Record breaking sale at Bishops Castle Mart, Shropshire
The sale, conducted by Halls auctioneers at Bishops Castle Mart on Thursday, was described by many as "the finest show of cattle seen in years."
The event attracted vendors from across England and Wales, all eager to showcase their quality stock.
Auctioneer James F. Evans, a director of Halls, said: "Trade was brisk from start to finish and the atmosphere was electric, culminating in several records being shattered by the close of play.
"It was one of the most impressive displays of quality store cattle that we have ever seen in Bishops Castle, a real showstopper of a day."
Mr Evans added: "One heifer sold for £4,020, 17 head made over £3,000, 37 exceeded £2,500 and 60 achieved more than 500ppk, with 18 topping 700ppk, making this the highest averaging sale ever held at Bishops Castle."
Prize show judge Anthony Kitson, of Five Houses Farmshop and Kitchen in North Yorkshire, awarded champion honours to Messrs E. H. Pennie and Sons, Gwern yr Ychain, Llandyssil, Montgomery for their exceptional heifer which sold for £3,600.
The reserve champion, the first prize steer, also came from the same farm, as did a superb Limousin heifer which claimed the day's top price of £4,020 and 878ppk, a rare milestone at store level.
The record-breaking sale averages were: overall £2,053.43, steers £2,025 (458p per kilo), heifers £2,102 (511ppk) and feeding bulls £1,508 (370ppk).
Mr Evans said: "The results have firmly cemented Bishops Castle's position as one of the leading cattle centres in the country.
"With outstanding averages and unmatched quality, the sale will be remembered as a benchmark for future store cattle events."
The next store cattle sale at Bishops Castle is on Thursday, May 15 with entries closing on May 8 at 5pm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Telegraph
‘We downsized somewhere we'd never heard of'
This time last year, Jeff and Sheena Evans had never heard of Hildenborough, a pleasant Kent commuter village two miles north-west of Tonbridge and five miles south-east of Sevenoaks. Fast forward 12 months and the couple now live there with their cavapoo puppy, Beau. Their new floor-to-ceiling windows look out over greenery, trees and a carp pond – a view that's a world away from the one they enjoyed from their three-bedroom house in a gated development in Marbella on the Costa del Sol. 'The sunshine was fantastic – there's a romance about Spain and the way of life there,' says Jeff, 74. He had lived with Sheena, 70, in the country for 24 years and had intended to retire there. 'I'd play golf, and the summers were wonderful with people sitting outside long into the night every day of the week for four or five months. We miss that quite a lot.' For the most part, it was a desire to be close to their son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons that prompted the couple to downsize in the UK. 'We woke up one morning and thought: 'What are we doing? We have family and grandkids back here',' says Jeff, who runs a logistics business. Post-Brexit red tape also played a significant role in their decision. Non-EU citizens can now stay in Europe for only 90 days within any 180-day period without needing a visa and so the couple began the process of applying for a Spanish residency permit. After five years of continuous legal residency, one can apply for permanent residency. 'It was incredibly complex to get the visa in the first place,' Jeff says. 'You had to get things like reports from your doctor in the UK and take out private healthcare in Spain, which is very expensive. 'If you have Spanish residency, they don't want you to come back to England for long, which would make it difficult to see family – and if you run a business, you also have to move your tax affairs to Spain and I didn't want to do that.' Once the couple had made the decision to move back to England – and after enduring a rather 'traumatic' year of selling their Spanish house, suffering two aborted sales before it finally went through – they had to choose where to go. The last place they had lived before moving to Spain over two decades ago was Kingswood, in Surrey, and their son and his family live in Borough Green, Kent. Jeff needed easy access to London for work, so they ended up with a vast search area across both Kent and Surrey. They rented a property while they looked for a UK home and last September while visiting family they came across Berkeley's Oakhill, a 30-acre gated development in Hildenborough. 'I said to Sheena: 'Where's Hildenborough?' But it turns out our daughter-in-law's brother used to work there when it was offices and it looked lovely – a beautiful Grade II-listed building that had been converted into apartments,' Jeff explains. They went to see the site that day and the next morning put in an offer on a large two-bedroom apartment, which they bought for £930,000. They moved in two months later, at the end of November last year. Jeff decorated the apartment and, because they sold all their Spanish furniture with the Marbella house, they had to furnish it from scratch. 