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NEWPORT’S newest family-friendly music festival has received a massive boost, launching a media partnership with South Wales Argus.

Portstock 2019 is coming to Rodney Parade, in Newport, on June 22 2019, with headliners including hip hop dance group, Stereo MC’s, and Dr Feelgood, which is one of the most popular live rhythm and blues acts worldwide.

Other talent on the bill includes: Rusty Shackle, Tom Hingley and the Karpets, The Darling Buds, The Ska Monkeys and Joe Kelly & the Royal Pharmacy.

Portstock 2019 is organised by and in aid of Newport-based St David’s Hospice Care.

South Wales Argus editor, Nicole Garnon, said: “We’re pleased and looking forward to being media partners of Portstock 2019, helping to support the marvellous work St David’s Hospice Care does every hour, of every day, throughout our community.”

Portstock festival was launched at Tredegar Park in 2018. You can see our photo gallery here.

Kris Broome, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “Portstock is going to be even bigger and better in 2019, with its move to iconic Rodney Parade.

“We’re thrilled to have secured the South Wales Argus as our media sponsors and delighted to have secured Rodney Parade for Portstock 2019. We have a truly brilliant line up with something for everyone.

“It’s all set to be a fantastic day of family fun in the heart of Newport, at one of the city’s most well-loved and historic locations.”

Early bird are on sale for this exciting event. They are £28 for adults, £10 for under 16s, free for babies under two, or £70 for family ticket.

Later prices are subject to change.

All profits raised from the event will go directly to Newport-based St David’s Hospice Care to fund their vital work.

“This, being staged in aid of a charity which serves and cares for people in the local community, is a unique feature of this music festival and a great reason to support the event,” added Mr Broome.

For details and tickets call: 01633 674990 or visit: www.portstock.co.uk

BURN off your Christmas dinner and support a great cause with an iconic trek this festive season.

’TIS the season to be jolly and what better way to make sure you’re on the nice list than staying fit while helping a worthwhile cause?

St David’s Hospice Care, which provides care to patients and families in Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Caerphilly and South and Mid Powys, is having two festive fundraising events in one day: a Santa walk and a Santa ride.

Although dressing up for the Christmas events is a requirement, if red isn’t your colour you can dress as an elf, a reindeer, or anything festive.

Both events will take place on Sunday, December 16, starting and finishing at Newport International Sports Village, following a circular route.

Cyclists begin the festivities at 10am, with tinsel on bikes encouraged to spice up the festive flavour and spread goodwill and joy among the people of Newport.

The route is around 20 to 25 miles, with the event supported by: Newport Social Cycling, Kymin, Daryll Barnby Entertainments & Events, Roberto’s Bicycle Repairs Newport, Simon Jones Carpentry, The Hot Bread Shop, and Seawall Tearooms.

The Santa Walk, which is six miles, will leave at 10.15am. Costumes are required – even if just dusting off your Christmas jumper – to spread the festive vibes throughout Newport.

The Walk is supported by: Kymin, Daryll Barnby Entertainments & Events, Hot Bread Shop, Seawall Tearooms and The Pod.

Both events are £10 to enter, with 100 per cent of the money made going to the vital work of St David’s Hospice Care.

Interested in the ride? For more information, or tickets, e-mail: fundraising@stdavidshospicecare.org

If you’re better on your feet than on wheels, and want to join the Santa Walk, then get in touch by phoning: 01633 851051

To find out more about St David’s Hospice Care, which also hosted an Elf Run in Cwmbran last week and has arranged a number of ‘Light Up Your Life’ services for the festive season, check out its website at: stdavidshospicecare.org

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PUNK records, stuffed animals, Star Wars figures and even a motorbike; it’s all in a day’s work for a Gwent charity’s eBay guru Ian Hall.

Graphic designer, photographer and avid collector Ian, aged 41, admits he’s really in his element at the helm of St David’s Hospice Care’s Aladdin’s Cave of quirky collectibles.

The depot, at Cwmbran, holds hundreds of vintage and collectible items but not much hangs around for long once it’s had Ian’s once over.

