Last week we featured a picture of Lower Stow Hill, Newport in 1908.

THIS is the bottom of Newport’s Stow Hill. On the corner was the Midland Bank, now HSBC.

Next to it was the gas showrooms and next to that was the shop front of HA Smith, wine and spirit merchants. This was followed by the Tredegar Hall Picture House.

This in the early 1960s became the Majestic Dance Hall. This was known by everyone as “The Stic”.

On Saturday mornings there was dancing for youngsters and teenagers. My friend was the Saturday DJ. One morning we put on the latest disc - Telstar. We had never heard it before and neither had the dancers.

The sound effects at the start stopped all the dancers in their tracks and we thought that the sound system had developed a serious fault. Telstar went on to become one of the top 10.

The Stic has become Argos.

A few shops down is Coles the watch and clock repairer where you get good, old fashioned speedy service - while you are in the ever present queue you can read the wall of ‘funnies’.

A few weeks ago the building next to the HSBC was badly damaged in a serious fire.

Over the cameraman’s shoulder is St Mary’s Catholic Church which was built in the first half of the 1800s and a little further up was the Drill Hall, headquarters of the 1st Mon Regiment which was also used for boxing/wrestling tournaments.

Dave Woolven, Newport