Wrecsam Codi Pac

-*

-Welcome to Codi Pac.

-I'm Geraint Hardy,

-and I'm travelling across Wales...

-..to find some of our treasures.

-If you want a weekend away,

-you needn't travel far.

-It's all on the doorstep.

-Places to eat, places to stay,

-things to do and see.

-They're all here on Codi Pac.

-Several things spring to mind

-when I think of Wrexham.

-Beer, industrial history...

-..and as I'm a big football fan,

-Wrexham football club.

-Where better to start my journey

-than with the Dragons?

-Wrexham's ground

-is called the Racecourse.

-It's no ordinary club,

-it was established in 1864...

-..a year after the

-Football Association first met...

-..to write the rules of the game.

-Wrexham is the oldest club in Wales

-and the third oldest in the world.

-I'm meeting Spencer Harris,

-the club's director.

-Spencer won the Welsh Learner

-of the Year competition in 2001.

-Spencer, we're here at what must be

-one of your favourite places.

-You're a huge fan of Wrexham AFC.

-I remember sitting behind the goal

-over there.

-I remember watching games

-against Swansea.

-I was a little lad.

-The crowd was massive.

-At the time, we were

-in what is now the Championship.

-It was a great time for the club.

-What are Wrexham's aims now?

-Wrexham are trying to win promotion

-back to the Football League.

-That's the club's main aim.

-Hopefully, we'll do that next year.

-The fans own this club

-at the moment.

-Yes, 4,000 of us own the club.

-The fans took over the ownership

-in 2011.

-Since then, the club

-has done fantastic off the pitch.

-We've been to Wembley three times.

-They were our first visits too.

-We've just missed out on promotion

-twice as well.

-I hope that will come next year.

-Do you have meetings

-with all 4,000 of you?!

-Almost every week

-when we have away games!

-There are elections to appoint

-people to various positions...

-..to run the club

-on behalf of the fans.

-A lot of famous people

-have played for the club.

-Yes, players like Joey Jones, who

-won the European Cup with Liverpool.

-He still coaches here today.

-Ian Rush played for Wrexham too.

-He didn't score many goals

-for Wrexham!

-No.

-No.

-

-Unfortunately.

-The stadium is in the town centre.

-How important

-is the club to the town?

-The club's important to the town

-and to North Wales.

-It's where the largest crowd

-gathers every fortnight...

-..to support

-North Wales' professional club.

-There are larger towns than Wrexham

-around the country...

-..which no-one talks about.

-Wrexham AFC is what puts us on the

-map in Britain and across the world.

-Here's the big moment.

-Hardy's ready to go.

-Superb!

-That's enough messing about

-on the football field.

-It's now time to find out

-what else Wrexham has to offer.

-I'm going to have a wander

-around town.

-Wrexham is the main town

-in North Wales...

-..with a population

-of around 60,000.

-The history of the town

-dates back 8,000 years.

-It's a market town.

-Wrexham is a Saxon name.

-It comes from "Wryhtel's Ham" -

-the farm of a man called Wryhtel.

-It's been a worthwhile walk

-around town.

-There are plenty of lovely little

-streets and interesting buildings.

-This church, St Giles,

-can be seen throughout the town.

-The St Giles church tower is one

-of the seven wonders of Wales.

-It's an incredible building.

-The town's pubs

-are worth seeing too.

-I've heard about a local bank that's

-been turned into a restaurant.

-Here it is - The Bank.

-It's lunchtime.

-This bank was built by a family

-of merchants from Liverpool.

-There's a similarly-designed

-building in Liverpool too.

-In the cellar,

-the old safe still stands.

-It's hard to believe that the door

-weighs two and a half tons.

-This place is packed

-and it's easy to see why.

-It's so posh with its incredible bar

-and amazing staircase.

-It's also homely.

-I just hope that the bank's

-paying for the food!

-You can't beat home-made lasagne,

-garlic bread and salad.

-It's time to tuck in.

-As you'd expect, there's

-a wide choice of places to stay.

-The Lemon Tree hotel and restaurant

-has 12 comfortable rooms.

-If you want to stay

-in a luxury house...

-..which combines

-the modern and the traditional...

-..go to the Old Vicarage Cottage

-in Minera.

-On the other hand,

-I'm staying in a different place...

-..in a field

-on the outskirts of Minera.

-This is where I'll be staying

-tonight - a shepherd's hut.

-The decor is modern and neat.

-This is great - original wheels.

-Look at the view -

-I'm in the middle of nowhere.

-There are animals in the nearby

-fields. There's no-one else around.

