Bluewater Shopping Mall Kent in 2002

A walk round the restaurants and cafes in Bluewater Shopping Mall

[@freepepsicola]

This is fantastic- my family used to come here a lot when I was young and it's great to see the classic food court and the old school Disney Store again. (and proof that there was a giant slide outside which I once climbed and wouldn't actually go down!) Much nostalgia.

[@mackenzierough]

I'm glad that you enjoyed my video.

[@whatdidujustcallme]

I remember the slide and being too scared to slide down, so I let everyone else go ahead of me😅 not sure when they decided to remove it.

[@jaketaylor2212]

The classic pizza hut... Me and my Grandma used to go here all the time. We were there when they were refurbishing the place. They were taking the pizza hut sign down and i really wanted it for my room. I ran over and asked the guy if i could have it. He said he would speak to the manager. To my surprisment he let me have it. I was so excited, its still in my room, i love it. Manager if your reading this, thank you sooo much.

[@judepotter556]

I was born in 2002 but i can remember things as far back as 3 years old, i distinctly remember by the entrance next to the pizza hut there used to be this big plastic tree with giant fruit on it like lemons and oranges and apples and at night when it got dark they would turn the lights on in the tree and the fruit would glow up and i used to ask my mum if we could just sit and look at the tree, i loved that tree, also loved the mcdonalds with the castle gate, i always used to shout at the hamburglar statue above the gate "GET DOWN STOP BEING SNEAKY 😡"

[@stevencbaker]

thanks for this! its shocking to see how much its changed in 14 years

[@beex788]

Shocking at how much bluewater has changed from such a short time!

[@mackenzierough]

I have not been there since!

[@freepepsicola]

Adding to my previous comment- Does anyone remember the Nestle chocolate themed play area underneath the food court? I remember begging my mum to go down there, she finally gave in once and it was so disappointing, half the stuff didn't work.

[@ponkyponk86]

Yeah 🤣🤣 I remember it being an Easter trail had one of those dance machines down there.

[@user-ih6vs3eg3o]

The year I was born! I loved bluewater growing up I always remember the Lego shop and another shop full of diecast buses and planes.

[@whatdidujustcallme]

This was a nice video to watch, thank you for recording this. I live in London but this place is only an hour away and I’ve always come here to shop or spend time with family anyways as a kid and now a young adult. I don’t really see that much change except that some stores/restaurants have long gone. I think saying that people “looked happier back then” is a bit rich, people are happy these days too. Cellphones was relatively new back then still, just because you don’t see anyone on their phones in this video doesn’t mean a small majority didn’t have one. Times change, I think people need to accept it wether they like it or not🤷🏻‍♀️ Again, thanks for recording this, it was nice to watch❤️

[@mackenzierough]

I'm glad that you enjoyed my video.

[@abbymills7416]

Only just clocked I haven’t seen the balloon stand in a while

[@SPKRMN]

Back when 9 year olds weren't old enough to have a phone and now a baby can have a phone.

[@Novusa]

I got my ohone when I was 11

[@samcrow2488]

Thanks loads for this, it was awesome back then. It's still good but yeah the nostalgia this video brings back.

[@mackenzierough]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@samcrow2488]

@@mackenzierough ta I did indeed.

[@echo360x]

Bluewater used to look like a proper family centre. Now most stores closed down and all boarded up, very clinical looking, very cold and not welcoming at all

[@mackenzierough]

Oh dear that is sad, I haven't been back since I shot this video!

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

This was also the same time when buses on the 428 used to be painted in Aquamarine Blue before they were painted Red a year later in December 2003 and January 2004 and the same time when the bus route 492 used to be operated by London Central from Bexleyheath Bus Garage using the Volvo Olympians and the Plaxton Presidents until January 2004 when the route went to Arriva from Dartford Bus Garage using brand new Wright Geminis

[@ginalatif43]

A great video 📹 I was missing the UK Im currently living in Egypt 🇪🇬 now and I was searching for BlueWater this video came up makes me feel little teary 😢 thank you so much for you're video

[@mikekaraoke]

I know you posted this a very longtime ago now Gina, Why don't you come back to the UK??

[@finmccabe3390]

Dam 18 years ago it’s changed so much

[@XJoe360]

I would love to see a time capsule like this but for 2008-2010, which is where my Bluewater nostalgia lies

[@남자친구-z6v]

2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003a where great years

[@harajukuari]

I remember bluewater all that time ago John Lewis marks and spencer house of Fraser it was so classic

[@aimeetelford90]

I miss the Warner bros store it was epic 😂 I remember BW opening - I was 9 😂

[@richard29415]

Oh yes! I too remember that shop! Do you remember that box that you had to open and it made a noise?

[@halloweenville1]

I remember watching mall videos back in 2002, and pining for the golden era of malls. Now 2002 also looks dated.

[@Bkoded]

i miss the old food hall so much

[@Blackcabj3.16]

Thank you for uploading this

[@mackenzierough]

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@HammerfhbTV]

So glad there’s footage from Bluewater from when I first used to go. Would’ve been nice to see more of the shops as they were- does anyone remember that strange shop with the giant animatronics snake sticking out the top? Used to frighten the living daylights out of me. Thanks for posting this!

[@richard29415]

Do you mean the Lego shop?

