SOUTHAMPTON'S new £85million restaurant and leisure complex has officially welcomed its first customers.

Some of the restaurants which are part of the WestQuay Watermark centre marked the opening of the huge building yesterday.

Eateries such as The Real Greek, CAU, Franco Manca, Thaikun and Byron were the first to welcome people at the Watermark ahead of a bigger celebration event planned for Saturday.

Alex Thomas, regional marketing manager for Hammerson, which owns the centre, said: "This is a really important day for Southampton and a very exciting time for everyone involved because they are creating history today."

The complex is meant to attract people from all over the Hampshire and will have the most techonologically advanced cinema in Europe alongside more restaurants and a bowling, all due to open in the next few weeks.

The first restaurants are already busy and Ian Hodges, General Manager at Byron said: "This is just amazing. We weren't expecting so many people already."

More people are expected in the evening since the centre will stay open until late tonight and a bigger celebration event including a light show will take place on Saturday.

OPENING PARADE INFORMATION

Starting at 3pm today in Guildhall Square, the procession will feature a display of drumming, giant birds and marching bands. 

Among those taking part are students from Southampton University, 100 primary school children carrying homemade lanterns and the Love Soul Choir.

Following the parade, the digital light show will begin at 6pm in The Esplanade, when scenes of Southampton through the ages will be projected onto the city walls. 

Visitors will be able to see these projections again from the following Sunday through Thursday, December 15, with the seven-minute show starting on the hour from 5pm to 9pm.

During the first weekend, entertainment will include face painters, live acrobats, ballet dancers and hip hop dance troupes plus Heston Blumenthal lookalike on stilts act who will be on hand to welcome the new restaurant line-up. 

Further openings of the remaining restaurants, Hollywood Bowl and Showcase Cinema de Lux will continue throughout December and early next year.