Childhood memories of the wooden animals at the Arndale Centre are held by many as a highlight when doing the weekly shop in Poole. The animals, made of mahogany by local artist Peter Hand, were installed in the Arndale Centre when it opened in 1969. Mr Baron said they took three months each to make and cost £500 a piece – the price of a new car at the time.

Children could not only climb over them but go through the mouth of the whale, hippo or turtle and come out at the tail.Countless young people played on them while their parents were shopping in the centre’s stores. But the fun came to an end when the animals were removed from the mall in 1997.