Probably the world's most famous pub
The
Turf
Wayne Jones, pub landlord, gave us some of his precious time at one of Wrexham’s busiest pubs, The Turf Hotel. The Turf, as it's locally known by, is on the Mold Road next door to the world-famous Wrexham AFC stadium, The Racecourse/ Cae Ras.
Now well-used to his fame and often featured on the documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, Wayne has hung out with more than his fair share of celebrities and stars over the years, but still very much has his feet firmly planted on the ground.
No longer a hotel, The Turf is the second most popular place to visit in Wrexham’s new-found status as a holiday and tourist destination– second only to the football ground itself.
Often you will see groups of visitors being guided in on foot by local tour guides, to be given a warm welcome by Wayne and his team offering them a refreshing pint of Wrexham Lager. Arriving daily, The Turf is a welcoming pitstop on their local walking tours of our great town.
We live nearby and walk past The Turf every day on our way into work and often get a wave as we go by.
Over the years we have seen so many great sights and events take place both inside and outside – The Turf has always been the backdrop to many famous iconic photos and is a great focal point of celebration for the whole community.
The Turf is very much the ancestral watering hole of the true Wrexham football fan and supporter.
Wayne has devoted over 17 years of sheer hard work, determination and dedication into supporting his patrons. As a result of taking care of them nearly everyday, he has grown his business year after year. Despite his success, he still makes time to give back to the community, always shows value and warmth, and still makes sure prices remain competitive for his army of loyal customers.
Since the show and the takeover at the club, trade at the pub has consistently grown and both the pub and its surroundings has become featured in the evolving Wrexham Art Trail with murals outside created by The Pencil Craftsman and Philip Morgan Illustrations along with former Wrexham player images adorning the walls inside.
Wayne has some exciting plans in the pipeline which include a permanent fanzone area outside. This is of particular importance whilst the stadium has temporarily reduced in capacity - pending a new permanent Kop end being designed and built - and we look forward to updates and sharing news on that.
In closing our time together Wayne said the secret of his success is “remembering to stay true to yourself and stay humble. After all, I’m just a local lad from Queens Park in Wrexham.”
The Turf captures more than just a bit of the magic of Wrexham. It is Wrexham.
Creating a fitting tribute for a Wrexham Legend
Joey
Jones
Mural
Paul Curtis is a Liverpool artist specialising in street art and large murals. He came to public attention with his very first piece of street art, "For All Liverpool's Liver Birds" (aka The Liver Bird Wings), which became a massive hit with locals, tourists and many famous faces too. Since 2017, Paul has created more than 250 public pieces, across the UK, with most of his work found around Merseyside and Wirral. His work is well-known and sells all over the world.
We caught up with him as he was developing something iconic for Wrexham, a new mural on the exterior of the Turf, located right next door to the famous Racecourse / Cae Ras itself.
Paul was invited by Wayne to create a piece commemorating the late great Joey Jones, who made over 100 appearances for the club. His nickname of Mr Wrexham reflected his deep connection to the club and town. Joey was the first Welsh player to win a European Cup with Liverpool, so it’s fitting that an artist from Liverpool was appointed for this high-profile project.
Explaining that it is far more than just creating a good design and planning a painting, Paul said to us;
“It’s all about the process. Yes, the idea and concept do take time to develop, but it’s a gradual process. There’s a lot of waiting for things to fall into place, there’s always a last-minute spanner in the works and whilst you might not see it, there are so many moving parts – more than you can imagine that are involved just getting to this point. Thankfully everyone involved has pulled together in the same direction, and remembering that it is a tribute after all, and we must bear in mind the finished piece must be mindful and respectful.”
We felt privileged to have shared a few moments with Paul whilst he was creating this masterpiece for our town. Wrexham fans will undoubtedly see this finished work as a fitting tribute to Mr Wrexham himself, for many years to come.
