THERE are few jobs in the world which require the careful handling of giant sparkly reindeer, the world’s longest LEGO bridge AND Rod Stewart.

“Luckily not all at the same time,” laughs St Enoch manager Anne Ledgerwood, as the centre prepares to celebrate its 30th birthday.

“The Christmas reindeer have become iconic, we love having them here. The LEGO bridge was quite a challenge to manoeuvre.”

She smiles: “But Rod Stewart was a gentleman. He came here for a book signing and he stayed on to chat to the staff, which was lovely.”

When the St Enoch Centre opened its doors on May 25, 1989, it heralded a retail revolution for Glasgow. 

The Forge, in the East End, and boutique mall Princes Square on Buchanan Street had opened the previous year, but here was the city centre’s first undercover, state of the art shopping and leisure mall.

Built on the site of the former St Enoch Railway Station, which was demolished in 1974, it has dominated the skyline with its impressive glass roof – the biggest of its kind in Europe – ever since.

In 1989, Bananarama were in the charts, The Simpsons aired on telly for the first time and Anne Ledgerwood had just completed a business course at Clydebank College.

She has now been general manager for 10 years, and is currently overseeing the centre’s latest redevelopment including a cinema, nine new restaurants and more shops.

“It is really exciting, it will bring alive this whole end of the town,” she explains. 

“Retail is changing at quite a pace, and we have to keep evolving. 

“St Enoch has always offered something different for Glasgow shoppers, whether that’s the small independent businesses that share the space with big high-street names, or our strong sense of community.

She adds: “Everything that’s important to the city, is important to us. You can really feel the city in here.”

St Enoch Centre at 30: Growing tomatoes and meeting Maggie Thatcher

Technical services manager Jim O’Rourke started work in St Enoch just before it opened, 
and he has been here ever since.

Colleagues describe him as a “walking archive” because he knows so much about the place.

“It was exciting, being involved in the opening,” he nods. “This place was like nothing else. 

“It was state of the art, with modern services and hi-tech facilities plus an ice rink, sleek glass lifts and a garden wall created from living plants.”

Many of the early retailers, such as Debenhams, Boots and Topshop, are still there.

“Everyone wanted to be part of it,” says Jim, who lives in Mount Vernon with his wife, Janice.

“We even got to say ‘there’s been a murder’ when Taggart came to film a car chase scene in the loading bay.”

There are 89 staff in the centre, including cleaners, security personnel, the customer service team and management, and around 70 retailers.

The centre has played host to famous bands, politicians and celebrities, including Union J, YouTuber Joe Suggs, and Margaret Thatcher, who officially opened the centre in March 1990.

The Evening Times reported that Mrs Thatcher had tried to buy a “Tory blue and silver perfume bottle” she had spotted in Harlequin jewellers, but had no money left, having already purchased a £75 gold-plated rotary watch. Our story revealed that Malcolm Rifkind had stepped in and saved the day.

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Jim is retiring next year, with some reluctance.

“I’ll be very sad to go,” he admits. “I’ve been here half my life, and I love it. 

“In 30 years, I have never had a day off sick, except for the time I had to deliver my younger son at home when Janice unexpectedly went into labour.”

He smiles: “When we went up to the hospital, lots of dads were sitting waiting, having stayed up all night with their wives in labour. I couldn’t help but laugh and say – look, I brought mine in with me!”

For Anne, the new development is the start of an exciting chapter in the centre’s history.

“Shopping in Glasgow has changed,” she says. 

“The rise of online shopping has had an impact, of course, but people still enjoy coming into the city, spending the day going round the shops, having lunch and making it much more of an experience.

“Our latest redevelopment sees a return to a strong focus on leisure which is what shoppers are looking for – it’s not just about buying goods any more. And our sense of community, of being part of the city, is as strong as ever. People like coming here.”

Anne adds: “There’s a bit more heart at St Enoch – we are a people place.”