On FRIDAY, November 8, 1918, the editorial column of the Argus had to admit that the previous day the paper had ‘flung open its doors’ to an unwelcome visitor. That visitor was ‘Dame Rumour’.

On November 7, the Argus had printed an unconfirmed report that an agreement had been signed and that the armistice would come into effect that afternoon at 2.30pm, bringing to an end over four years of war.

Following reports in the morning papers that Germany was collapsing into revolution and that peace negotiations were underway, the news had been expected.

But it was premature. As further messages came in, ‘Dame Rumour’ was quickly expelled from the Argus offices and a correction printed in the ‘stop press’ column: ‘A later message suggests that the statement as to the signing of the armistice is premature.’

It was too late. Jack was already out of the box. Shortly after the paper hit the streets, crowds began to gather outside the Argus office.

Young people were particularly in evidence. Munitions girls who had arrived at Newport station to catch six o’clock trains to their places of work, joined the celebrations and ‘created quite a demonstration in the Station Approach, dancing to the music provided by their vocal organs.’

At the Mannesmann Tube Works, the men remained at work, but ‘it was noted that they were very restless, and little work was done.’ Across the town, ‘hopes were high and the war was regarded as over.’

In the ‘village’ of Cwmbran, the ‘news’ had travelled ahead. Even before the train carrying the Argus arrived, works hooters began blowing and children marched through the street bashing pots and pans.

When the papers arrived at Jones’ newsagent in Commercial Street, the only one in Cwmbran, hundreds of people besieged the shop to get the latest news and two policemen had to be called to keep the queue in order.

The Argus maintained an upbeat note: ‘We hope and believe that rumour has run before the fact. We believe that in a few hours the official news that the armistice has been signed will reach us.’

As it turned out it was to be three days rather than a few hours, but nobody was in any doubt that peace was coming soon.