'That was expensive but exciting,' he jokes. Their leap of faith has paid off and they are getting to know their new area, often travelling into Tonbridge or making the 25-minute journey to Tunbridge Wells. 'I didn't know Kent that well, but it's a beautiful county and we've found some great restaurants and nice artisan coffee shops,' says Jeff. Most importantly, he and Sheena now spend plenty of quality time with their family who are only 20 minutes away, and they are making friends – helped by their puppy Beau, who joined them at the beginning of April. 'There's a path near our home and everyone stops to talk to Beau – it's like the old days when you'd chat to people over the fence,' Jeff says. 'A lot of people here are like-minded. It's not cheap to live here, but it's worth it.' House first, location second Downsizing usually has a practical impetus – wanting to reduce cost, hassle and maintenance, or free up equity for later life or to give to children or grandchildren. Yet Jeff and Sheena Evans are not the only ones seeking a complete change of scenery by moving somewhere they don't know, with research by Hamptons estate agency showing that downsizers move 40pc further than average buyers. 'In the country house market, we often find that buyers choose the house first and the location second – especially when downsizing later in life when proximity to schools and the workplace become less important,' says Claire Carter, of John D Wood & Co estate agency. 'Often the move is dictated by being a certain distance from family and grandchildren, but there's definitely an element of people seeking a shift in lifestyle and something different.' Last year, Carter sold a house to a British couple who had recently returned from 25 years working in pharmaceuticals in America and living in a Boston 'brownstone' (a 19th-century townhouse). Looking for a new start, they wanted to relocate to the UK and, with family spread between Kent and the north of England, they decided to settle somewhere in the south-east to allow their children to visit easily. 'They ended up in a chocolate-box cottage with a lake in the garden in Hadlow Down, a rural East Sussex village they had never heard of before they came to view the property,' says Carter. 'They visited on a day of horizontal rain, but the setting – and the house – completely won them over.' The sale went through in only six weeks and when she handed over the keys, Carter wrote out a full list of everything the couple might need in the area – from the nearest butcher to Waitrose and the farmers' market. 'They really had no clue where anything was,' she says. For the first few weeks, they'd text her every couple of days with questions. Look before you leap While many of those who have leapt feet-first into an area love their new neighbourhood, some inevitably don't. So research is key for those thinking of downsizing somewhere they don't know, advises Harry Gladwin of buying agency The Buying Solution. 'Local insight becomes absolutely critical,' says Gladwin, who works in the Cotswolds. 'When it's done well, downsizing can be hugely liberating. But without the right support, it's very easy to get wrong – and hard and costly to undo.' Going against the tide and moving away from most people's downsizing dream, Dave Fenwick, 77, and his wife, Rita, 71, upped sticks from Cornwall after moving there from Shropshire eight years ago. The couple have come to realise how far their 'forever home' – a three-bedroom, three-storey townhouse in Truro – was from their family, who live across Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. 'While we loved living close to the coast, we had placed over 200 miles between us and our children and grandchildren,' Dave says. The couple began researching areas further east, aiming to find somewhere a maximum of two hours from family. They looked everywhere from Bath to Telford and Devizes to Coventry. They ended up settling on a three-bedroom semi at City & Country's Burderop Park development, a collection of 58 homes near Swindon in Wiltshire. Despite not knowing the area at all well, they moved there last year. 'Living in Cornwall, once you've done places like Newquay, Padstow and St Ives, you feel as if you've pretty much seen all there is to be seen down the coast,' Dave explains. 'We're now close to so many places – we've been to Bath, Oxford and Cheltenham... We also have the North Wessex Downs on our doorstep. We can be doing something totally different each weekend.' 'It's our time in the sun' Happily, Zenos and Lynne Christodoulides have no regrets about their seaside move. For the past 13 years, the couple have lived in north Manchester with their three children and two dogs. 'We thought it would be a great place for teenagers, with lots of life and culture, plus a hippie scene – everyone's vegan,' says Zenos, 58, a teacher who is retiring this summer. However, now that the children have grown up and left home, the couple found they were 'rattling around in a four-bedroom detached house,' he explains. 