BACK in 2013 we published this old picture of Blackwood High Street and invited readers to share their memories with us.

Here are just two of the replies we received at the time:

Vincent Kenneally Llangiby: The photograph is of High Street, Blackwood, and the properties shown are the old London Hosiery building which I bought in the late 1960s-early 1970s.

There was one large shop and I converted it for a client into three units. One was occupied by Crown Wallpapers, another Victoria Wines and one by Jones’ Shoes.

They were opposite the Square Cafe which I used to use regularly. That was the first of some 23 property deals I did for shops in Blackwood High Street.

Blackwood was one of the favourite towns when I bought that building. I bought loads of other shops, including Bateman’s Welsh Grocery.

As this was my first deal in South Wales I remember it well.

Cllr Leon Gardiner: The picture is of High Street, Blackwood. When I was young it felt like a city with a fabulous shopping area which included Vaughan’s florists, the Emporium, a beautiful ladies-wear store, the Foresters pub and even a roller-skating rink.

I particularly remember Hunt’s Saddlers, famous for its leather work. After the school summer holidays, all the children used to go to back to school with fantastic satchels. The Maxime cinema and The Square Cafe were favourite haunts as we were growing up and the local boys and girls used to ‘monkey-parade’, with boys on one side of the street and girls on the other. It was rare not to have a date for the cinema after this.

Buses and trains to Blackwood from Newport in one direction and Tredegar in the other were always very regular, and the town was always bustling. Very happy memories of growing up there.