Chester's Mr Forum Celebrates 30 Years in Shopping Centre Management

WINSFORD, U.K. - May 19, 2016 - PRLog -- LAWRENCE ALLEN, the centre manager at Chester's popular and highly successful Forum Shopping Centre is celebrating thirty 'busy but very enjoyable' years in the highly competitive business of shopping centre management.

The 70-year-old, Manchester-born retail property manager is now marking his achievement with a series of celebratory get-togethers with a number of senior industry figures with whom he has worked over the past three decades.

The 30 year celebration comes just weeks after the Northgate Street shopping complex had officially seen a return to pre-recession activity levels with footfall statistics confirming rising shopper numbers.

"I'm delighted to be celebrating my 30^thanniversary in the shopping centre at a time when the Forum is in full flow," said Mr Allen who lives in the North Shropshire village of Prees with his second wife Maggie and their two daughters.

"The recent recession presented our industry with some very serious challenges but I am delighted to say that the Forum is now through that period and busier than ever," he added. " It is great to see the growing number of shoppers back and enjoying the new stores and making purchases."

As a past Chairman and now Honorary Member of the Centre Managers Association of the British Council of Shopping Centres, Mr Allen is a respected professional in his industry. But he is the first to admit that it was a long and burning desire to be a professional Disc Jockey that led to his first application for a job in the shopping centre business back in the 1980s.

"I'd seen an advert for a DJ with the massive Manchester Arndale shopping centre which was running its own in-house radio station," recalled Mr Allen. "For 20 years until then I'd been working in the travel business but I was determined somehow to become a professional DJ so went for an interview and got the job. I was delighted!"

"It wasn't long before I was playing tunes to over a million shoppers a week and my role meant that I met some very famous people from the worlds of sport and show business."  Sir Matt Busby, Johnny Mathis, Roy Castle and Sophia Loren were just a few of the stars Mr Allen welcomed during his years with the station.

However, Mr Allen's career as a Radio DJ came to an end in 1986 when the Arndale's owners (the P&O Group) decided his skills could be even better used to oversee the running of two of their shopping centres in Accrington and Nelson in Lancashire.

It was an unexpected and major challenge but one he never regrets taking on.  His growing expertise as a shopping centre professional soon ensured he was in demand elsewhere and Mr Allen left the Accrington and Nelson centres in 1990 to take charge of the Pride Hill Shopping Centre in Shrewsbury.

Then, in January 2001, Mr Allen succeeded the popular Gordon Wilkinson, upon his retirement as centre manager of The Forum Shopping Centre in Chester.  "At the time, I only expected to stay in Chester for a few years but I'm still here, 15 years later! Fortunately I've enjoyed my career in the shopping centre industry and I am particularly delighted with my busy, multi-tasking role here in this wonderful city," said Mr Allen.

A committed music lover Mr Allen now uses some of his spare time learning to play the Bass guitar  and recently took and passed his first exam achieving a mark of 97 out of 100.

But, he added: "No, I have no plans at 70 years of age to start a new career as a musician!"

For further information click onto: www.forumshopping.co.uk

ENDS