'One daughter is in London, the other is in Bristol and our son is starting his career in Manchester – but he could be moved anywhere so there is nothing keeping us [there]. As we reached the stage where we stopped working full-time, we thought: wouldn't it be nice to live by the sea?' They started looking for homes in Cornwall and found one they liked but the legal report said it was built on a tin mine. That necessitated further costly reports, remedial work or both. So they did more research. 'Devon is next to Cornwall and we found a town called Brixham – not Brixton, as my mother initially thought – and fell in love with the place.' The couple, who had no mortgage on their Manchester house, bought a two-bedroom bungalow into which they moved in June. 'We have released some equity that will partially fund our retirement,' says Zenos, who has a physics technician job starting in Torquay in September. 'It's mornings-only but I couldn't retire from teaching and do nothing, so this will be perfect. I'd like to learn to surf and can do that in the afternoons.' While it's early days, the couple have found the neighbours to be 'lovely'. 'We visited in February half term and, unlike many other seaside towns in winter, it was bustling,' Zenos says. 'It's a fishing town so doesn't rely only on tourists. Everything feels like it's slotted into place and after many years of work and ferrying children around, we feel it's our time in the sun. Moving from Manchester to Devon is the best thing we've ever done.'
Business News Wales
2 days ago
- Business News Wales
Cardiff and Vale College Celebrates Another Record Year of Learner Success and Progression
Cardiff and Vale College is celebrating another record year of success with more students than ever before achieving their AS and A Level, BTEC and other Level 3 qualifications. Around 900 learners have studied A Levels at CAVC this year across 40 subjects. A wide range of subjects from Photography, Dance, Drama, Business Studies, Digital Technology, English Language and Literature, Film Studies, French, Further Maths, Geography, Government and Politics, History, Media, PE, Spanish and Welsh saw 100% pass rates. The college also celebrated the achievements of learners taking a wide variety of other Level 3 qualifications, such as BTECs, either as standalone qualifications or alongside A Levels, in subjects ranging from Journalism to Applied Science, Fashion to Sport. Many of these Level 3 courses enable learners to study up to the equivalent of three A Levels in a subject they're passionate about. A further 1,000 students received the results of their BTEC and other qualifications at Level 3, all enabling progression to university, apprenticeships and more. And it was a record year for university applications from Cardiff and Vale College learners. Over the last two years more than 1,000 learners in total have progressed to university straight from the college. This year, more than ever have applied to university, with around 700 learners applying and 30% of them receiving firm conditional offers from Oxbridge and Russell Group universities. Many learners also choose alternative progression routes to apprenticeships, higher apprenticeships and other such employment opportunities. In the last two years this has seen learners start apprenticeships in a wide range of careers and industries, with employers ranging from the BBC to Bentley. CAVC Principal Sharon James-Evans said: 'Celebrating our learners on A Levels and Level 3 Results Day is always one of the highlights of the year as these young people embark upon the next chapter of their lives. Congratulations to everyone. 'We are all extremely proud of all of our learners who are picking up their results. Their achievements are a testament to their hard work over the last two years, and to the college colleagues who have worked so incredibly hard to support their learners to achieve these outcomes. It is fantastic to see so many take these results, and the wider skills and experiences they have gained during their time at CAVC, and stand out from the crowd and progress on to leading universities and fantastic alternative progression routes including higher apprenticeships.' Two learners who made the most of what CAVC has to offer are twins Adrian and Lukasz Koman. Adrian gained A*s in Computer Science Maths, Further Maths and an A in Physics and is off to the University of Bristol to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering, while Lukasz achieved A*s in Computer Science and Maths Fast Track and As in Further Maths and Physics and will study Electrical and Electronic Engineering in the University of Bath. 'I'm very happy – I got the grades I wanted to go to the university of my choice,' Lukasz said. 'And I'm going into the area of expertise that I wanted to.' Both Lukasz and Adrian were on the college's Scholars Programme, which is designed to offer learners the opportunity to broaden their learning experience beyond the traditional A Level curriculum and offers support with applications to elite and leading universities. 