LAST week’s Now and Then picture showed the recently re-opened market hall at Brynmawr.

In 1844 Brynmawr market hall was built and after various alterations was replaced by a new and larger hall in 1894. The trade done in the market was largely wholesale, but in addition several local shopkeepers had stalls there.

Christmas poultry fairs were held in the hall, and stock fairs on the adjoining ground.

The new hall was built at the public expense and was opened by a civic ceremony and lunch to which two hundred guests were invited.

By 1916, during the week, the hall would be used as a cinema and entertainment venue. In the 1930s a new facade was built (the one seen today), which provided space behind for foyers and a projection box.

When the indoor market closed the space was adapted to form the Brynmawr Library. The former dressing rooms became administration offices, and the cinema continued in the rear part of the auditorium, in the former balcony area.

The council has now handed over the cinema to the newly formed Market Hall Brynmawr Community Group, a combination of the previous Save our Cinema and Market Hall Cinema Trust groups and it remains Wales’ oldest continuously running cinema.

● The now and then picture is Brynmawr, Market Square. I worked in Brynmawr in the early Fifties at the Dunlop Semtex factory. I remember not being able to get home from work at the end of a shift because of snow and no buses were running down Black Rock to my home in Gilwern, so I stayed and worked extra shifts.

We always went to the market held on Saturdays both outside and also inside the Market Hall cinema and also went to the evening films as our Saturday night treat.

It was a busy market those days, especially at Christmas time, where my parents would buy all the Christmas goodies and we would go into Tanzies cafe for a meal. I enjoyed the town and working there. I used to have a glass of beer in the Griffin on the way from work.

George Evans, Pontypool

● These are pictures of the Market Square in Brynmawr. The community of of Brynmawr has just won the right to keep the oldest continual cinema in Wales/UK. This was constructed in 1894 and has been going as a theatre and cinema since then. Proud to be born and bred here.

Ken Young, Blaina