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A commercial property in the centre of Newport with an unusual sitting tenant could help its new owner take a walk on the wild side.

The ground floor of the end terrace building on East Street, in Baneswell, which is occupied by well-established niche business Wildside Reptiles, sold for £62,000 at Paul Fosh Auctions.

The business, established for 35 years, deals in captive bred reptiles and snakes.

The two-storey property, which provides a total of 851 sq ft of space including retail, office and ancillary accommodation, was offered with a guide price of £49,000-plus and created keen interest at the May auction.

One of three former bank buildings offered at the sale, at 14 Market Street, Ebbw Vale, was listed with a guide price of £75,000-plus and sold for £86,000.

The mid-terrace, three-storey former Natwest Bank building offers a total of some 3,580 sq ft comprising a banking hall, ancillary, residential and storage space.

The Paul Fosh Auctions sale sold a total of 45 properties from 67 lots offered realising a total of £3, 271,249. The leading Wales property auction house has sold a total of £27,860,437 in the last 12 months

The next sale is on Thursday, June 14, at The Park Inn Hotel, Cardiff, starting at 5pm.

The South Wales Argus Business Awards are now open for entry.

Any business – private, public or third sector – from the Gwent area can enter the awards by visiting www.southwalesargus.co.uk/awards/business2018/.

We are hosting an special official launch event for the awards in June as a thank you to our sponsors.

The awards, which will be celebrating the area’s most innovation companies and business individuals, are set to become a key event in the local business calendar.

Newport Now, the city’s Business Improvement District, has signed up as headline sponsor for the awards.

Newport-based financial services business Kymin, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is sponsoring the small business category.

The Innovative Business of the Year award is being sponsored by Western Power Distribution and Newport City Council has come forward to sponsor the Lifetime Achievement Award.

MHA Broomfield Alexander has stepped up to sponsor the Family Business of the Year Award and Monmouthshire Building Society is backing the Contribution to the Community Award.

Other awards will be: Business of the Year; Young Entrepreneur of the Year; Large Business of the Year; Start Up Business of the Year Award; Environment Business Award; Customer Service Award; and Training and Development Business of the Year.

The awards will be presented at an event at the Newport Centre on September 27.

As part of the evening, a drinks reception will be sponsored by St Joseph’s Hospital and Langstone-based Centurian VAT Specialist Ltd has come aboard as the sponsor of the event programme.

For more information on sponsorship and entry contact Matt Berry on 01633 777043 or Samantha Taylor 01633 777147.

MONMOUTHSHIRE dairy farmers Lawrence and Izabela Hembrow, and their children William and Abigail, are looking forward to welcoming families to their farm.

The Gwent family will throw the gates open to Mead Farm at Redwick, near Magor, on Sunday, June 10, as part of Open Farm Sunday.

The farm is among many farms across the region which will be welcoming visitors next month as part of a national event, the Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) Open Farm Sunday.

Dairy farmers Lawrence and Izabela, who run Mead Farm Foods, were honoured recently at the Senedd, Cardiff, when they were finalists in the Wales Local Food and Drink Category at the Countryside Alliance Awards.

“It’ll be a wonderful opportunity to show people, especially youngsters, a working dairy, to sample some of our products and also to see our wonderful electric milk float which does all the hard work delivering all of our home-produced milk, cream and butter along with eggs bacon and bread to homes in the locality.

“Our children, William and Abigail, are particularly excited about showing others of their age parts of the farm.

“If visitors are lucky they may also meet our lively and excitable cocker spaniel Lucy who is more than likely to try to take over proceedings on the day!”

Mead Farm Foods, on 190-acres, delivers its home-produced milk locally to families and businesses in Redwick and areas of Undy, Magor, Caldicot, Langstone, Chepstow and Tutshill, taking orders online.

Mead Farm Foods currently produces and delivers its fresh farm milk, cream and farmhouse butter along with locally sourced free-range eggs, bacon and bread and also take orders from local shops, cafes and restaurants.

Open Farm Sunday, on June 10, will see hundreds of farmers open their gates to welcome the public and showcase all that agriculture delivers.

Many farms are offering free events and some will open farm shops and offer refreshments for visitors to enjoy.

The event based on the theme of The Great British Farm Day and LEAF say that the event has a huge positive impact on helping people understand all that farming delivers

Annabel Shackleton, manager of the event, said: “From the wheat for our bread and cereals, and the potatoes and pork for our sausage and mash, through to crops for fuel, clothes and even cosmetics, it all begins on a farm.