'My time was amazing,' he said. 'I live in Newport so taking the train every day and coming into college was a real change of pace from high school. It all felt so new and exciting. 'I really enjoyed the different opportunities – there were a lot of events. I did the Sutton Trust Pathways programme for Engineering through the college which I wouldn't have done in high school, and the Scholars Programme was great, being with people who are interested in the same areas as you. 'I'd definitely recommend Cardiff and Vale College – it was brilliant.' Adrian added: 'I'm really happy to be going to my top university – it's the university I wanted to go to and it's quite close as well. It's really exciting. 'I loved it here compared to high school – it's a whole new environment and so modern and there's something for everyone here. The college celebrates LGBTQ+ events so it was great to be in an inclusive place.' The teaching and extra activities really stood out for Adrian as part of his CAVC experience. 'The teachers are great,' he said. 'My maths teacher was the best teacher I've ever had. I'd definitely recommend the college as it's given me more opportunities than I would have had in high school – I did the Maths Challenge and I joined Career Ready. 'There's so much to this college and I'm really grateful.' Ngaire Gape studied Level 3 Art and Design and gained triple starred Distinctions and is progressing to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to study Design for Performance. 'I'm really excited, quite relieved and quite proud of myself for getting these results,' she said. 'I wouldn't have thought I would be able to go to university a couple of years ago.' Ngaire is really looking forward to starting at the RWCMD. 'It's something I've wanted to do for about five years,' she explained. 'I've done all sorts of volunteering and any extra experience I could get through the college. 'I've really enjoyed it here – my tutors have been amazing; they've really encouraged me with all the weird things I wanted to do. It's probably the best teaching experience I've ever had and the facilities are amazing. 'I definitely would recommend the college, especially to people who don't think they are suited to academic things.' Eddie Moloney first joined the College as Junior Apprentice, CAVC's pioneering programme designed to prevent people aged 14-16 becoming Neither in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). Progressing on to a Level 3 Business course, Eddie gained three Distinctions and is going to the University of Exeter to study Law. 'I'm just hysterical – I'm very, very pleased with my results,' he said. Eddie has made the most of his time at the college. 'I've loved ever minute of it,' Eddie said. 'Amazing friends, amazing memories. I wasn't in education at all when I started at the college – I left at the end of Year 7 and didn't return until the end of Year 10 so it's really helped me. 'The trip to San Franscisco with my Business course was the absolute highlight for me. It was brilliant.' Eddie is looking at becoming a lawyer, specialising in corporate law and clinical negligence. 'The college has really helped me fulfil my ambitions,' he said. Meghan Cotty gained A*s in the Business and Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), an A in Law and a B in History and is going to the University of Birmingham to study Law with Business. 'I'm really happy with these results,' Meghan said. 'It was very, very stressful but I'm glad my hard work paid off. 'College has been amazing – the teaching has been outstanding and teachers have been lovely both inside and outside the classroom. I have issues with anxiety and the support has been amazing. 'I want to qualify to be a solicitor and I've been doing work experience arranged through the college. I'd 100% recommend the college to other people.' Zac Lynam gained A Levels in Chemistry, Maths and PE and is progressing on to an apprenticeship in Mechanical Engineering at GE Aerospace. 'I think an apprenticeship is much more suited to me as it's more practical than learning in the classroom,' he explained. 'I feel I learn a lot better doing something and I don't think university would be for me.' Zac initially thought of applying to university but decided upon taking the apprenticeship route as he entered the second year of his A Levels. 'I applied for the apprenticeship in September and got in in December,' Zac said. 'GE Aerospace is a respected company and the apprenticeship was perfect for me. 'College has been great – I really enjoyed the social aspect and being in the Rugby Academy was an opportunity to develop my sporting skills alongside my course.' Sandy Abeysinghe gained a Distinction star, two Distinctions and a Merit in his Level 3 Computing with Cyber Security course and is progressing on to do the college's HNC in the same subject in September, 'I've enjoyed my time at CAVC,' Sandy said. 