First time poster, been visiting the site for ages but never signed up.

Something that has always puzzled me and i've always wanted to find out more information about was why is Kensington in the situation it is at the moment?

I am 29 and spent the first 12 years of my life in Kenny. Lived in Leopold Road and my Dad was brought up on Hannan Road with his family living at that property since 1955.



The reason I started thinking about this is that I seem to remember Kensington being a very bustling area when I was younger. Every shop by us was open and we had a co-op over the road. In fact from Leopold Road down to Hall Lane every shop was open. Always remember that by my Nan's on Hannan Road it was busier with a Midland Bank and Barclays Bank, bingo hall, a few shops on the corner of Beech Street (always remember getting my computer games from a shop on the corner where McDonalds now resides) and Kensington Arcade was a regular haunt for new trainers, football boots and the like. Always remember the huge Mobil garage as well. From my memory, this is going back to 1992 so I am really curious to know how so many shops and Banks went and why?

I recently went on a 'sentimental journey' through Kensington and it seems that whilst the end of Kenny from Holt Road to Sheil Road seems to have more shops opening, the opposite seems to be happening at the other end and it doesn't seem to be improving at all.

The reason I ask about Kensington changing is that I feel that there are similar areas in our city to Kensington in terms of shopping areas (Breck Road, County Road, Park Road) that can still support banks and shops and the like.

Hope this doesn't sound like a silly question but I am genuinely interested in what people feel about what happened in the area from when I left in the early '90's and what hopes people have for the future of the area.