100 YEARS AGO

● A number of cycle accidents were recorded over the previous weekend, two cyclists collided in Fields Park Rd, a six-year-old girl was knocked down by a cycle in Commercial Rd and a taxi cab knocked a cyclist off his bike in Shaftesbury Rd.

● A mother-of-four was jailed for two months after it was established she neglected her children in a manner to cause unnecessary suffering and injury to health. All four were taken to the workhouse.

● Railwaymen were on strike at Alexandra Dock Newport. A guard had been mutilated whilst shunting the previous week and the railwaymen claimed that more men were needed to carry out operations safely.

● The 10th Castleton show held at Church Farm, Marshfield proved a success, with good exhibits and keen competition reported.

50 YEARS AGO

● Three high schools in Newport, the High School, Duffryn and Hartridge took GCE examinations and the education committee were recommended to make their results available to the press.

● Plans were unveiled for the rebuilding of the Royal Gwent Hospital at a cost of £5.5m, bringing the number of beds to nearly 1,000 from 247.

● Big increases in the importation of iron ore and the shipment of steel goods were recorded in trade figures for Newport Docks.

● The 1961 census figures just released showed that nearly half of the 135,267 private households in the county were owner occupied, 51% rented their homes.

25 YEARS AGO

● It was claimed that Gwent was complacent over the subject of child abuse, being the only county in Britain not to have produced a handbook dealing with child sex abuse. Social Services chiefs said they worked as a close team and didn’t need one.

● A row over a missing Lonsdale belt held by former British heavyweight champion, David Pearce, took another twist when it was thought that a court order had been served to his brother, who also lived in Newport, in error.

● Bailiffs arrived at Somerton Park to take control after the local council failed to get a response over their £23,000 rent arrears. Club staff were evicted and council staff were undertaking the task of administration.

● Five Wye Valley men became the first to be prosecuted by Welsh Water for taking elvers when they had no licence to do so.