Long awaited, much anticipated - and it didn't disappoint.

The opening of the Broadway Shopping centre on the site of the infamous 'hole in the ground' was a great moment.

Let's hope it's the start of a great future for this city which has taken too many knocks since the decline of its traditional industries.

Certainly, the opening of the shiny new £260 million centre generated a great buzz with glitter, music and the chat among invited guests upbeat and optimistic.

As Bradford Council leader David Green said, it was not an occasion to look back but to focus on the future.

As he rightly said, The Broadway should bee seen as a catalyst for wider improvement of the city centre and the district's economy. He had high praise for those who had toiled so long to bring this development about - and promised more to come.

There was a genuine feeling abroad that is the start of a new dawn.

As Westfield's Peter Miller pointed out, Bradford has been without a department store for 20 years and that's been put right by the return of Debenhams to the city alongside a "Marks & Sparkling" new store.

Alongside familiar names, there are also many retailers new to Bradford .

The development is expected to boost the local economy by £1 billion a year, increase city centre footfall by 40 per cent and address the leakage of shoppers to other cities.

Investment at the site has totalled £745 million and Mr Miller said another £500 million of local investment was under way as a direct result of The Broadway development.

Unlike many other new shopping centres, The Broadway has started life 90 per cent let and is the biggest opening of its kind in the UK this year.

Never again will Bradfordians have to hum and haw when describing what the city has to offer. we can now hold our heads up high.

Hopefully, The Broadway will pave the way for a range of new entrepreneurs to trade in Bradford.

The novel Sunbridge Wells development will follow hot on its heels and North Parade is up for the high street of the year award following the creation of a new leisure area there.

Of course, the powers that be must now turn their attention to Darley Street to plug the gap between the new site and the Kirkgate Centre at the top of town.

But this is a time for celebrating, not carping.

It will be a long haul to overcome the city's negative image but to those who never see or say anything good about Bradford, I say have a look for yourselves and spend your money here .