100 YEARS AGO

● IT was discovered that the skeleton of a man found in Ebbw Vale had been wrongly identified as the person in question was an inmate at Bedwellty workhouse.

● Strong protests were held at Temperance Hall, Newport, at the dismissal of two Newport tramwaymen.

● A serious gas explosion in Cwmfelinfach resulted in rooves being blown off two houses. Workmen installing the gas were blamed for the explosion.

● The YMCA hall in Newport held a debate with speeches for and against women’s suffrage. Miss Helen Fraser put the case in favour of extension of the parliamentary franchise.

● Monmouthshire RFC played South Africa in the visitors’ first trip to the principality. Record crowd numbers were recorded at Pontypool.

50 YEARS AGO

● A strike by bricklayers at Ebbw Vale steelworks was called off. Michael Foot congratulated TUC leader George Woodcock in resolving the situation.

● A proposal for an out-of-town shopping precinct at Langstone came before Magor and St Mellons Rural Council planning committee.

● A nationwide search was launched for two Tredegar cinema usherettes after they disappeared without trace after leaving for work at the Olympia cinema.

● It was anticipated that the church in Bettws would have to increase its size by three to four times to accommodate residents from the new housing estates.

● The start of production at the new £150 million Spencer steelworks and increasing output at other South Wales plants played a major part in boosting the average weekly production of the British steel industry in September by over 5 per cent over the same month last year.

25 YEARS AGO

● Residents at a showpiece gipsy caravan site in Nantyglo faced having their electricity cut off after wrecking meters and landing ratepayers with a £6,000 bill for illegal use.

● Newport recorded their first win against Cardiff at Rodney Parade for four years. The 16-9 win was evidence that the club could recover from a disappointing start to the season.

● Petrol giants Esso appealed to the secretary of state for Wales against the decision to refuse planning permission for a multi-million-pound M4 sevice station at Magor.