London House, Commercial Street, Newport

11:56am Wednesday 2nd May 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Last week we visited London House, Commercial Street, Newport and received the following replies:

Mr E Hinton, Newport:

"I would say it is Newport High Street opposite Barclays Bank and British Home Stores - the London House department store of about 1910.

Taken at the end of the Edwardian era 95 years ago, for the coronation of George V. A good photograph, taken before my time!"

Dave Woolven, Newport:

"The picture for May 3 was the London House department store, Commercial Street, Newport.

The photo has to be from the coronation of George V. The only time I can remember going into the store was to visit Santa's Grotto in about 1946/7 when a large group of children waited for ages in a dingy room for Father Christmas to climb down the chimney.

My gift was an unpainted, die cast water pistol that didn't work. There was an 'island' display case in the entrance.

It was obligatory for passing children to walk behind this case; on the one occasion I knocked over and broke a glass shelf that had been put outside while the assistant was inside the case re-arranging the display.

I also remember the mess following the disastrous fire, one of several fires in that short stretch of Commercial Street raising speculation that 'something was going on.'"

Mrs Malbina Reardon, Newport:

"The Now and Then picture is of the old London House, Commercial Street, which sold nearly everything.

By the look of the picture showing the building decorated with the old king and queen, it must have been some celebration. When you bought something there the money you gave them would go into a tube and be pulled by a chain, and then the same thing when you waited for your change.

Meeks shoe shop was nearby and also the Royal Albert pub and Wildings. Mothercare was refitted when London House was pulled down. The old town hall was opposite, the Lord Raglan pub and a bank."