These are archive messages - to air your views please visit our messageboard.

"I was born at my grandparents (Wilf and Hilda Woodman) home in Royston Cresent. I lived there till 1974 where upon i emigrated to NZ.

"Growing up in this area holds many fond memories for me. My grandad worked at Llanwern BS in security. My uncle Len Weare kept goal for Newport county in the 60s and early 70s. I've long lost friends who may be still live in the area. David Pike was my best mate back then. Maybe he would think it strange to know his ol' mate Ross, was living in China now, teaching English!

"The memories of that particular area live on, but according to my family, it's long since changed and I would no longer recognise it. I would like very much to see how the area has changed though. Even with change, you just can't take away my 'growing up' years in Royston Cres."

"My maiden name was Henson. Recently my cousin Ceinwen told me Henson Street in Newport was named after our grandfather Robert Henson, who lived in Corporation Rd. I know I have a lot of unknown cousins there I would be very happy to hear from them, especially Bill Henson."

"Newport city centre has been allowed to become a rundown mess. A filthy town centre and bus station. A falling down carpark, an eyesore that claims to be an Arts Centre, a shopping centre full of empty shops and closing down sales. People no longer go to Newport - it's dangerous dirty and has nothing to offer. Why has the local council allowed this to happen a once fine town now in ruins?"

"There are lots of good things on Bettws. Real Bettws FC has over a hundred children playing and training each week, run by volunters. The brownies meet each Tuesday and thanks to volunters have now branched out to form a Rainbows on Bettws. I feel we must all give the children a chance - they are after all our future."

"I wish to thank the organisers of the Divali celebrations which were held on Sunday the 13th November 2005 at the Burleigh Academy. It was a brilliant evening with ceremony, singing, music, food and dancing. A lovely friendly mix of local people. Please do it again next year."

"There is nothing to do apart from the welfare grounds and even so you can't go down there at night because it gets dark and you can't see where you're going. There is enough for the small children but nothing for the teenagers and the older people."

"A night at the theatre to see Carmen, I thought I had better get there early as my elderly mum can't walk far. We were still too late - all the few parking places were taken. They allowed me to go through the barriers to drop off my mum outside the door but I had to leave her on her own while I attempted to park. I eventually found parking at some distance along. I was worried about my mum on her own but one of the staff at The Riverfront was helpful and spoke to her. There was nowhere for her to sit down. By the time I parked and got there she was very worried and a little distressed. I accept that parking is abysmal out of town, but I would have appreciated it if someone could have found seating for a near 90 year old lady waiting on her own. I will think twice about visiting the theatre with my mum unless we are there at least 2 hours before the performance!"

"I agree with those stating that Newport is a mess. The shopping centre is shocking, the bus station is grim, there is no proper parkland in the centre, the whole centre is riddled with hard drugs and shoplifters who are off their face and trying to raise more cash to feed their habit, or gangs of little hoodied yobbos. No chance would I ever move there."

"Does anyone have any information or any interesting stories about the Bettws estate? I'm trying to find interesting things or people away from the stereotyped image of Bettws as a really rough estate."

Maura Dineen replies:

"I have lived on the Bettws estate for 40 years and love the area. I'm a widow now, but myself and my late husband have raised 7 children here. There's lots going on in Bettws for the young and old. Me and my family belong to St David Lewis RC church - I'm a volunteer with Credit Union, which started in Bettws about 5 years ago when 15 people got together and done the training in the comunity centre. We opened our first office in the shopping centre in Bettws and have now spread to include all of Newport. We now have an office in Newport which is open 4 days a week and still run by volunteers. There's free swiming every Sunday 3pm for the over sixtes in Bettws High School. One can walk for miles around the lanes and not realise you are even near any houses as there's some beautiful walking areas around Bettws. All in all Bettws is a beautiful place to live."

"I left Newport in 1972 to sail for Fremantle, Western Australia. I have many fond memories of Newport as I was 18 when I left. We lived in Maindee and went to school there, then went to Fairoak school. The government then decided to change the school rules and I went all the way to Duffryn everyday.

