Seeing this picture took me back 57 years. In 1961, I was a young Constable in the Newport Borough Police, and stationed at Maindee Police Station. After parading inside the station, the duty Sergeant marched us out of the main door to take up our particular ‘beats’. One Constable to cover Chepstow Road, one to Corporation Road, and the third to Caerleon Road. I can still recall some of the personnel at the station. There were two inspectors, Don Hannell and Gordon Elworthy, a Sergeant, Bill Purser, and several constables, namely, Bill Powell, Ron Eagle, Graham Short to name a few. In 1967, following the drastic cutting of the number of police forces, Newport Borough Police was amalgamated into the Monmouthshire Constabulary, and they subsequently became the Gwent Police. So, Newport Borough Police lost its status, and its Chief Constable, Frank Smeed, and his deputy, Chief Superintendent Fred Connor. Newport then became a division within the Gwent Police.

The ‘Then and Now’ photographs are practically identical, even the shrubbery looks the same, although they were probably taken some 30-40 years apart.

Keith Richards

Cwmbran

If the ‘Now and Then’ photo is of Maindee Police Station and Library then I have a fond memories of it - here’s one:

It was a school dinner time – the place: the river bank pathway near Newport Bridge. My pal Nobby Bennett and I were using the long school dinner time to wander along the Corporation Road side of the river Usk. We had just passed Sessions Sand Yard when we came upon a neat pile of clothing lying some five yards out on some grass standing above the river mud. On seeing the clothes our imaginations immediately took hold and we at once, suspected foul play as we had recently read in the Daily Mirror about some women being murdered and stripped naked. We agreed that the police should be informed.

Standing on the dry, dusty, bare floor-boards of Maindee Police Station I told the silhouette of a police sergeant what we had seen. Nobby couldn’t bring himself to utter the word ‘naked’ which was considered to be rude. I could barely see over the top of the tall counter. The sergeant listened attentively and directed me to ‘Sit by your friend and wait there’ The sergeant returned shortly after accompanied by a lady police officer in uniform and a known plain clothes detective. Without actually looking at us the detective ushered Nobby and me outside where he opened the rear door of a V8 Pilot police car and waved us inside. After slamming the door shut he took the drivers position and the police woman got in beside him. Apart from us giving directions we travelled in absolute silence. On the way we saw some kids we knew from school – unfortunately they didn’t see us. Nobby and I issued the final directions to the detective that led us past the Technical College, the Weston Boat wharf and Rodney Parade to the start of the riverside path.

We left the car when the road became a path and walked the short distance to where the clothes lay. The police couple scanned the scene for a good two seconds. We searched their faces for a clue – nothing, absolutely nothing, nothing to suggest anything. If they had any thoughts at all they certainly weren’t going to share them with us. Finally the detective asked us if we could find our own way back to school from there….we nodded and excitedly ran all the way back to school to boast to our school pals about our ride in a police car.

Also, I loved Maindee Library and enjoyed having my library book and card stamped.

Ray Punt,

Caldicot

This is Maindee Library on Chepstow Road. I think the library was once a fire station with a police station next to it and police flats over the top. Looking at the two women the photo would date from the 1960s. Just across the road once stood a First World War tank but this was cut up for scrap in 1937. It is said that there was a cannon from the Crimea War somewhere nearby but no one knows where it went. Sadly Maindee Library and Stow Hill libraries fell to the Council cuts but both have been taken over by caring volunteers.

Dave Woolven,

Newport

The Now and Then is of Maindee Police Station, also the library is there. Around the corner is London Street, opposite is John’s Fish Shop and also a ladies hairdressers and Livingstone Place which used to have toilets. There was a little shop which sold flowers and quite a few shops leading toe Maindee Square.

M Reardon,

Newport