| Good evening, Those of us who have been around long enough to remember Preston’s Debenhams store opening are likely to feel more than a little gloomy when it shuts for the last time next Wednesday. In 1986, when the Fishergate Centre opened its doors, Debenhams was the anchor store and much of the reason why people were attracted to the place. So the pictures we feature today of its last throes are not only sad, but also worrying. If there is no Debenhams, what will happen to the Fishergate Centre - and even the city centre itself? But perhaps history teaches us that we should not be too worried about the future of the city - certainly according to retail expert Dr Robin Carey from UCLan’s School of Business. He believes that all of the retail units which have become vacant in recent years will reinvent themselves as they have done in the past - and Debenhams will almost certainly be broken down into smaller, niche units providing something to make heading for the city centre worthwhile. As he says, we are the birthplace of revolution - we just need to do it again. Gillian Parkinson Editor Lancashire Post and Associate Editor Blackpool Gazette | 
