Yate the Entertainer. Eating places in the centre include McDonald's, Boswells and Wetherspoons. During the 1980s and into the mid-1990s, the shopping centre hosted Yate’s annual festival. On opening day a celebrity launched the festival by releasing balloons and stayed to sign autographs. Celebrities have included Carole Lee Scott, in character as Grotbags (from Rod Hull and Emu's enemy), Timmy Mallett, Keith Chegwin, Ross Kemp ("EastEnders"<nowiki>'</nowiki> Grant Mitchell), Ken Morley ("Coronation Street"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Reg Holdsworth), David Neilson ("Coronation Street"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Roy Cropper), Beverley Callard ("Coronation Street"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Liz McDonald), Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog, and the Milky Bar Kid. The festival also brought
Jim McDonald (Coronation Street) Jim McDonald (Coronation Street) Jim McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street", played by Charles Lawson. He made his first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 27 October 1989. He appeared as a regular character from 1989–2000, following this, Jim made guest appearances in November 2003, December 2004 and May 2005, making another return from November 2007 to January 2008, and returning again in August 2009, November 2010, March 2011, from August to October 2014, and from September to October 2018. Jim's storylines have included him and his wife Liz (Beverley Callard) losing