As we chat over coffee, Afia Begum is describing people's shock after passing by her new café Indulge, in Maindee, Newport. "I have had people come in and say 'where are the toilets', and I've told them 'these were the toilets'!" she laughed. "People come in and want to look at how much it's changed."
Opening its doors less than a month ago, Indulge is located in a renovated former 1930s toilet block at Maindee Triangle, the result of a project by the charity Maindee Unlimited to help restore the area's fortunes. The public toilets between Chepstow Road and Livingston Place were unused for years before being restored earlier this year.
With its elaborate pink and green floral displays, soft pink-coloured seats and welcoming interior, Indulge is a world away from its former guise. With first-time café owner Afia, 40, at the helm, it is a major step forward in an area which has had its struggles in recent years. You can read more about what people think about Maindee and its future here.
