LAST week we featured a picture of George Street in Newport.

THE now and then photo is of George Street bridge, Newport. The bridge was opened in April 1964, my grandparents lived at 33 lower George Street. Their house (as were many many others) had a compulsory purchase order made on them. My parents, myself and sisters lived in Granville Square, we also had a compulsory purchase order on our house but it's still standing to this day.

We were moved out to the Bettws estate, still in the process of being built, we moved into the new house in November 1961. I was six years old when we moved; I still remember living in Granville Square.

My father, along with his brother Reg, owned Hicks Transport Ltd. Looking down George Street towards the bridge, the bridge does not appear to be open.

The shop on the left-hand side of the street was owned by a Mr Gould – my sisters used to take me there to buy sweets.

During the building of the bridge, once the cable-stayes were in place, the engineers needed to check the tension every few hours, night and day. The engineers were staying at The Kings Hotel at the top end of town and during this time were having to walk to the bridge. They approached my father and uncle with a view to renting our house for the duration of the checking of the cable tension.

During their stay, the engineers painted one wall of the living room black and all the mathematical workings out were done on this wall, after they left dad and uncle Reg left all the working out still on the wall for many years. One of the engineers, a Mr Beresford, used to take my parents out for dinner as a thank you for allowing them to be nearer there work.

Dad was the first civilian to walk over the bridge from George Street to Corporation Road, accompanied by the engineers.

Rosemarie Ross, Newport

THIS is Newport’s George Street during the building of the George Street bridge in the mid 1960s. The corner shop has long since gone and is now a house. George Street Furnishers occupy the old brewery on the left of the photograph.

Dave Woolven, Newport

TODAY’S picture shows George Street bridge in the early days of construction.

A lot of houses were demolished then on both sides of the river. The appearance of George Street hasn’t changed a lot and the houses are the same.

Jim Dyer, Newport