Mark King cuts the ribbon to open the new Earl Mountbatten Hospice shop in Newport.Picture by Peter Boam
LEVEL 42 frontman Mark King opened the new flagship Earl Mountbatten Hospice shop in Newport at the weekend.
The charity has brought together its two Newport stores under one roof at the former Capitol furniture shop in Lugley Street.
The modern premises provide almost 5,000 sq ft of retail space over two floors — twice the size of the old shops — and will slash running costs by around a third.
Cathy Tyler, director of finance, said: "This is our opportunity to give something back to the community with the provision of a fantastic new shop.
"I wish to thank everyone who made the opening day such a huge success. We had queues of people outside in the morning; the place was ram packed the entire time.
"Also, a huge thank you to our volunteers that supported the day. We have opened two shops within a month which takes a tremendous effort."
Mark King cut the ribbon to open the store and afterwards spent around two hours signing autographs for fans.
Reporter: martinn@iwcpmail.co.uk