Past Port Tours

24/12/2024

Now it's time to put my feet up and relax with a good book. This Stolen Land by Marcia O"Mahoney, about the Gwent Levels. Merry Christmas everyone!

23/12/2024

Something a little bit different today. I'm always amazed when I learn about traditions, many are not as old as we think. This is my Christmas tradition, traditional Welsh cawl for my stepdad, it's the only thing he ever wants for Christmas! I stopped of to in town yesterday and today was cooking day. I really enjoyed myself - I used to cook a lot, not quite so much now, so it was lovely. What are your Christmas traditions? New or old?

22/12/2024

This week and I went on the final 2024 Seafarers Walk led by Newport Transporter Bridge and lovely author of Secret Newport, Andrew Hemmings. It was a real treat, the weather was kind and we had a terrific time! You really should keep a look out for the Seafarers Walks next year, they're really great!

22/12/2024

Our community engagement team will be running a monthly dad’s group, starting on Monday 13 January 2025.

The group will enable dads and male carers to chat about shared experiences and provide a safe space to talk about the successes and challenges of parenting.

If you’re a dad or male carer and would like to meet new people come along to Bettws Community Centre, from 6pm to 7pm.

To book follow the link - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dads-group-grwp-tadau-tickets-1113815394829?aff=oddtdtcreator

22/12/2024

Born on this day 1967 in Blackwood,

Richey Edwards, lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers, best known for his politicized songwriting and mysterious disappearance, which have gained him cult status.

Edwards disappeared on 1st February 1995, and was officially presumed dead on 23rd November 2008. It is widely believed that he ended his own life by jumping off the Severn Bridge.

21/12/2024

It's 'relax and try to feel a bit better' time tonight after my mammoth last-minute shopping spree in town today. Wow, that free parking is really terrific! I bought these gorgeous supplies from .skincare in .market.arcade , as usual I could have bought the shop and bit by bit I am working towards that! Then I headed over to to see at and someone else very special over there, then down to via , but I can't show you any of the cool stuff I bought yet because Santa has taken them away for delivery 😁🎅🏻 I went to in for some specific things but other than that all the things I got today were from sole traders, small businesses, one man bands, or a charity and that makes me so happy, and I just know that the gifts I bought will also make their recipients very happy too!

19/12/2024

I have had the best day today, done a load of cool things and met a load of cool people! This was just one of the highlights, I finally got to pay a visit to this beauty from the Victorian era. What is it, you say? It's a transformer, dating from the very end of the 19th century and one of the first in Wales. It concerted the electricity generated by the Newport Corporation to a voltage suitable to be 'piped' in to the homes of the wealthy in the beautiful houses behind Park Square and up to Stow Hill. Bring back Victorian design I say! She's one of, I believe, only two examples, definitely in the area, the other one I was told is in storage after it was knocked over by a vehicle accidentaly a decade or so ago. She's a beaut!

16/12/2024

My hallway is not yet painted, but I put this up anyway. It's number 6 (I think) of the very limited edition high quality prints, signed by the lad himself. It makes me sad and happy in equal measures every time I see it. I am literally decorating the hallway around it - I wanted to make sure I use colours that compliment it and the only way I can do that is to have it where it will be for a bloody long time. Very glad to have it.

14/12/2024

Christmas is upon us and we all like a night out from time to time. I saw photos last night of town absolutely bouncing, Emma Stowell-Corten made me very jealous! We have some really excellent quality places in town for a quick pint or an evening out and this is by no means out of the ordinary for Newport, this is a list of 74 pubs, inns and clubs from the mid 1800s - and it's by no means all of them! In 1845 there were 300 establishments in Newport, that's one for every 39 residents! You can kinda see why the temperance movement were so concerned!

Knight, C.V., (1985) Pillgwenlly Newport the Changing Times, Starling Press, Risca. p.165.

12/12/2024

Recieving a lovely review is the actual best. And this one, 😭 I'm not crying, you're crying 😭❤️

03/12/2024

Super quick drop into this morning and just enough time to marvel at trump (note the lowercase t) corner. .arnell is such an incredible artist.

30/11/2024

You ever have one of those days where you're not entirely sure you haven't dreamt it?

Yeah, that was yesterday...

29/11/2024

The is absolutely getting into the Christmas spirit! It's wonderful to have met with such a community and locality embracing organisation and I am really excited about the plans we have put together to put Newport on the map and share and shout about what we have to offer. #2025 is shaping up to be a good one!

28/11/2024

What a wonderful, wonderful book. I feel like I know Charley, a WWI soldier from Pontypool. I need to find his final resting place. And edited by my fabulous friend and mentor Richard Frame and the wonderful lady Christabel Hutchings who very sadly passed away very recently. How fortunate are we to have diaries such as this to help us to understand a tiny portion of what was ensured.

27/11/2024

was bad enough thank you, this is incredible.

The Great Storm of 27th November 1703 was the most severe storm ever recorded in Southern Britain, with 120-mph winds causing widespread damage.

* In Wales, there was major damage to Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

* At sea, many ships were wrecked, with about 1,500 seamen killed.

* The Eddystone Lighthouse was destroyed, killing six occupants.

* 4,000 oak trees were lost in the New Forest alone.

* HMS Association was blown from Harwich to Gothenburg in Sweden.

* The roof was blown off Westminster Abbey.

* Queen Anne had to shelter in the cellar of St. James's Palace.

* At Wells, Bishop Richard Kidder was killed when two chimney stacks in the palace fell on his bed as he slept.

26/11/2024

I have had a wonderful day today continuing my education into Newport and WWI. I came away with some light reading 😬

New tour loading...