
price.
So,
what
could
Bluewater
do
differently?
A
wider
variety
of
food,
perhaps
an
ice-cream
parlour.
They
could
have
more
engaging
activities,
with
so
many
shops
perhaps
there
could
be
something
on
each
day,
including
live
performances
as
is
done
in
places
like
Covent
Gardens.
For
those
like
me,
who
like
the
historical
side
of
things,
they
could
perhaps
have
a
walking
tour
that
explain
the
history
(or
meaning)
behind
the
art
form
in
the
ceiling,
linked
with
the
background
of
the
Shopping
centre,
so
that
the
hidden
themes
of
the
designs
can
become
clearer.
Then
again,
it's
a
shopping
centre,
not
a
museum!
To
be
honest,
I
wasn't
there
long
enough
to
really
explore
the
shopping
centre
properly,
but
the
impression
that
I
got
from
the
limited
time
that
I
was
there
was
positive.
I
will
have
to
return
to
Bluewater
at
somepoint
in
the
near
future,
when
I
do,
I
will
provide
further
updates,
but
if
you're
looking
for
a
sense
of
adventure,
Shopping
heaven
and
somewhere
to
have
a
good
time
with
your
friends,
then
Bluewater
may
be
just
the
place
for
you.
While
I'm
more
used
to
shopping
centres
around
London,
such
as
Westfield,
it's
hard
to
compare.
Yes,
Westfield
Stratford,
especially,
was
more
techy,
with
loads
of
gadgets
and
interactive
features,
with
perhaps
just
a
little
more
buzz
than
Bluewater,
but
that's
not
to
say
that
Westfield
is
better,
but
rather,
it's
different.
I
like
the
setting
of
Bluewater
more,
but
the
traffic
in
the
surrounding
area,
and
especially
on
the
way
back
to
London,
was
a
nightmare.
I
know
this
was
perhaps
due
to
the
wider
traffic
management
issues
around
the
local
area,
than
a
reflection
of
the
amazing
shopping
experience
at
Bluewater,
but
it's
something
that
you
have
to
consider,
if
you're
planning
to
drive
down
to
Bluewater.
There
was
just
so
much
that
we
didn't
get
the
time
to
do,
like
check
out
the
trampoline
Park
with
my
kids,
the
rock
climbing
area
and
the
amusement
Park.
These
will
now
be
on
the
list
for
next
time.