The Money Shot , Leeds Trinity Centre.

Today witnessed the opening of Trinity Centre, Leeds, the only major business retail centre to open in Europe this year. It is also claimed to be the largest in Europe and it seemed that the whole of Britain almost had turned up for the event. Leeds was 'heaving', as they say, and since I was there today anyway, I simply had to record the event for my journal. The retail centre is huge, modern, airy and houses well over a hundred outlets along with a cinema that is due to open soon. There are several major and beautiful sculptures displayed, pride of place going to a spectacular pack horse of which everyone connected with the centre that I spoke to is very fond and extremely proud. Apparently it was transported piecemeal to the site and took several oversized cranes plus workmen suspended from scaffolding to erect it and weld it together. It dominates the centre of the site and is most impressive. The surrounding architecture draws attention to the horse and as I moved around photographing it from various angles, finally managing to locate it just where the walkway walls would draw the eye to it, I thought to myself 'that's the money shot'. And isn't that what the whole thing is about - money? Hundreds of people attracted to the shops, scurrying around like little ants as in my photograph and, hopefully, spending money?