100 years ago

It was a staggering surprise for the Newport Belgian Refugees Maintenance Committee when instead of the expected nine people arriving a total of 60 of all ages arrived. Bellevue house is still being prepared as a holding station so luckily all 60 were found shelter.

A resident of Commercial Road was charged with drunkenness and disorder and assault on a police constable. It was claimed that the prisoner behaved like a raving madman, and force had to be used at the police station in order to contain him.

All men of German and Austrian birth between the ages of 17 and 45 in the country were to be interned as prisoners of war with no exceptions or discrimination.

A 13-year-old Lliswerry schoolboy was found dead in bed by his father. He had only complained of a sore throat and had attended school the previous day. An inquest recorded a verdict of death by natural causes with influenza being the likely explanation. The coroner expressed his sympathies to the family.

50 years ago

A United States citizen visiting Newport with her two children walked out of the house in Clarence Street where she was staying, claiming that she was going to book return passage to Munich where she was staying with her husband. She failed to do so and has not been seen since. Her husband was flying in from Munich to take his children back with him. Foul play was not suspected.

Vital industrial talks involving thousands of dockers, railmen, and power and car workers were taking place with the aim of obtaining an increased pay offer.

The exclusion of buses from pedestrian only precincts in Newport would lead to increased bus fares as a result of increased mileage on each route.

The secretary for Wales James Griffiths visited Cardiff to discuss the future of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire formed fifteen years ago.

25 years ago

Postal chaos loomed in Gwent as post office staff prepared to ballot on industrial action over Sunday collections.

A £4.5m feasibility study decided that a Severn barrage scheme to build a power generating dam across the estuary would be viable.

Toxic waste firm Rechem attacked Torfaen borough councils presentation to the European Commission as spurious and unscientific. The council were calling for a public inquiry into the controversial plant.

A planning inquiry heard that residents of Shirenewton were in favour of a scheme to turn Home Farm and it’s surrounding farmland into a golf course and club.