Our photo was taken to record the 1951 Festival of Britain Carnival, but it is equally of interest for the buildings in the background.

The procession is making its way down Mill Street, the road merging from the left is Backhall Street. All the white houses in the picture have now been demolished and replaced by houses elevated and set back from the road creating a wide pavement.

Seated in the cart as Mayor and Mayoress of Caerleon are Tom Jones, of Whitehall Farm on the Usk Road, and John Stamp.

How this part of Mill Street has changed!

Molly Davies had clear memories of the shops in this area:

Mill Street
From the Angel Hotel down the right hand side of the road:
Batemans Fish and Chip Shop, spotlessly clean, for two pennies one would have a good many chips.
Next came Davies Universal Store, selling anything from toys to household hardware.
Further down the road on the left hand side stood Miss Grey's tiny front room shop selling sweets and homemade herb beer etc.
Opposite, and at the corner of Backhall Street stood Miss Jobbins' sweet shop and tea room. The Miss Jobbinses were rather old world, genteel, charming ladies. The shop was visited in the evening by the "College Boys" from the teacher training college. They were allowed out from six to half past seven to allow them to post letters and perhaps enjoy a cop of tea.
On the opposite corner from Miss Jobbins' stood Edmunds' Grocers Shop. While further down the street was Mrs Hutchings' tiny front-room shop selling sweets and sundries.

Backhall Street
Opposite the Red Lion stood Mr Williams' Dairy, whilst two doors away from the Red Lion was Mr Tom Edwards' Bakery Shop where he made his own bread. The ovens were at the rear of the shop. Each Christmas he would set aside a day to bake cakes for locals who took their own mixtures in. My mother always made six or seven large yeast cakes at Christmas. They were mixed in an earthenware pan, covered over with clean tea towels, and placed in front of the fire for a couple of hours to allow the mixture to rise. The mixture would then be put into bread tins, covered over to keep them warm and taken by pony trap to the bake house. We collected them a few hours later, they were delicious.
Opposite the London Pub stood Mr Brangham's sweet shop, next came Mr Knorze's baker's shop also selling nice pastries, this is now a bank. A short walk brought one to Mr Eddie Davies' newsagent and sweet shop, which today is an antique shop.
After Mr Tom Edwards died, his son sold the premises and had a new modern bakery shop and tea garden built next door to Mr Knorze's shop.

You can read more of Molly's recollections in Caerleon Remembered.

Many thanks to Norman Stevens who 'unearthed' the photo which is likely to feature in his forthcoming book (if not, then his fifthcoming book).