A FAMILY-owned store that opened its doors as a chip shop and temperance bar is celebrating its 80th birthday this week.

Carini's, said to be the oldest shop in Beaufort, was started in December 1921 by Giacomo Carini.

Now run by his three granddaughters, the shop close to the Beaufort Theatre still retains its old-fashioned atmosphere.

Giacomo left Italy alone in 1911, when he was just 15, wearing a label that read 'please deliver to Mrs Saraski of Ebbw Vale' as he could speak no English.

But, after ten years of hard work at his aunt's shop, he opened the business that kept going through the difficult 1920s and the Second World War.

His three brothers, Giuseppe, Frank and Luigi followed him to South Wales and opened stores of their own - though the two former were killed when the Andora Star was torpedoed during the war.

Giacomo had four sons of his own and the family lived above the shop, which was run for several years by the elder two, Tony and Joseph.

When they retired in 1989 their brother, Marco, who had been working for the gas board and in insurance, bought them out.

Now the store is run by Marco's three daughters, Melanie, Annmarie and Giovanna. Carini's has become a general store - which also sells lunchtime takeaways and ice-cream made on the premises - though the shop is just the same size as when it first opened.

Now the business, which is open from 9am to 9pm every day apart from Christmas Day, is holding a range of events to celebrate the big occasion - including a raffle, free gifts and wine and nibbles in the afternoons this week.

Marco Carini, now 65, said: "It has been a struggle over the years, with the big supermarkets opening up - though the National Lottery was a big life-saver for us. "We also do well at lunchtimes when the children come out of school, and we get a lot of passing trade."

Mr Carini married a Beaufort woman, Valerie Legg, who helped him with the shop, and they now live in Baptist Place, in Beaufort.

They have three grandchildren - nine-year-old Andre, five-year-old Dario and Esther, who is two.

Mr Carini said: "We have the next generation ready to take over!"

*PICTURED: Marco Carini with a framed picture of his father's ice cream cart on the streets of Beaufort.