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<\/a><\/p>\nReptile brothers Leo and Raph stormed into Eagles Meadow shopping centre as part of a packed \u201cCelebrity Summer\u201d programme which is giving youngsters the chance to see their TV heroes close up.<\/p>\n
On hand to greet the Turtles in traditional style were members of Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-do (TKD) Club who showed the formidable reptile twosome some pretty spectacular moves of their own.<\/p>\n The Mutant Turtles, who have been trained in the art of ninjutsu by their rat sensei Master Splinter, usually emerge from their sewer lair to confront the villains who threaten New York City.<\/p>\n But in a dramatic change of scene the children\u2019s favourites chopped\u00a0and kicked their way into the busy shopping centre to say hello to an army of young fans who turned out in force to see them at various intervals during the day.<\/p>\n After pitting their martial skills against the Tae Kwon-do club, they faced their fans and posed for pictures with many of\u00a0them.<\/p>\n Among the first was five-year-old Alex Barclay from Wrexham who was looking smart in his own Mutant Ninja costume.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI love all the Ninjas Turtles and like to dress up like them. I even want to be one of them when I grow up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was great that I was able to come and meet them today. My favourite is Leo and I\u2019ve had my picture taken with him which was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n His mum Becky Barclay who waited with him said: \u201cI think it was marvellous that Eagles Meadow arranged for the Ninja Turtles to come along to the shopping centre and it\u2019s made Alex\u2019s day because he has lots of their DVDs and was looking forward to it very much.\u201d<\/p>\n Kitted out in his bright green Ninja Turtles tee-shirt ready to meet his heroes was five-year-old Noah Safi from Wrexham.<\/p>\n He was brought along by his gran Helen Priamo, also from Wrexham, who said: \u201cHe got me up at 6 o\u2019clock this morning and told me he wanted to wear his special tee-shirt for the trip to Eagles Meadow.<\/p>\n \u201cNoah\u2019s a really big fan of the Turtles and he\u2019s got all their films. He also met Mike the Knight, who is another of his heroes, when he came here last week.\u201d<\/p>\n Noah said: \u201cIt was great to meet Leo and Raph, who is my favourite Turtle. But I\u2019ve liked them all for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Kayden Harry, five, from Borras, couldn\u2019t believe his luck when he got to stand alongside his Turtle heroes.<\/p>\n A thrilled Kayden, who was there with his auntie Kirsty Harry said: \u201cI\u2019m a big fan and I\u2019ve got most of their DVDs, which I really enjoy watching. My favourite is Leo and it was great that he was here today.\u201d<\/p>\n Mum Katrina Carroll brought along her 12-year-old daughter Rhiannon and son Rhys, five, from their home in Brymbo to meet the Ninja Turtles, although it was Rhys who argued he was the biggest fan of the fighting reptiles.<\/p>\n \u201cI like them because of the way they fight and Leo is my favourite Turtle, so it was great to meet him and Raph today. I\u2019m also coming back on August 19 to see Fireman Sam because I\u2019m also a fan of his,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Andrea Roberts from Wrexham was at the event with her son Iwan, seven, who said he was also impressed with the way the Ninja Turtles beat their enemies with chops and kicks.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI watch their films all the time and Raph is the best Turtle, so it was good to see him and have my picture taken with him today.\u201d<\/p>\n Mum Andrea said: \u201cHe\u2019s been looking forward to coming along here all week because he\u2019s a big fan of the Turtles. I\u2019ll be bringing him back to see Fireman Sam because I think it\u2019s really useful that Eagles Meadow organises events like this in the school holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n After meeting the Turtles the youngsters in the crowd were thrilled to watch a demonstration by members of the Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-Do Club nearby in Eagles Meadow.<\/p>\n Among the stars of the all-action free show was nine-year-old Sam Owen from Llay who has been a member of the club for years and qualified for the coveted black belt last year.<\/p>\n He gave an impressive display of kicking his way through a wooden board held out in front of him by a fellow member and later explained: \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favourite moves!\u201d<\/p>\n Also wowing the onlookers by smashing his way through a wooden board \u2013 this time with his bare fist \u2013 was 12-year-old Jack Cox from Llay who\u2019s been a club member for four years and qualified for his black belt last April.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThe move is called breaking and it\u2019s really great to do, especially when there\u2019s a big crowd watching like there is today.\u201d<\/p>\n Club leader Julie Price, 53, from Wrexham, said: \u201cWe were delighted to come down to Eagles Meadow today to show off our martial skills and many of the members are fans of the Ninja Turtles, so it was great to put the two things together.<\/p>\n \u201cTae Kwon-Do is a modern Korean martial art, characterized by its fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name Tae Kwon-Do.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve has been teaching since 1988 and opened Wrexham Hope TKD in 2000. During that time we\u2019ve produced over 60 black belts, the youngest being nine years and seven months old. Four of our former students are currently running their own clubs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe currently have a total of 130 members aged from three to 77 years old and we run classes throughout the week at the sports hall in Glyndwr University, Rhosnesni High School, Ysgol Morgan Llwyd in Wrexham and Castell Alun High School in Mold as well as in Coedpoeth and Ellesmere.<\/p>\n \u201cTae Kwon-Do is for men, women and children. It will improve your fitness, flexibility, and most of all your confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Through their battles with Shredder, the Kraang and loads of super-powerful mutants, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles learn to rely on themselves and each other as they grow to become the heroes they are destined to be.<\/p>\n Leonardo (Leo) dreams of being the perfect hero – a brave, decisive, square-jawed leader of men, just like his idol, Captain Ryan, from his favourite TV show Space Heroes.<\/p>\n A straight-up brawler, Raphael has no patience for hiding in shadows or keeping his voice down. Tough, brawny, and aggressive, Raph would rather fight first and ask questions later, which sometimes gets the Turtles in over their heads.<\/p>\n The visit by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was part of the \u201cCelebrity Summer\u201d programme which has seen a series of popular TV characters dropping into Eagles Meadow.\u00a0For example fire-fighting legend Fireman Sam, Mike the Knight, and Lau Lau from Waybuloo.<\/p>\n For more details of Hope Wrexham Tae Kwon-do Club, go to their website at: http:\/\/www.hope-wrexham-tkd.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n