“Farmers play a vital part in our daily lives and LEAF Open Farm Sunday is your chance to be part of The Great British Farm Day and show your support for British farmers and farming.”

To find out more about LEAF Open Farm Sunday and which farms are opening near you on the 10th June visit farmsunday.org.

CHEPSTOW and Caldicot Lions have agreed to sponsor a room at St David’s Hospice Care after being impressed on a tour of the new building.

Chepstow and Caldicot Lions and supporters were recently taken on a tour of the new £5m hospice by chief executive of the hospice Emma Saysell.

President of the group John Robinson said: “I was visiting a friend who was a patient in St David’s Hospice in Malpas, Newport and was totally impressed. The facilities, the care provided and the environment in which the hospice is, are all absolutely first rate.”

Chepstow and Caldicot Lions handed over a cheque for £10,000 as their sponsorship of the Chepstow room at the hospice.

Mr Robinson said: “Other Chepstow and Caldicot Lions visited the new in patient hospice and we soon decided we wanted to support St David’s Hospice Care by sponsoring a room.”

The lions are now listed as a sponsor on a wall in the entrance to the hospice.

The new in patient centre, which is linked to the current day hospice by a corridor, will open in late spring after being fitted out after a 60 week construction programme. The new in patient unit replaces the existing 10-bedded unit at St Anne’s, Malpas, Newport.

Emma Saysell, Chief Executive of St. David’s Hospice Care, said: “I was delighted to be able to give Chepstow and Caldicot Lions a guided tour of our wonderful new in patient hospice so they could see and officially open the room that they have sponsored.”

Rooms at the hospice are still available to be sponsored.

BUSINESSES are being encouraged to be early birds to get a £35 discount in terms of entry to Monmouth Raft Race this year and also to sponsor an event day award.

The annual River Wye charity fund raiser, now in its 53rd year, sees teams of between four and ten rafters paddle their home-made rafts 6.5miles from Monmouth to Whitebrook

The entry list for the annual race, to be staged on Sunday, September 2, is now open.

Organisers, Monmouth Rotary Club, are offering an early bird discounted entry fee of £40 per raft, for crews that enter before June 1. The normal entry fee is £75 per raft.

The main sponsor for the event is once again again David Wilson Homes, the builders of a new housing development at Kings Wood Gate in Monmouth.

Siltbuster Ltd of Monmouth, Harrison Clark Rickerby’s solicitors from Ross on Wye, and Jolly Clothing, of Monmouth, have each agreed to sponsor an award.

The Rotary Club has several more awards and would welcome an approach from any other organisation willing to become an award sponsor.

To get involved email Rotarian Norman Williams at monmouthrotaryclub@gmail.com for details.

By covering the organisational costs through corporate sponsorship, the club is able to make a larger donation to charity.

The principal beneficiary of this years’ raft race will again be Gwent-based St David’s Hospice Care.

Monmouth Rotary president Sandra Davey said: “We are very grateful to both sponsors of our annual raft race event, and the crews who take part, for their support.

“We have cemented a unique bond with St David’s Hospice Care over the last 14 years that we have been working with them as our nominated charity in the raft race. Many families across south east Wales are very grateful for the end of life support that St David’s provide frees of charge, to family members, and the contribution from the raft race helps cover the costs.

“Monmouth Rotary Club have been organising the raft race for the past 16 years, and in that time the event has gone from strength to strength. With almost 100 rafts taking part each year, crewed by more than 700 rafters, more than £280,000 has been raised for charity. Let’s hope we can build on this success in 2018.”

Emma Saysell, chief executive of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We really can’t thank the organiser, Monmouth Rotary Club, and the sponsors enough for all that they do to ensure that the raft race is such a wonderful and very successful event, year on year.”

For full details about the raft race, including the early bird discount for entries before June 1, visit www.monmouthraftrace.com or call raft race co-ordinators Rotarian Norman Williams on 01291 680016, or Kris Broome at St David’s Hospice Care on 01633 851051.

A 12th century church has gone up for sale and the historical building has permission to be converted into a home.

The former St Mary’s Church, found in Whitson on the Gwent Levels, is going under the hammer with Paul Fosh Auctions next month.

Being sold for a private vendor, the former place of worship needs a bit of work but has planning for conversion into a residential dwelling, so would make an ideal project.

It has a guide price of £110,000 , a figure that falls below the average house price in Wales (which is currently £176,316).

