The renaming of Watford's indoor shopping centre certainly caused a stir when it was revealed at the beginning of this month.

The unveiling of 'Atria Watford' was not welcomed by too many, mainly because shoppers were hoping intu Watford would revert back to its original name of the Harlequin.

But it wasn't to be, with 'Atria', the plural of 'atrium' chosen, which shopping centre bosses said is "testament to the centre's iconic 'atrium' skylights".

When news of the name was released, among hundreds of comments left by readers were some a little confused or seeking clarification on how Atria is even pronounced.

With the days counting down to a full reopening of the shopping centre and exciting news about a number of new lease renewals, a spokesperson for Global Mutual, who took over the centre from intu last year, has confirmed Atria is pronounced the same way 'atrium' is pronounced, so 'Ay-treea'.

The spokesperson also confirmed that in its branding, Atria begins with a lower case 'a' but written anywhere else, it is an upper case 'A'.

Finally, the complete name of the shopping centre is Atria Watford and not just 'Atria' on its own.

Following the mostly negative reaction from shoppers on the new name, which has led to a petition with more than 1,000 signatures calling for the Harlequin to return, Global Mutual has been asked to comment on whether it is reconsidering its choice of name.

Steve Gray, head of European retail asset management at Global Mutual, said on the day the new name was revealed: "Today marks the start of an important new chapter in the continuing evolution of the centre.

"Now, we can move forward with a fresh identity and an ambitious plan to make Atria Watford the premier destination for north-west London and the surrounding area."