LAST week we featured a picture of Tredegar Street in Risca from around 1921.

TODAYS picture shows the main road through Risca. The old cinema in the forefront and I think there was a pub next door. This building has now been converted but the road is still busy with Risca people shopping.

Jim Dyer, Newport

THIS photo shows Risca with the Palace cinema. My sister used to take me up there – she was sweet on one of the boys there. If my mum had found out she would have killed us. I’m now 76 and this photo brings back lots of memories.

Hazel Coad, Duffryn

THIS is a fascinating photo from Risca. I used to live in Pontymister but left in the 1940s to move to Newport. There was always the argument about where the division between Risca and Pontymister was.

Glynn Chapel is close on that street and there is also the Palace cinema. Saturday mornings was always children’s days at the cinema. This was a lovely area in those days. Risca was very important with the steelworks, ironworks etc. A big co-op was also further up the street.

Howard Hoare, Llangynidr

THE first building on the left is of the old Palace Cinema while set back in the left corner was a small sweet shop owned by a Mr Smith. Next down to this was a large ironmongers store owned by Mr Menzie Davies.

Immediately opposite this store was, and still is, Risca Police Station, a building where I commenced my police career as a police cadet in January 1947. The superintendent in charge and deputy chief constable was a fine policeman named Lawrence Spendlove.

He was a man known by everyone in Risca and beyond of my age and above.

Behind the trees was, and still is, the Risca park and a few doors up from the cinema was a barbers shop where the superintendent had his daily shave. A few premises on again was a small cafe owned by a Mrs Baker.

It was my duty each morning to collect a large jug of tea from there for the station staff.

Travel on again to a premises opposite the park gates. This was a shoe repair shop owned by a Mr Arthur Watts. At this time I was residing in Rhiwderin and approximately each month I would collect shoes from the local residents and take them to Mr Watts for repair for which he paid me 2 shillings which was a great amount in those days.

Travel for about 500 yards and you came to a bridge across the road known as ‘The Long Bridge’ which was demolished. I now reside in Devizes, Wiltshire where I completed my police career some years ago but the memories I have of this street in Risca, are still fresh in my mind.

Raymond Burton, Wiltshire