Different generations have their own version of what my hometown used to be. My parents rave about the 1980s and 1990s, saying it was our "golden era", when the streets were packed with fans heading to its famous rugby ground to watch what was once one of the country's greatest teams.
My grandmother tells me about the shops that once lined the main thoroughfare, adding: "There was not one shop boarded up."
I'm in my twenties but I too remember a town full of life and activity when I was a child, when there were hardly any empty shops. Woolworths was always busy, and shops like Next, Topshop and Dorothy Perkins were staples.
I still remember popping into Store Twenty One on the corner, or losing track of time in Izzits, enamoured by its quirky jewellery and colourful bags as a pre-teen. Everyone seems to hold a different piece of Neath, on the south coast of Wales not far from Swansea, in their memories-and all of them tell a story about what the town once was.
During a recent trip on a random Wednesday afternoon, the town centre was undeniably busy. The sun had drawn people out, and the Cadno Lounge bar was bustling, with customers spilling out onto the patio.
Just next door, fitness fanatics were coming and going from the new leisure centre and familiar names like Boots, Poundland and The Range continued to pull in customers. It was a snapshot of a town that, while quieter than before, still has some life in it.
Yet Neath's high street, like so many others across the UK, has faced a steady decline in recent years. A number of major retailers have closed their doors, including Next, B&Q, Wilko and Marks and Spencer. Even smaller independents, like Made Happy, a much-loved shop that sold sweet gifts and homeware, have had to call it ...
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