Ian, from Newport, is in charge of checking and valuing all the items that are donated and then getting them online on eBay or Gumtree and sent off to their new owners.

Ian said: “It’s coming up to 12 months that I’ve been working for St David’s Hospice Care, although I’ve been a supporter of theirs for many years by entering their fundraising events and challenges.

“We have had a variety of interesting and potentially valuable items that have been donated to us in the time I’ve been working here. A few stand out items have been some mid century furniture and a motorbike.

“The most expensive sale to date has been a bundle of late 1970s punk records donated as one collection.

“Since working here, I like to think I have accumulated a fair knowledge of what is collectable but it tends to work one of two ways.

“If it’s something I recognise or have encountered in the past and have some knowledge about, then I’ll know if it’s worth selling through our department online.

“Alternatively, if it’s something I’m not sure about because I don’t recognise it but still catches my interest, then I’ll go on instinct and research it. This has worked very well on a number of items so far.”

With the constant influx of items, naturally, comes some weird and wonderful items that you may not find at regular charity shops.

Ian said: “We get lots of unusual and quirky items donated throughout our shops and donation depot, but the most unusual items we have received has to be a group of taxidermy pieces.”

New items arrive every day, so there is bound to be something for sale of interest to you, whatever that may be.

Ian said: “I’m interested in a number of different things, but coming from a design background, items that stand out for their design and aesthetics usually grab my attention. I’ve got a soft spot for vintage advertising pieces.

“The key parts to the role as e-commerce team leader are to recognise the really good items that get generously donated to us and maximise the money we can make by selling them online. Also rehousing these items and knowing they will be sent off to someone who will enjoy them is equally as rewarding.

“As a charity, the level of donations the public consistently make is amazing and reflects the levels of people’s generosity. I get items of interest sent to our department from our various shops, or I’ll take a look in person at our depot to see if anything stands out that will sell well online.”

Daniel Cromwell, head of retail, said: “Ian is an expert in these kind of things and we wanted to use his knowledge of collectibles so that we could raise as much money from selling these items as possible for the charity.

“Ian is very good at spotting what collectors are likely to want to purchase. We are hoping that this will continue to grow and become a dependable income stream for the charity.”

The depot is open for item viewing on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Donations can also be made.

The St David’s Hospice Care Depot shop is located next door to its Donation Depot which is at Unit 1, Block 1, Withey Court, Ty Coch Way, Cwmbran, NP44 7EZ.

For the online presence, on eBay or Gumtree, search ‘SDHC’ on either site to see all of the listed items for sale.

FACT FILE:

St David’s Hospice Care provides free community-based hospice care to people with cancer or any other life threatening illness living within Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and in South and Mid Powys.

Last year (2016-17) St David’s Hospice Care cared for 3,192 patients with 2,149 new patient referrals; 30 per cent with a non-cancer diagnosis.

It costs St David’s Hospice Care approximately £8m each year to provide their services, and less than 20 per cent of their funding is received from the statutory sector, the rest is made up from a number of factors including donations, sales at their shops, a weekly lottery and fundraising events.

THE flexibility of Mamhilad Park Estate is enabling a booming insurance business to double in size without leaving its home.

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A former veterinary surgery was among a host of commercial properties which created wealth of interest at a recent auctions sale.

Husband and wife team Neil and Amanda Davies have seen a lifelong dream come true after getting the keys to an countryside pub near Abergavenny.

The Abergavenny couple, an engineer and a nurse, bought the Cambrian Inn, Clydach, at auction with a view to keeping the pub operating as a going concern.

Listed with a guide price of £95,000-plus the pub was sold for £112,500 at Paul Fosh Auctions in Cardiff.

Matthew Jordan, of Paul Fosh Auctions, who handled the sale of the pub, said: “Neil and Amanda are a lovely couple. The pub couldn’t have gone to nicer people.

“It’s encouraging that they plan to keep the place as an inn and invest in the venture. This is great for the area in terms of retaining a facility which will be used both by local people and the many tourists the idyllic gorge area attracts.”

