30 pictures that show just how much Cardiff's Queen Street has changed in 75 years
It looked completely unrecognisable back in the day, and these images show its evolution
Cardiff has never stood still for long - but by any standards it's going through a pretty big period of change. Huge swathes of housing are being built near the city centre, new contenders for Wales' tallest building keep emerging seemingly every other day, and in every corner of the capital you'll find battles to keep parts of the city's heritage alive while keeping up-to-date with similar cities around the world.
Go back 75 years and the heart of the city centre looked completely different to how it did today. Rewind to the time before the Hayes and St David's shopping centre were the centre of the city's shopping experience and Queen Street was the beating heart of Cardiff.
We've dived into our archives to get a glimpse of how the street has changed over the years, and the incredible moments in history it has witnessed over the years. Hosting visits from Winston Churchill and Doctor Who, seeing demolition and rebuilding over and over again, lighting up again after a cloud of darkness descended during the Second World War and being a temporary home to some of our favourite now-long-lost storefronts. Queen Street has seen it all.
Winston Churchill shows the Victory sign as his car drives slowly through cheering crowds in Queen Street after the Freedom ceremony at Cardiff City Hall, July 16, 1948
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A moment in history - in 1949, city streets are once again lit up with neon and other display signs for the first time since the black-out began in 1939. Here, on March 21, 1949, ABC Queen's on Queen Street previews what that will look like
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Queen Street was for cars in 1952, which certainly looked different to today's
(Image: Mirrorpix)3 of 29![Wide non-pedestrianised street with arcades and shops with awnings visible, as a bus, a car and a cyclist travel down the road past a crossing]()
Here's how the street looked on January 31, 1955
(Image: Mirrorpix)4 of 29![Buses cross from one street to the other, in a photo taken from Cardiff Castle]()
Back in 1955, you could drive right from Castle Street to Queen Street
(Image: Mirrorpix)5 of 29![Queen Street and Duke Street photographed from Principality Building, September 1, 1959]()
Queen Street and Duke Street photographed from the Principality Building, September 1, 1959
(Image: Mirrorpix)6 of 29![Workmen working on an open beam roof with a ladder leading up, rubble from demolition visible in foreground and background]()
The beginning of some huge changes for the street - workmen start demolishing old property, April 6, 1960
(Image: Mirrorpix)7 of 29![Cavendish, Woolworths and other shops visible with cars in foreground]()
But through the 60s, it still looked pretty similar
(Image: Mirrorpix)8 of 29![A queue of people from the Gaumont cinema, past Cavendish and other stores]()
Crowds queue outside the Gaumont cinema, circa 1960
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