THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION; THOMAS NEAL'S CENTRE BRINGS STREETWEAR AND SPORTSWEAR SHOPS TOGETHER.

Daily News Record, April, 2001 by Cambridge, Caroline

LONDON -- Thomas Neal's Centre, in the heart of Covent Garden, has become a hotspot for streetwear and sportswear shopping.

Big brands Quiksilver, Mambo, Diesel, and Boxfresh jostle alongside independents such as High Jinks, Fat Face, Sky Jeans and Hope and Glory in an atmosphere that is young, relaxed and buzzing.

Nearby are such streetwear stores as Slam City Skates and Duffer and the shoe store Offspring. This streetwear mecca is a stone's throw away from the well established tourist and shopping attractions of Covent Garden Market.

The centre, which borders Neal Street, Shelton Street and Short's Gardens, struggled in initial years to carve a market for itself. It opened in 1989 and its original tenants were mainly designer boutiques...