[@kathylingerfield9836]

It was a kids shoe shop

[@hf4838]

I think it was called adams

[@apebass2215]

It was Adams - there was a button just inside the door that you could press and the snake would move and tell a joke.

[@undeafeatable36]

people looked alive compared to today

[@richard29415]

Yeah, unlike the soulless dry four muds today.

[@dominicwalker9824]

How long did a Madame Tussauds Exhibition Rock and Pop stayed there?

[@EvenBiggerPharma]

No smartphones!

[@mackenzierough]

+Will Mudd Nobody knew what a smartphone was then!

[@cherithporter334]

15 years, actually!

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

I got the year wrong it is actually from 2002 because of the Analyse That film poster it was released in December 2002

[@Novusa]

I was talking to my mum when we went here today and we had Starbucks and I asked her when it opened and apparently when it opened in 99 my nan or my mums mum dragged my mum down there every Saturday

[@mikekaraoke]

Memories, They should of left the food court how it was......I heard cause the managing directors thought it needed updating It had a classic feel to it :-[

[@Peachyr0se]

This video has opened up a vortex of core memories. Me and my friends have spent hours going through all the old shops we can remember. It’s like we’ve started a nostalgic movement 😂 you don’t happen to have any more footage?

[@mackenzierough]

I'm glad that you enjoyed my video, sorry but that is all I have!

[@Mightymorphinninjaturtles]

It's 12 years!

[@mikekaraoke]

opened in early 1999, Do the math Jon

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

This was the same time Connex lost the South Eastern franchise and Connex South Eastern became South Eastern Trains

[@rainbowlady1532]

Love this place, though not been in ages but hey x it never fails to disappoint, though as there's so many things I love there it's overwhelming but in a good way. I don't suppose--though this was there when I visited in the mid/late 2000's five years after the year this vid was filmed--anyone recalls a jewellery stand which sold jewel stud earrings such as pink, red, berry coloured jewel studs under the word Love, then another range of jewel stud earrings in shades of blue such as cobalt navy sky aqua teal under what I think was the word Tranquillity, then another range of green jewel stud earrings in yellow green, dark green peridot green lime green mint under the word Energy and lastly a range of purple lilac periwinkle dark purple voilet coloured jewel stud earrings under the word Elegance? If yes, please say aye or would you be so kind to do a vid on them? X up to you btw

[@mackenzierough]

Hi Sorry but I now live in South West France.

[@rainbowlady1532]

Hey no worries 😊

[@rainbowlady1532]

At the time, I was thinking about buying any of those earrings for family members and peers. No idea why. Probably because I can imagine so many people wearing & or liking them regardless of colour preferences, whether they have thier ears pierced or not, wear earrings etc, whether they're celebrities or not and so forth.

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

This is actually from 2003 because of the Analyze That film poster

[@mackenzierough]

Oh yes, thank you I have updated.

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

Did you change the title of the video? And the year from 2002 to 2003?

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

My mistake this is from 2002 because Analyze That was released in December 2002

[@mackenzierough]

I didn't have time to check so took you at your word, I have now changed it back to 2002.

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

When did that BBs Coffee and Muffins shop close down?

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

When did that BBs Coffee and Muffins shop close down?

[@ponkyponk86]

I miss Warner brothers! 😢

[@JimMilton-jq1vd]

Used to be so good now pants 🩲

[@alaabebo9006]

What a lovely video

[@mackenzierough]

Thank you.

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

This was the same year when the Leyland Titans were withdrawn from bus services in London

[@RyanBrown-wh6ge]

What’s the song playing in the video? Thanks

[@mackenzierough]

It's not available commercially, a royalty free track from my editing software!

[@RyanBrown-wh6ge]

@@mackenzierough ohh okay i like the sound of it, very peaceful and fits with your video perfectly

[@mackenzierough]

@@RyanBrown-wh6ge Thank you.

[@SLone3251]

Great vid, would've loved the natural sound.

[@mackenzierough]

Thanks, yes its a shame but the original video got screwed and the sound was lost!

[@SLone3251]

@@mackenzierough Ah, ok. That sucks..old vids, I get it.

[@impersonator5070]

People saying how they looked so alive back then, yeah cause they all look like corpses now XD For real, I don't personally see much change apart from jean jackets, people still look lively to me. :)

[@sophiemay3884]

Omg they had the balloon person black then! Poor people sitting there all the time

[@leecomber1062]

ah how i miss bradwells, the best pasty ever

[@shamus248]

back when malls were cool and the world made sense...also, TRL was a thing

[@richard29415]

TRL?

[@richard29415]

Was anyone allowed to smoke in Bluewater then? Also, anyone remember the Warner Bros store? And Lego store from back then?

[@mackenzierough]

I remember a Disney store! Yes I think that you could smoke there in those days.

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

@@mackenzierough You were allowed to smoke in public buildings until the Government banned Smoking in public buildings 5 years later in 2007

[@mackenzierough]

Yes you were and I remember both those stores.

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

@@mackenzierough Then the Government made Smoking Illegal in Public buildings 5 years later in 2007

[@leegibbs5317]

Smoking was never allowed inside the shopping mall. Only place it was allowed inside was in the sports bar upstairs.

[@currybum8379]

Sad how the demographic of this country has changed