A larger-than-life cricketer who helped his club to three Welsh Cups and a host of other titles has been commemorated at the ground where he scored so many runs.<\/p>\n
John Shone, who died suddenly last year aged 61, was a run-scoring batsman for the Brymbo in its glory days 30 years ago when, along with local rivals Marchwiel, it dominated North Wales cricket.<\/p>\n
Now Brymbo\u2019s splendid Tan y Fron ground has a set of spectators\u2019 benches commemorating John and some of the quotes that regularly used to have his team-mates in stitches.<\/p>\n
Among the hilarious pearls of wisdom are “The only good thing to come out of Marchwiel is the A525” and “By the time I’d caught you up … you’d gone!”
\nThe benches have been made by chainsaw sculptor and all-round handyman Paul Morris, who works for the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham and lives near the ground which is on the site of the old Brymbo Steelworks.<\/p>\n
Paul has carved an array of creatures, including a gorilla, a squirrel and an owl, to adorn the grounds of Pendine Park. His latest project is a nine foot tall giant grizzly bear.<\/p>\n
Before joining Pendine he was assistant groundsman at Brymbo and was the go-to guy when the club were looking for a memorial to their former player.<\/p>\n
The benches were unveiled at a commemorative match, attended by John\u2019s wife, Tracey, when over 400 friends, former team-mates and opponents turned out and helped raise over \u00a31,000 for Nightingale Hospice, close to the couple\u2019s home in Chester Road, Wrexham.<\/p>\n
Former Wales Minor Counties star and Brymbo chairman Nigel Roberts, who shared many partnerships with John, said: \u201cShoney was a very good player and also a great character and he kept us in stitches with his comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have collected some of the funniest of those and put them on brass plaques on the benches and we hope they\u2019re a fitting memorial to someone who was very special to so many people here and across local cricket.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a great day here and brilliant to see so many familiar faces who played with and against John over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cPaul has done a great job with the benches, and it was lovely to have Tracey here for the commemoration match to see how much John meant to so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The club asked Tracey, who was married to John for 25 years, what would be a fitting memorial to John, and she suggested benches for spectators.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cJohn used to love sitting and watching the cricket, so it is lovely that the club have made this memorial to him and paid these tributes to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn recent years he loved to sit on the bank and watch the cricket and I remember him and Nigel sitting and chatting there just the week before he died last July.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohn was such a genuine and honest person who would go out of his way, to help anyone. He could instantly light up a room with his bubbly personality.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am so proud that you have put these benches around the ground. John will be there in spirit whenever there is a match here, cracking a few jokes and having a good laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Memorial Match was attended by current and former players from cricket clubs across North Wales, including old rivals Marchweil.<\/p>\n
Paul said: \u201cI was glad to be able to help out when the request came.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the assistant groundsman here for 16 years and I live locally so I have always kept the connection with the club.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done a few things for them including a special battymobile, an old Ransome mower which I have repaired and customised with the rear roller replaced by a steel beer barrel and a couple of Nigel\u2019s old bats for decoration \u2013 it\u2019s got a Honda engine that will run forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pendine Park\u2019s head gardener Andrew Jones is a big admirer of Paul\u2019s skill.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cPaul is incredibly creative and can turn his hand to anything and his talent had now been used to great effect to commemorate a much-loved member of Brymbo Cricket Club.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere at Pendine, he uses wood from storm damaged or diseased trees we have to cut down.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of the wood going to waste or just being burned it\u2019s been given a new lease of life and the sculptures really add something new and interesting to our gardens.\u201d<\/p>\n