We’re all used to seeing pictures of the past in stark black and white but now for the first time, there’s a chance to see how the past really looked. Our new series applies a colourisation process to some familiar scenes in towns in Wales and the borders and transforms them into glorious colour.

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Mill Street
It’s four old pics for the price of one this week folks and the theme is royalty. Here’s one of the Queen of Tudor Street and her ladies-in-waiting! “Is that a rug the young monarch is wearing for a gown?” You may well ask. The young girls in the photo were dressing up to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne and celebrate Coronation Day in style. As you can see from the looks of the enthusiastic fella in the background, it was time to roll out the barrel and have a right old royal knees up. (Albert Lyons )
Tudor Street Queen
The Abergavenny Chronicle reported that both Tudor Street and Mill Street rose to the occasion magnificently and presented a beautiful sight. The two streets were apparently a blaze of colour from end to end and “truly lived up to their reputation for doing things on a grand scale.” Here’s one of Mill Street. (Albert Lyons )
Park Lane
The Town Council awarded Tudor and Mill Street first and second prizes for community spirit and effort, with third place being shared by Stanhope Street and Park Lane (pictured). As Queen Elizabeth II was being ferried from Bucks Palace to Westminster Abbey in her Gold State Coach, pulled by eight gelding horses named Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery, old mother Aber was turning on the taps, pulling the pints, and popping the cork on the good stuff to make sure proceedings went with a bang. (Albert Lyons )