Local History

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Beyond Newport City: Blackwood’s Chartist Bridge

Newport City Radio is proud to broadcast to many towns surrounding Newport. Beyond Newport is a series of interesting facts about some of theose The Chartist Bridge, Blackwood The Chartist Bridge, opened in 2005, spans the Sirhowy Valley in Blackwood, Gwent, and is named in honor of the Chartist movement. The movement, active in the early 19th century, campaigned for political and social reforms, notably universal male suffrage. Blackwood played a key role in this movement, which culminated in the […]

today10 January 2025 10

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Newport Factoid #25: Golden Jubilee City

A Reason to Celebrate! Newport, officially became a city on March 18, 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. The announcement was met with a mixture of pride and debate among residents. Supporters viewed city status as a recognition of Newport's historical significance, industrial legacy, and evolving role as a modern urban center. Critics questioned whether the town possessed the infrastructure and cultural institutions traditionally associated with city status. City status brought increased investment and attention, fueling […]

today20 December 2024 6

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Newport Factoids: #24 Mari Lwyd

Who is Mari Lwyd? Like many villages & towns around South Wales, Newport hosts an annual tradition, a visit by the Mari Lwyd (grey mare) as she travels around the area. The hobby horse, made of a horse's skull mounted on a stick and held by a man in a sheet has been a local folk custom since about 1800 and happens around Christmas and New Year. The Mari Lwyd is accompanied by a group of merrymen, musicians and dancers […]

today13 December 2024 19

Local History

Newport Factoids: #24 Rolling By The River!

Roller Skating, that is! Maskell's in Lower Dock Street was the place to be throughout the 1980s if you were a youngster and roller discos were what the 80s were made for. The roller rink was originally half ice but became a full roller rink in 1982. As with most activities of the era, health and safety were minor considerations, with rough games of British Bulldog and long trains of skaters being the norm. The one concession for safety was […]

today22 November 2024 21 4

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Newport Factoids: #22. Newport’s Wave

Hey look! Unveiled in 1990,  sculptor Peter Fink’s enormous steel wave, on the banks of the River Usk, was commissioned to commemorate the city’s role in the steel industry. Very much of its time, the Wave has become a symbol of Newport and is well known throughout the area. By Richard "Cookie" Cook

today8 November 2024 30

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From Pews to Pop Legends & Pizza: Acapela Studio’s Two-Century Journey”

Acapela Studio, Cardiff This unique architectural treasure in Pentyrch six miles north-west of Wales’ capital city has seen a lot of changes in 200 years. Acapela Studio is a converted late Regency era chapel built in 1835, now used as a recording studio and successful music venue. History still lives on in subtlety though, as witnessed by its original wood panelling interiors adorning the tiered balcony that overlook the hallowed stage. Housed in a grade II listed former Horeb Methodist […]

today6 November 2024 111 5

Local History

Newport Factoid #21 – Westgate Hotel

A Hotel with history This is the Westgate hotel. Rumours tell us that these are bullet holes from the chartists from a crime seen what do you think ? The building on Gold Tops, where this safe is located belonged to Lord Tredegar, who until in 1956, was the county’s largest landowner. It's said that this historic safe, located at The Estates building, was alleged to be collecting more rents than any other estates office in Wales.,

today1 November 2024 15

Local History

Newport Factoid #20 – Dr. Who’s Tardis

Knock Knock...Who's there? The Somerton TARDIS is a Police box on Acacia Avenue beside the B4237 road (Chepstow Road) in the Somerton area of Newport, South Wales. This police box is the only remaining one of four that were in Newport. It is a Grade II listed building. The police box that dates from the 1930s was given a facelift and decorated with a painted Tom Baker scarf.

today25 October 2024 19

Local History

Newport Factoids #19 – Market Cells

Would you spend a night under the market? Underneath Newport's indoor market are corridors full of cells. These cells, while often rumoured to have been used for people, were more likely to have been used for livestock and storage. But still, you probably wouldn't want to be left down there alone!By Richard "Cookie" Cook

today20 October 2024 18 8

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