The auction , which includes the church, is taking place on Thursday, May 3 at the Park Inn Hotel, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff. It kicks off at 5pm.

Original parts of the building (noted for its fine tower and memorable ‘pinnacle’ in local history records), date back as far as the 12th century with later additions including a 15th century tower.

Steeped in history, it’s a Grade II-listed property and inside, the building is currently derelict while much of its roof is missing.

The planning includes the development of a residential dwelling, with an open-plan living area, a kitchen on the ground floor, two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, along with more accommodation within the tower.

“The church is in the village of Whitson which is situated on the Caldicot Levels where there are a number of farmsteads and houses,” said Sean Roper, of Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions.

“The unique property is close to the sea wall and the Severn Estuary.”

On the grounds, you’ll find a new driveway and work has already commenced on the installation of a small bridge over the reen (or stream).

The adjoining graveyard is not included in the sale but there is an area near the building which the vendors say could be used for a garden.

Sean added: “The city of Newport is approximately seven kilometres away with its wide range of amenities and shopping facilities including the Friars Walk Shopping Centre.

“The M4 motorway is easily accessible, offering easy access for commuters to both Cardiff and Bristol especially with the abolition of tolls on the Severn Bridges.”

For more information visit the Paul Fosh Auctions website.

NEARLY 700 cyclists took part in the St David’s Hospice Care Tour De Gwent to help raise £50,000 for the charity, writes Alice Rose and Iwan Gabe Davies.

The successful fundraising event, now in its fourth year, has become a popular one, and offers six routes of varying lengths and difficulty, taking in much of Gwent.

The toughest challenge was won by rising cycling star Zach Bridges, 17, a pupil at Newport’s Rougemont School.

He led the pack to win the 93-mile platinum route for hardcore riders, taking in climbs with a total height of 7,352 feet.

The five other courses were the 78-mile gold route, 52-mile silver route, 35-mile bronze route, 20-mile midi route and three-mile kids’ route.

Franca Nigro, events/community fundraising coordinator for St David’s Hospice Care, said: “The majority of riders took on the platinum, gold and silver routes. We had elite cyclists like Zach.

“There was ex-rugby player Alix Popham and a few other serious cyclists.”

For more information on the Tour de Gwent, visit http://tourdegwent.org/

NEWPORT is set to host a new, family-friendly music festival in August.

Portstock 2018 – to be held at Tredegar Park – is a new fundraising event for St David’s Hospice Care, and promises two stages of live music ranging from acoustic artists to rock bands.

Eight acts will be playing on the day. The headline act and two others will be announced at a later date, but those confirmed so far are The Ed Sheeran Encounter, Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band, Barracwda, The Apple Tree Theory and The Sisterhood.

Tickets cost £22 for adults and 314 for children, and a family ticket – two adults, two children under 16 – is also available at £55.

For more information, and to book tickets, contact St David’s hospice Care fundraising on 01633 851051, e-mail portstock@stdavidshospicecare.org or visit http://stdavidshospicecare.org/event-details/portstock-2018/ or Twitter @portstockfest

Details and updates can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/portstockfestival/

LEADING Wales brewer Tiny Rebel are not just backing the Three Peak of Wales charity challenge in aid of St David’s Hospice Care but it is entering a team to take part in the gruelling event.

The Newport-based brewer, which has its brewery and headquarters in Rogerstone, is the main sponsor of the event and is entering at least one team into the event which takes place on Saturday, June 23.

The challenge Tiny Rebel is preparing to support and enter involves teams of climbers scaling three of Wales’ tallest peaks: Mount Snowdon, at 1,085m (3,560ft), Cadair Idris, 893m (2, 927 ft) and Pen-y-fan, 886m (2, 907ft), all in a single day.

Tiny Rebel’s Bradley Cummings said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the event and also to enter at least one team to take on the momentous challenge to scale Wales’ tallest peaks and all in just 24 hours

“The excellent work of St David’s Hospice Care is very highly regarded. The Three Peaks of Wales challenge is a really worthwhile event which not only encourages people to enjoy the outdoors but is brilliant for team building, great fun and all for such a great cause.”

Event organiser Franca Nigro, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We’re thrilled that Tiny Rebel are not just sponsors of the event but also have staff members prepared to take part in what is recognised as being quite a challenging event. I’m looking forward to seeing them all at the start and again at the finish-perhaps toasting them with a can of Tiny Rebel!.”

To enter a team please visit www.stdavidshospicecare.org or call Franca Nigro on 01633 851051.