FROM THE PUBLISHER – Welcome To Wrexham, Fasten your seatbelts . . . for a trip around the world!
In our region residents can experience a wide array of cultures and traditions right at home. So for our June edition, we feature local businesses and organizations representing many different countries. Let’s kick start this multicultural theme with my column about where my family was born!
In case you were not aware, my parents, Colin and Kathy Jones, my sister Della Jones-Goulet and I emigrated to Canada from Wrexham, Wales, in the UK, many years ago. Whereas for the vast majority of our life we have lived in Ontario, we will never forget our heritage.
My sister and I grew up in Owen Sound and even made the pages of the local newspaper (hence the accompanying black and white photograph) at a multicultural evening honouring countries of the world, hosted by the YM-YWCA in the late seventies.
We wear the Welsh national costume (a tall black hat with lace, shawl, and black skirt) and are pictured passing out samples of Bara Brith (Welsh tea loaf) and Queen cakes (a fruity little cupcake). As “Welsh
ladies” we also served leek soup and displayed souvenirs from Wales for all to see.
Perhaps this newspaper article was the start of my media career, LOL!
Fast forward to more recent years, in other news we were very surprised (and happy) to learn in November 2020 that two Hollywood Stars — Ryan Reynolds (a Canadian born, American actor in movies such as Deadpool, Van Wilder, The Proposal) and Rob McElhenney (an American actor from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) — purchased the Wrexham Association Football Club!
As a result there is a documentary series streaming on FX, HULU and Disney Plus, called Welcome To Wrexham. That’s right, our hometown where our cousins still reside!
It’s currently in season four, so make sure you watch all episodes about our amazing team that (SPOILER ALERT: in case you haven’t kept up- to-date in real time) went “back-to-back-to-back” (won promotion three consecutive seasons, which has never been done before). In fact, you might even see a clip of my mum, sister and my nephew Dylan who were interviewed for the show during a game when they visited last August.
Cymru am Byth (Wales forever)!