Neil, originally from Abertillery, and Amanda, born and bred in Abergavenny, are already welcoming their first customers to the Lower Station Road inn.

Neil, aged 50, who previously worked for a major supermarket chain for 15 years, said: “We’ve wanted to own and run a pub for ages. We did have a tenancy of The Bailey in Abergavenny for 11 months but this is something totally different; it’s ours. We’re the owners of a free house and able to do what we want.

“We’re going in with our eyes open. We know that pubs are closing across the UK at quite a rate but what we’ve got going for us at the Cambrian Inn is that this pub has been trading throughout the sale period, has been open for very many years and has a loyal, local clientele.

“We’ll be opening every day of the week and keeping the pub’s current hours. We have plans to use the accommodation above the pub, perhaps as an Airbnb or as a holiday apartment.

“The Cambrian Inn is in a great spot near Clydach Vale and the fascinating industrial remains. The area is a major draw and is very popular with tourists and walkers. The pub will be dog friendly and we hope to be able to reap some of the benefits brought by the opening of the new Heads of the Valley road.”

Mr Davies said they are looking to employ a couple of staff initially to help run the new business as they continue their day jobs for the time being to see how the pub venture pans out.

“Fred, the current landlord, was very accommodating and agreed to keep the pub open until we took over after we returned from our holidays. We have no illusions as to how hard we’re going to have to work to get our pub going but we’re excited about the prospect and prepared to give it a good go.”

Mr Davies said the pub would eventually have a website to promote its offerings and would be offering food in the future.

The next Paul Fosh Auctions is on Thursday, September 13, at The Park Inn Hotel, Cardiff starting at 5pm.

THE story of a car plant where women walked out in protest against sexual discrimination is being brought to the stage to raise money for a Gwent hospice.

London based Impact Theatre company will be staging the musical Made in Dagenham, in association with Cardiff’s Applause Productions, in aid of St David’s Hospice Care next month.

The production has already raised thousands of pounds for charities across the UK.

Jane Manuel, of Applause Productions, has been organising the event with the help of Judy Cotsen, from Cardiff.

She said: “Quite a few years ago I used to produce and direct an annual gala charity show at St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

“A dear friend of mine came to the show and he told me a great friend of his had been cared for by St David’s Hospice Care, he was so moved by how wonderful the hospice had been, he asked if I would put a production on in aid of the Hospice.

“Some years later, whilst in London I saw Amanda Noars’ Impact Theatre Company perform the musical ‘Sweet Charity’. I was so knocked out by the performance, I asked if they would agree to bring the production to Wales to raise money for the charity that I could never forget: St David’s Hospice Care.

“I’m thrilled to say, they are freely going to give their time and immense talent to perform the show.”

Kris Broome, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We can’t thank Impact theatre group and Applause Productions enough for running this show.

“It will make for a wonderful opportunity for theatre goers in Gwent to see a fantastic musical production all in aid of the work we do free of charge caring for people throughout our community.”

Based on the 2010 film of the same name, the story is centred around the true-life events of the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968.

It follows Rita O’Grady, a working class machinist and mother who strives for equality and an end to discrimination in the workplace.

The actions of the Ford employees brought about huge positive change in the UK as the Equal Pay Act 1970 was introduced as a result of their bravery in challenging unfair practices.

Amanda Noar, director of Impact Theatre, said: “Impact is very excited to be bringing their production of Made In Dagenham to The Riverfront Theatre for one special performance, supporting the wonderful St David’s Hospice Care.”

The show will take place in the Riverfront Theatre, Newport on Saturday, October 20, 2018.

To purchase tickets to the event, call 01633 656757, or go to stdavidshospicecare.org/event-details/made-in-dagenham/ .

Alternatively you can get tickets from the Riverfront at newportlive.co.uk/riverfront or visit the box office at the venue.

We’ve picked five properties in Gwent which you could snap up at auction – from historic cottages to letting opportunities. The properties are among 88 in the catalogue for the next Paul Fosh Auctions sale which takes place on September 13 at The Park Inn Hotel, Cardiff.