A MAN who has spent the past 13 years at the helm of a Darlington shopping centre has retired.

Albion Small has been a familiar face in the Cornmill Centre since it opened in 1992.

Past and present colleagues and friends attended a party at the shopping centre management suite to say goodbye.

Mr Small, who was 65 on Valentine's Day, said he had enjoyed his time as manager of the Cornmill and was looking forward to spending more time with his wife Eileen and gardening at their home in Sunderland.

Mr Small took charge of the centre in January 1992, steering it to its opening in August that year. He began working in retail when he was 17 and worked at a number of North-East chain stores and shopping centres. He is a former manager of Eldon Gardens shopping centre in Newcastle.

He said: "I will always remember the day we opened. I opened the doors and we must have had 50,000 people through the centre. It was unbelievable."

He said other highlights had been the annual Christmas lights displays.

Susan Young, deputy manager, will take over from Mr Small. She said: "We are going to miss him a lot. I am very sad. He has been a great mentor to me.

"I came here on a work placement in 1995 and have never left. There is no doubt I would not be here today without his help."

Mr Small is optimistic about Darlington's retail future and said the pedestrianisation scheme would be a huge boost.

"Pedestrianisation will make it easier to get round the town, people will not be harried by buses, they can meander."

He also said the Commercial Street shopping centre plan would be a big boost to the town.

"I think it will be brilliant, even though it is in competition. More people will come to Darlington and we will get the spin-off."