As I stand outside an elevator in a department store located in Newport, Wales, I find myself contemplating the directions indicated on the sign. Should I remain on the ground level, where shoes, gifts, ladies’ accessories, and Estée Lauder products are offered? Or should I ascend to the first floor, which features furniture and women’s fashion brands like Annabelle, Tigi-Wear, and Autonomy? The second floor is dedicated to kitchenware and home goods, while the third floor hosts lingerie along with Alfred’s coffee shop and tea room. Perhaps I’ll head straight to the coffee shop for a cappuccino and some quiet reflection.
However, when I press the button to call the elevator, nothing happens. The control panel appears precariously attached to the wall, raising safety concerns about using this lift. Moreover, the area is dimly lit, forcing me to rely on my phone’s flashlight to read the sign. This floor lacks any gifts, cosmetics, or even a vibrant atmosphere. Once filled with the scent of perfumes, it now feels musty, cold, and abandoned. This decline followed the closure of the Wildings department store on January 19, 2019, after an impressive 144 years of operation.
The windows, once celebrated for their festive displays, are now boarded up, but glimpses of light filter through from the upper levels. Opting to take the stairs, I cautiously ascend to the first floor, only to find a similar desolation. Instead of the anticipated Annabelle or Tigi-Wear, I discover a discarded tent, with the previous occupant long gone. The area also contains a large stack of plastic jerry cans and remnants of what appear to be makeshift ventilation systems, hinting at a more recent and less reputable chapter in the building’s history as a cannabis farm. More on that later.
It’s challenging to envision this gloomy space in its prime, so I decide to reach out to Peter James, the former managing director who made the difficult choice to close the store seven years ago. Wildings was a significant part of James’s life; he succeeded his father, Sheldon James, and holds cherished memories from his childhood in the 1960s. “Department store retail was like a theatrical experience, filled with glamour back then,” James, now 65 and residing in Bristol, reflects. “It was much more about providing service than pushing for sales. It had a traditional, almost magical atmosphere, complete with numerous fashion shows.”
While today’s retail workforce is largely female, this was especially true in the post-World War II era. During the 1970s and 1980s, Wildings employed between 50 and 60 staff members. “Many glamorous women who worked there never married, so Wildings became their home and family,” James recalls, particularly mentioning Miss White, who started as a junior secretary in 1942. “She had an iconic look with heavy makeup, large glasses, and a beehive hairstyle. Although she was quite reserved, she possessed a formidable presence. My father often had to remind her of his position as managing director.”
Sheldon James would leave for work at 7 a.m., returning home for lunch at 12:30 p.m. Occasionally, father and son would make the afternoon trip back to the store together. James would spend time in a room at the top of the building, where seamstresses made dresses and alterations. “That’s where I studied for my O-levels and A-levels, and I did quite well!” he adds with a smile.
After completing his university studies, James moved to London to work as a management consultant specializing in retail. In 1995, at the age of 35, he returned to Newport to take over the family business. Miss White continued to work there and didn’t retire until 2007, more than six decades after she first joined.
Currently, I’m granted access to the building by Mo and Naj, two individuals from Afghanistan now residing in Newport. They work at a nearby shop called Danny Homeware. Their employer, also from Afghanistan but living in London, purchased the Wildings building at 165 Commercial Street in late 2024. Mo and Naj were involved in clearing the site last year, a task they describe as substantial—filled with skip-load after skip-load of items, though most were not remnants from its department store days but rather from its more recent use.
In October 2023, following reports of suspicious activities, Gwent police conducted a raid on the premises, uncovering over 3,000 cannabis plants in various growth stages across three floors. The operation was estimated to be valued at more than £2 million. “Many believed I was trying to enhance my pension by cultivating cannabis,” James jokes. “While that would have been a clever idea, it’s not something I considered.” Three years prior, he had sold the building for £230,000. He remains unaware of who acquired it at auction, but during that period, Wildings transitioned from a once-respected department store to a multi-story cannabis cultivation site.
During the police operation, two Albanian men, Adrian Daja and Andi Shabani, were found living among the cannabis plants. In January 2024, both pleaded guilty to producing a controlled Class B drug and received two-year prison sentences.
The police raid was recorded by a BBC film crew and featured in an episode of Rookie Cops. The footage shows not only the extensive cannabis growth but also the various equipment—including lights, pumps, and ventilation systems—that Mo and Naj later had to remove. Additionally, numerous bags of compost were collected and donated to local allotments. The empty jerry cans still on the ground floor had previously contained liquid nutrients for hydroponic irrigation systems, suggesting that the growers were experimenting with different cultivation techniques.
On the third floor, I encounter a large puddle, likely from a leaky roof, with ceiling panels hanging down. I also discover what resembles a giant chrysalis made of brown packing tape. Soft to the touch yet heavy when pressed, it turns out to be a makeshift punching bag. Nearby, there is a pull-up bar, and in a corner, sheets of cladding have been torn from the walls to create a U-shaped ramp, resembling a half-pipe at a skate park.
Naj confirms my suspicion, explaining that this setup seems to be the creation of the cannabis growers, who likely used their downtime to skateboard and exercise while awaiting their next harvest.
