THESE photographs were taken in a very familiar town centres street although it would be rare to see it so busy today.

The top picture was taken in December 1988 which can probably explain the numb er of shoppers who are busy going about their festive shopping and the other picture was taken in June 1981.

It is very clear from these images that Newport Street — which is currently undergoing a transformation — was a much busier place in the 1980s and 1990s than it is today.

It would seem that decades ago you would be literally bumping into people as you walked along Newport Street as the area was so busy.

In those days the street was known, locally, as shoe shop street or shoe shop alley as there were so many shops selling shoes there.

There were also many other shops that are no longer there today including butchers, clothes shops and a household appliance rental shop.