"When I was a teen we used to go to either the In place, in Stow Hill or the Kensington (under age of course). I have great memories of shopping in town and going to the market steps to meet friends for a night out. My family were great walkers, so on Sundays we would go to Beechwood park or Bellevue. They were both lovely parks and I hope they are both still there as I have not been back in 33 years. I am hoping to come back next year, so I can check things out for myself."

"What's going on with Newport Council? They think turning a playing field and allotments, known locally as Glasllwch Coed Melyn Park, into an extension of the cemetery is a sensible idea!! Of course, it doesn't matter that local kids won't have anywhere to play or that the whole idea of encouraging them to excercise more is thrown out of the window. Maybe they hope the 2012 UK Olympics will include a suet pudding eating competition. You Newport kids had better get some training in! Read more on our web site www.savecoedmelynpark.org.uk."

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Will in Rogerstone adds his thoughts:

"This so called 'city council' have NO respect for people's feelings or disruption to their lives as long as they get all the finance from whatever they can do, including to allow building on greenwedge land. They cannot even win on appeals to save this green wedge land, but 'maybe' they dont want to. All appeals lost are paid for through the council tax so your battle I hope will be successful."

"I'm tired of this dirty old city. I'm tired of too much work and never enough pay, and I'm tired of these dirty old sidewalks. I think I'll walk off my steady job today.(wish) Been working everyday since I was twenty - haven't got a lot to show for everything I've done. But I know folks who never worked and they got plenty - think it's time for folks like you and me to have some fun. SO COME ON CITY - PULL YOUR FINGERS OUT please. Some good jobs, with good rate of pay would be nice. That would be a good start to give the feel good factor back to the public. Then build from there. There's nothing worse that a poor job with poor wages. Poor wages leads to a poor work force. Poor work force leads to people not caring for the jobs which they are employed in. So take note that's part of the reason NEWPORT CITY IS IN A MESS."

"What is it with that nasty bus station? Something should be done about it sooner rather than later. Problem is, I had that thought nearly twenty years ago and things are hardly any better now!"

"When if ever, are we going to have some kind of reply to past very true comments in Have your Say from this so called 'City' council or have they not got any public relations interest or in fact no interest at all?"

(Editor's Note: We're happy to provide a forum for discussion, but you should also speak directly to your local councillors - see www.newport.gov.uk for contact details.)

John Morgan from Varteg responds:

"It's ok to say go meet your councillor, but that is one of the things that is wrong about it all. One meets his councillor, it's a one to one meeting. The councillor does not feel the fear like that which a mass demo will engender. In responding to comments on the Newport page the councillor will be making a stand for all to see. If that stand is not to peoples liking, he had better watch out for fireworks next time he is up for election.

"But that is 'dreamland' - the councillors are very unlikely to respond anyway. They are, in the main gutless,as well as powerless, as is demonstrated by the way they allow the unelected officers of the council to ride roughshod over any argument they may put forward. I go for the French method, if the public feel they are being screwed, it's all out boys and to hell with the government, be it national or local.

"I suppose under that premise we are all gutless, no one seems to want to rock the boat, but we love to carve out a niche for ourselves on pages such as this, where the 'principle' of 'free speech' is seemingly alive and kicking, but in truth where it is of absolutely no concern to those we have elected to do our thing for us, but are obviously doing no such thing at all. Sure, go talk to your local councillor, or MP or AM, but see what you will get in response. An earful of rhetoric, but little else of substance I am afraid."

"Numerous people on this site complain about the cleanliness of the City, which in common with most British towns and cities, is very scruffy. It surely just comes down to our laziness, apathy and complete lack of civic pride. I was recently in St Etienne in France. It is a large industrial city not unlike Newport but the streets were spotless. There appeared to be no more streat cleaners visble than there are in Newport but the contrast was very evident. We need to clean up our act, otherwise what's the point of all this redevelopment? it'll just be wasted, which would be a massive shame..."

Carl responds:

"I have plenty of civic pride, mate. The trouble with this country there is no civic pride taught in our schools or at home. The younger generation do as they please - no control over them in school and a lot of parents dont give a damn. So to my way of thinking it all starts at school and most important in the home. There is a lot to be said about army life, mate - you will never see a dirty solider."