Western Mail

Borrowers Look for Green Light to Secure Mortgage ; Shared Ownership and Ethical Banks May Be the Way Ahead to Get On the Housing Ladder

MORTGAGE lending figures and house price indexes are up, but commentators are warning it might be too soon to herald a recovery in the homes market. The Council of Mortgage Lenders' latest figures show that lending in July of this year was up by 26% compared to June.

The Property Doctor

Q Our mother recently passed away leaving her three children equal shares in her estate which includes her house. One of us is living at the property and doesn't want to leave while my sister and I wish to sell it and share the proceeds. What should we do? A Technically, once the administration of your mothers' estate has been completed, the property should be vested in the names of the three children as tenants in common.

Snowden Starter Homes Put First Time Buyers On Ladder

STARTER homes are entering a new era, according to developers George Wimpey. The builder is offering homes at its Cae Penderyn development in Merthyr Tydfil for under pounds 95,000.

The House of Parliament That's Perfect for Someone with Towering Ambitions ; Built for an Mp in the 1800s, Bryngwenallt Hall, Flintshire, Fits the Bill for Luxury Living

ARCHITECT-DESIGNED and recently refurbished, Bryngwenallt Hall was built in the 1860s for John Roberts, MP for Flintshire. The seven-bedroom home located near Abergele in Clwyd comes complete with 60ft tower, and has been restored to a particularly high standard without defacing its local roots.

New Low As Prices Hit by Credit Crunch

NEW home prices have fallen yet again, according to the latest figures. But the decline may be slowing, according to experts.

Going Global Sparks Hunt for Ethnic Chic ; a Question of Design

Q Which high street stores stock a stylish range of ethnic style homewares? I can never seem to find anything 'design led' along these lines. A One of the forthcoming home trends for 2010 is heavily focused around global interiors so the ethnic theme is strong across the board from British tradition to African weaves.

Colours to Lift the Spirits in the Darker Days Ahead

ILOVE this time of year as the colours are so beautiful on the cusp of autumn. The rowans are a mass of red and orange berries, and the cut fields have a warm ochre glow. Blackberries are already ripe on the hedgerows, and if you look carefully you'll find sweet and tasty wild raspberries too.

Mark Spells Out Chapter and Verse On Relocating Back to Welsh Soil

COMING back to Cardiff marked the start of a whole new chapter in Mark Davies' life. The 43-year-old left London to take up the position of finance director at Chapter Arts Centre, bringing his young family with him. Now living in Lakeside, next to the boat lake in Roath Park, the father of two says his favourite room in the house is the conservatory.

Barratt Look to Cut Out All the Worry with Part-Ex

A NEW part-exchange scheme is being launched at an Abergavenny development. Barratt Homes is holding a special event at its Plas Mynydd development in Llanfoist today between 10am and 5pm when its team of advisors will be on hand to explain why part-exchange is a great option for today's buyers.

Hayes Offers Hope for First-Time Buyers Through Shared Equity Initiative for City Centre Apartments

THE DEVELOPER behind Hayes Apartments, the Cardiff apartment scheme, is hosting a series of firsttime buyer workshops at their St Mary Street marketing suite. Run with independent mortgage experts from Thomas George Finance, The Partnership is offering to loan up to 25% of the value of the property purchased at Hayes Apartments, interest free for up to 10 years, through its new shared equity initiative.

Take 3 What Can You Get for Your Money Across Wales Right Now? We've Found Three Properties From Different Price Ranges Which May Suit Your Pocket

Under pounds 80,000 WHERE? Banalog Terrace, Hollybush, Blackwood WHAT? A three- bedroom, boxbay-fronted mid-terrace house which is within close proximity of local amenities and major road networks. On the ground floor there is an entrance hallway, lounge, dining room, kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs, there's three bedrooms.

Church Sees New Spirit in Market Place ; Developer Puts New Homes in Shop Window

BUILDER Charles Church West Wales says it is making a new commitment to Ammanford, by releasing a number of new homes at its Pen Y Bryn development in the town. The new homes will feature a range of three and four bedroom designs, One of the homes which will be featured at Pen Y Bryn is the Anvil housetype.

Toys Gathering Dust Could Just Be Cash in the Attic for Owners

IT'S your last chance this year to pick up a rare toy or collectable train at a Brecon sale organised by Chris Dyer. Taking place at the town's Market Hall, on Saturday September 5, the sale will feature traders from across Britain.

Antiques Fair Returns to West Wales with Fine Art

ONCE again Carmarthen is set to play host to the Derwen Antiques Fair. Today Queen Elizabeth High School, Johnstown, welcomes over 50 stands and exhibitors for the latest event.

Victorian Bible Fetches a Heavenly Pounds 3,600 at Auction

COMMISSIONED by 'The Maidens of the United Kingdom', a Bible took the highest price of pounds 3,600 at Brightwells' sale of antiquarian and other books. Dating from 1858, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married their very young daughter to Prince Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia, the Bible is contained in a casket of carved British oak.

Why Knowing Exactly What to Look for Is the Hallmark of Spotting a Silver Bargain

YOU wouldn't think it would be possible to pick up pieces of hallmarked English silver cheaply, would you? Anyone who watches programmes like Bargain Hunt or Flog It! will have heard endless explanations about hallmarks on silver.

Contents

4 FEATURES At home with Swansea's latest superstar, schoolboy singer Shaheen Jafargholi 10 Nia Parry talks fashion, holidays and moving house 12

Thefirstword

T seems that most schoolchildren today want the same thing when they grow up - to be famous. IWhen I was at junior school at the start of the '80s, jobs like fireman, teacher, nurse and bank assistant were the kind of thing we aspired to. Sounds kind of unimaginative now doesn't it? One kid was desperate to be a train driver and he would spend every playtime chugging around the yard on his imaginary train memorial service in Los Angeles, which was broadcast to 2.5bn people around the globe.

'He Hasn't Changed at All' ; so Says Shaheen Jafargholi's Mum About Her Son's Rise to Stardom After His Incredible Performance at Michael Jackson's Memorial Service. Rachel Mainwaring Visits Them at Their Swansea Home

IT'S 12.30pm on a wet Tuesday afternoon and I'm running late. Having got lost in Swansea city centre several times, the eventual sight of curly-haired Karen Thomas waving at me outside her Victorian terraced house couldn't be a more welcoming one. I've finally arrive, albeit 30 minutes later than arranged, to talk to a 12-year-old boy who, just a few months ago, was a typical youngster with a passion for performing.

Mindmatters

WE'RE all suckers for a happy ending. The whole premise of advertising is predicated on it, for one. By creating tantalising, false desires it seduces us with products that promise to unlock a gateway to bliss. It's only when we get that new sausage, gravel and jojoba body scrub home that the hollow realisation dawns: it may leave our skin glowing like it's been sandpapered by an angry carpenter, but it's hardly a portal to nirvana.