'I've come from a different country and it's a different society but everyone has made me feel welcome and the tutors are really nice. 'I've enjoyed spending time with my friends and the flexibility of the course. It's been mainly coursework based so I've enjoyed being in class and sharing our opinions and knowledge. 'The communication between the students and the tutors has been really helpful and supportive.' Viktoriia Tkachanko gained As in Politics and Law and a B in History and is going to Swansea University to study History of Politics. 'I really, really loved the teachers support, that was the nicest part of college,' she said. 'If I don't know something or if I need help, I know I can just ask my teachers and they will help, and they were really supportive with my exams, with my results. 'I wasn't really good at mock exams because I'm Ukrainian and it's been hard for me to write everything in English, but they were really supportive and that's why I got really good grades. I would definitely recommend someone comes to CAVC. It's a real nice community.' Noor Abdul studied Computing with Cyber Security and gained a Distinction and three Merits and is progressing to the University of West England to study Cyber Security with Digital Forensics. 'When I first got here I was nervous, but luckily I got on well with everyone in the college, which really helped me in terms of my studies and getting the result I wanted, so I thank them more for supporting me my journey,' he said. 'What really stood out for me was the diverse amount of people in the college and the amount of support I got in the college. I would definitely recommend coming to CAVC.'
The Sun
07-08-2025
- The Sun
Popular UK car dealership goes bust leaving customers THOUSANDS out of pocket with axed deliveries and ‘faulty' motors
A POPULAR UK car dealership has gone bust, leaving thousands of loyal customers out of pocket. The closure of the garage has even left some buyers with no car at all. 3 3 3 Resident Trisha Walker got letter from Citroen urging her to stop driving her car - bought from the dealership in Wales - over safety concerns. She took out a loan to buy a replacement, ITV has reported, which she got from SW Valley Motor Company in Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Walker told ITV Wales that someone there had told her if she paid the deposit, he would deliver the car. "If I didn't like the car he would refund me so I paid the deposit which was £750, the car in total was £1,495," she said. "The following day came and what happened? No car." She is among several customers still waiting for resolution. She told the broadcaster that she hasn't slept over the issue. "I've gone 26 hours without sleeping because I'm worried about how I'm going to pay the one back. I feel stupid, stupid for trusting people." But she is not the only one to report a horror story regarding the dealership. Holly Evans and her partner told ITV that they bought a £2,700 set of wheels from there after a test drive. Drivers are 'hit with $600 fees over invisible damage' to rental cars - Hertz is leading the pack as AI up claims But they soon noticed a strange noise and called the garage owner. She said they got their car on the 9th June, and that he came to pick it up on the 16th June. But since then, they haven't seen it again. They said the owner offered "excuse after excuse" - and never returned the vehicle. The couple further told ITV that their experience of this dealership was similar to others when they searched for online reviews. The Sun attempted to reach SW Valley Motor Company for comment. Matthew Peachey, the owner of SW Valley Motor Company Limited, also did not respond to ITV's questions directly, according to the broadcaster. He told them he "lost his business despite trying every which way to save it" and did not "set out to cause anybody any upset". Citroen was also contacted for comment by The Sun. Why are so many car dealerships closing down? By Summer Raemason According to Business Rescue Expert there are multiple reasons why car dealerships are folding across the UK. The first major factor is rising online car sales which are beating in-person sales at dealerships. With an extensive range of comparison and second-hand sites to chose from, may car buyers don't even step foot into a dealership anymore. Secondly, the actual cost to physically run the sites has soared. Rent, wages and energy bills have all been increasing for roughly the past five years, putting many out of pocket. Car manufacturing across the globe was also hit by a semiconductor chip shortage in 2022 which made it difficult to produce new motors. The high demand with limited supply created a backlog, which although has eased, is still having an impact on the industry. A third reason for recent closures is the shift to electric cars. They are becoming more popular, given the Government initiative to be Net Zero in 2050. The industry is also affected when companies merge or are bought by rivals. This may lead to some independent names falling victim to the ongoing spate of closures.
