FIRST kisses, drunken nights out, school days and the minutiae of Gwent life are being relived in social networking sites set up on the new internet phenomenon, Facebook. CHRIS WOOD takes a walk in cyberspace.

A thriving internet network is winding back the clock and creating debate and interest among Gwent people on a whole range of weird and wacky subjects from yesteryear.

Facebook is a social networking website where users display photographs and messages. And through a simple click of a mouse it is transporting Gwent folk back to their schooldays, to old friends, long gone and forgotten drinking haunts and nostalgic reminisces about favourite teachers.

The American-created site which makes money through advertising and sponsorship has taken hold quickly and since it opened access to anyone with a valid email address in September 2006, UK users have grown from 200,000 to around 1.5 million.

It has eclipsed Friends Reunited as a medium for making contact with old friends as well as providing an easy way of communicating with current and new friends. In total, 107,704 people are now logged on to the site in Wales.

There are over 10,000 users in Gwent, with a plethora of groups emerging from the area, including one entitled "From Newport (South Wales) and Proud" which has really taken off since being created back in May.

Using a message board where members of the group post discussion topics and comments, a wide variety of subjects from the city past and present are debated.

These range from interesting characters that roam the local streets to nights out watching bands such as the Bluetones and Faithless in gone but not forgotten nightclub V3 on Stow Hill and why classical music is played at Newport Bus Station.

Its creator Sion Williams, 22 currently lives in Rogerstone, but has lived in various parts of the city such as Pill and Beechwood.

"I opened the group about four months ago and it has flourished as there are now 1,833 members," he says.

Reliving the exuberances of teenage years is a theme seen regularly, with another group dedicated to Digby's nightclub which used to be off the Clarence Roundabout in Pontypool.

So far, 71 members have recounted tales of dancing in front of the big mirror, first kisses, drunken brawls and being sick outside.

Its creator Mike Price, 27 from Pontypool said: "Digby's was very much a part of growing up in Pontypool for me and my mates. It was the only place in the town with a late license, it saved travelling to Newport and it served alcoholic tip tops which were awesome.

"I'm not surprised that so many people signed up as it was quite popular. It was part of the old Clarence Hotel, but unfortunately that has now been converted into flats, so it looks like we'll never get our Digby's back unfortunately."

Around 70 people have signed up to Caerleon RFC's site which is one of the most popular of local sporting clubs while a forum dedicated to those who have worked at Lloyds TSB, Tredegar Park, Newport has attracted 206 members.

Two site names give contrasting perceptions of a Gwent youth, with "I Grew Up in Ebbw Vale and survived" drawing 180 members and the 208 that use "I Went to Abersychan Comp and Want to Relive Those Glorious Days" giving offbeat accounts of their childhood and deliberating over their favourite teachers.

The history and culture of the area is not lost to young cyber dwellers either with 558 marvelling at the experience of The Big Pit in Blaenavon on its dedicated site while the 409 members of "Big Up Cwbranistan" are aiming to put the town on the map.

But it is Sion Willliams, who is currently studying at Swansea University for a computer software degree, who has eclipsed all of these with membership to his site.

He says: "Me and some mates went off to university, so it started as a way of keeping in touch, talking about common interests. I like Swansea, but there's no place like home and while Newport obviously has its bad points, people who grew up here are very loyal and defensive towards it as some of the messages prove.

"And it's a great way of keeping in touch and making contact with old friends. We have recently had a reunion of a group of us from school and it is far more user-friendly than Friends Reunited as you can leave messages for people and don't have to pay."

So for anyone who hasn't joined the party yet, all your old friends could be waiting for you at www.facebook.com.

Facebook Facts:

  • Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg founded 'The Facebook' in February 2004, with more than half of the university's undergraduates registering by the end of the month.
  • It attracts around 100,000 new members a week
  • It is now the internet's second most popular social networking site after MySpace.com
  • It is estimated that Facebook users access the site for an average of 19 minutes each day

Top 10 Most used Gwent sites:

  • From Newport (South Wales) and Proud - 1,833 members.
  • I've Been Down Big Pit - 558.
  • Big Up Cwbranistan- 409.
  • Gwent Music Past and Present - 287.
  • Newport Gwent Dragons Appreciation Society - 235.
  • I Went to Abersychan Comp and Want to Relive Those Glorious Days - 208.
  • I've At Some Stage Worked at LLoyds TSB, Tredegar Park, Newport - 206.
  • Ebbw Vale Appreciation Society- 196.
  • I Grew Up in Ebbw Vale and Survived- 180.
  • Newport Life- 170.