Wildings in Newport, Wales: the grand department store that became an illicit cannabis farm

"Once, this floor would have smelled of perfume; now, it's musty, cold and empty. Because, on 19 January 2019, after 144 years of trading, this department store, Wildings, closed its doors for ever."

"It's hard to imagine this dank, eerie space in its pomp. So I call Peter James, who was the managing director until he took the difficult decision to close down seven years ago."

"There’s also a massive pile of plastic jerry cans and, hanging from the ceiling and walls, the remains of what look like makeshift ventilation ducts evidence of another more recent, less illustrious chapter in the building's story, when it was used as a cannabis farm."

Wildings department store in Newport, Wales, closed on January 19, 2019, after 144 years of operation. The once vibrant space is now dark, musty, and empty, with remnants of its past, including discarded items and evidence of a cannabis farm. The managing director, Peter James, reflects on the store's significance in his life and its decline from a place known for grand Christmas displays to a neglected building. The atmosphere is eerie, with boarded-up windows and a sense of loss permeating the air.

Read at www.theguardian.com