NOW AND THEN: Magor Square

Mr John Crock, Undy: The Now and Then picture last week is of Magor Square. About 55 years ago I used to deliver papers to the corner shop. Magor Baptist Church is on the left-hand side of the picture, I am still a member now, but my mother took me there for the first time when I was just six weeks old.

The other shop in the picture was a general stores owned by Joe Richards. I can clearly remember meal, corn and other staple foodstuffs being stored in hessian sacks, and weighed out to suit each customer’s needs.

Mr Arthur Cox, Newport: The Now and Then photograph is of Magor Square. I remember it from the 1930s. The store by the trolley in the picture was a grocers kept by Mr and Mrs Joe Richards.

To the left of the trolley was the paper shop kept by Mrs Allen who also sold sweets and sundries. Opposite was the Golden Lion public house kept by Mr and Mrs Frank Osborne. There was also a butcher’s shop that had a slaughterhouse at the rear of the premises, where the butcher, Mr Strawbridge, slaughtered his animals.

To the extreme left of the picture is the Baptist chapel and to the right the war memorial.

Mr Arthur Packer, Undy: The picture is Magor Square. I was born in Magor over 85 years ago.

The first building in the back ground is the Baptist chapel were I went as a boy and still attend to this day.

The next building is Granny Allen’s shop where you could buy all sorts of sweets for a penny a bag, also nails, books and papers.

The four wheeled trolley in the picture belonged to Joe Richards and I remember that he used to use it on his coal round. The shop next to the trolley was a grocery store, and also belonged to him and the building on the left is Magor house.

Mr Daniel J Gibby: The picture published is Magor Square and the building on the right (with the wagon outside) used to belong to my grandparents Joseph and Ruby Richards. They ran it as a general store, then a ‘Mace’ store.

The Central Stores was bought by my great-grandfather for my grandmother Ruby Hill before she was married in 1932, at that stage it was called The Bell Hotel/Pub.

Miss Rosemary Jones, Gwernesney, Usk: I recognise the Now and Then picture as being Magor Square, the post office is in the centre and the chapel on the left. Out of sight on the right-hand side is the war memorial.

My late mother, Daisy Bushell, attended the school in Magor almost 100 years ago. I have happy memories of visiting Magor as a child as we still had relatives there.

Mr Channing, Newport: The Now and Then picture is of Magor Square. Many years ago my aunty used to live in a cottage to the right of the picture, I can remember that her front door was so small that you had to duck to get in.

I spent many happy years cycling out to visit her and my cousins. It was a beautiful little village back in those days, I can clearly remember a water fountain in the middle of the square.