LAST week, we featured a picture of Charles Street in Newport.

THIS is Newport’s Charles Street going up from Commercial Street up to Stow Hill.

The shop on the near right hand side with the big windows was Reynolds department store, now a bank.

Next to Reynolds is School Lane which used to lead to the back of Stow Hill Secondary Modern School, the school site is now a car park. A little further up was McIlvaney the watch and clock repairer, the shop was in the hands of at least two generations of the family.

On the near left hand side was the Talbot Hotel with its green glazed tiles in the doorway. Next to the Talbot was the Empire Theatre owned by Moss Empires Ltd.

The Empire burned down in 1941, the schoolboy story was that one of the turns was pianist Charlie Kunz and he was the arsonist as he was a German spy. As kids we believed it.

The site remained derelict for many years until it was cleared and redeveloped.

Near the top of Charles Street on the left hand side were the Newport Education offices.

At the top of Charles Street and to the left in Stow Hill is St Woolos School which was opened in September 1904.

Dave Woolven, Newport

THE picture features Charles Street looking up towards Stow Hill. Think the pub at the bottom was ‘The Talbot’, now the JobCentre after many changes.

At the top is ‘The Red Lion’ and in between is the Spiritualist Church, Langtons, OlderEducation establishment, Diverse Music and many other little tucked away shops.

Jim Dyer, Newport THE Now &and Then is of Charles Street, on the left is The Body Shop, which used to be Woolworths. There is a cafeé, also social offices where you sign on, etc and on the other corner is the TSB Bank, which use to be Owen Owen Clothes Shop and opposite was Clarkes which has now closed. On the other corner is Lloyd’s Bank.

M Reardon, Newport

I HAVE a vivid memory from 1942, I was 12 at the time.

A man ran into the firestation and within two minutes came out with two fire engines up Charles Street to the Empire Theatre where a massive fire took place.

Smoke filled the street, I was at the Stow Hill Central School and the huge fire could be seen from my classroom.

At least a hundred foot high flames. Its the biggest fire we have ever had. I remember the headmaster chasing all the boys into the school.

It was during the war but I had never seen a fire that big.

Desmond Carter, Newport