LAST week, we featured a picture of St Mary’s Lodge on Field Road, which is now the Civic Centre that opened in 1939.

THE now photograph is of the Civic Centre, Newport, and the then is of the house that stood there before it was knocked down. I worked for the council from July 1979, to March 2009, and remember seeing some of the remains of the house in the basement. In the 1980s, I, along with colleagues, climbed the clock tower as part of Comic Relief, of course, nowadays this would not be allowed because of “elf and safety issues”.

Jane O’Brien, Newport

THE then photograph is of St Mary’s Lodge, Fields Road, Newport, at this time it was owned by a Miss B A Watson who donated the house and grounds to the Borough of Newport for the building of a Civic Centre, which is the now photograph.

On July 14, 1937, King George VI, shortly after his coronation, visited Newport together with Queen Elizabeth (later to be known as the Queen Mother) incidentally this was the first time that a reigning monarch visited Newport, in order to cut the first sod commencing the subsequent construction of the Civic Centre.

This took place in the rose garden of St Mary’s Lodge, and the spade used by the King was made by Pleasance and Harper (jewellers) and contained 35 ounces of silver. Here is some newsreel film of the day:

 

 

My late mother was in service at St Mary’s Lodge as a young girl, the remains of the dry stone walling of the gardens are still in situ in a void area under the Civic Centre, which used to be the Central Police Station.

Richard Gunter, Newport

THIS is Newport’s Civic Centre. Building took place in the 1930s, but without the clock tower because as the war clouds gathered it was realised that the tower would make a good navigation point for enemy bombers.

The tower was added in the 1960s. In the war there was a huge, brick-built static water tank where the lower car park is today.

This was to provide a supply of fire fighting water to the area. Nearby was a pair of concrete ramps for servicing army lorries.

After the war they were well-used on weekends for DIY car owners to service their cars. This was in the days when all you needed to work on a car was a hammer and a screwdriver – unlike today when you need a degree in rocket science.

The Civic Centre contained council offices and departments, the law courts and the Central Police Station. In the 1950s the Godfrey Road side of the ground was very overgrown, ideal for small boys to make dens using material pinched from other dens.

Dave Woolven, Newport