-I'm excited, that's for sure.

-Let's open the door.

-Here it is - wow!

-It's small but it's very cosy.

-There's a kitchen

-and a table which opens out...

-..which makes use of the space.

-This is the sofa

-which turns into a bed.

-It slides out.

-I can't wait

-to curl up in this bed tonight...

-..in front of that great fire

-over there.

-It's been a busy day.

-I've walked the streets of Wrexham

-and been in the football stadium.

-In this rural retreat, I can't wait

-for a night in front of the fire.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Welcome back to Codi Pac

-from a shepherd's hut near Wrexham.

-After a good night's sleep,

-I wander to the farmyard.

-Good morning.

-If you choose to stay here...

-..there's plenty of local produce

-for a breakfast feast.

-You can even collect your own eggs,

-if you like.

-This breakfast is for me,

-not you, OK?

-OK? He's coming. Behave.

-On day two, I get to wander around

-the streets of Wrexham once more.

-I'm on my way to Saith Seren...

-..an old pub that also promotes

-the Welsh language.

-Here we are,

-the Saith Seren community pub.

-People come here to speak Welsh too.

-There's a pool table,

-which is good news.

-It's spacious,

-with pictures of familiar faces...

-..from Gareth Bale

-to Richard Burton.

-It's also the perfect place

-to see some live music.

-I'm meeting poet Sophie McKeand

-to learn more about the place.

-Two, three.

-Sophie, we're in Saith Seren.

-Why is Saith Seren

-important to Wrexham?

-There are many Welsh speakers here.

-They support the language.

-It's a lovely place to come...

-..to have a chat in Welsh

-over a pint or a cuppa.

-It's nice just to come here

-and practise speaking Welsh...

-..without feeling awkward...

-..you know?

-It's nice just to relax,

-have a chat.

-There's lots of music

-and poetry here.

-You've learnt Welsh.

-Do you come from Wrexham?

-I was born in Flint

-but was raised in Chester...

-..so I didn't speak Welsh

-as a child.

-So why did you decide

-to learn Welsh?

-I'm a poet, so I love languages.

-The Welsh language

-is beautiful and very interesting.

-I was born here

-so I should learn the language.

-You're a poet. That's your job.

-You have a special title too,

-a very nice one.

-Yes, the Young People's Laureate

-for Wales.

-If you had to describe Wrexham

-in two words, what would they be?

-I'd choose complex and passionate.

-Passionate.

-Yes.

-Sometimes, it's important

-to rest for five minutes...

-..in a place like this

-that's full of local characters...

-..and, of course, sweet things!

-I'm now going

-to The Fat Boar restaurant.

-Lovely

-is the word that springs to mind.

-This is spacious.

-I love the black and white

-on the bar and on the floor.

-There are old and new chairs

-which fill the space...

-..and there's space outside

-to have a drink or some food.

-Upstairs, however, is a restaurant

-with a different ambience.

-A number of the workers here

-speak Welsh.

-The owners

-use local and seasonal produce.

-We're now upstairs

-in the restaurant.

-You can sit outside.

-There are many parts

-to the restaurant.

-This is the modern part

-with plenty of natural light...

-..and bright colours on the walls.

-In here, things change.

-Industrial orange bricks...

-..and then wooden panels

-with lots of plants...

-..which creates

-an outdoors-indoors feel.

-Wow! Look at this. Quite a dish.

-This place is called The Fat Boar.

-After I eat this, there'll only be

-one fat boar in this building.

-After eating my fill, I'm off

-to find the old police station.

-It's been converted into a museum.

-I'm going to meet local historian

-Gareth Vaughan Williams there.

-Gareth, this lovely building

-is the museum.

-You've lived here for many years.

-What's Wrexham like?

-It's a very busy town.

-It's been busy for centuries.

-It's a border town, so people

-have been coming here for centuries.

-It's on the border

-between Wales and England.

-It's on the border

-between two languages..

-..between

-the highlands and lowlands...

-..and between industry

-and agriculture.

-There are two cultures here.

-That's still evident in the town.

-At one time,

-it was very industrialized.

-Yes, but one shouldn't just think of

-Wrexham as an industrialized area.

-It was a market

-and agricultural town...

-..before it was an industrial town.

-The museum tries to show the history

-of the area from the early ages.

-This is one of the earliest things

-they've discovered.

-An ancient coffin, a cist,

-was found in 1958.

-Inside the cist was a skeleton...

-..which dates back

-2,000 years before Christ.

-They were known

-as the Beaker people.

-Their remains

-would be buried in a cist.

-They were special people.

-They'd travel far

-and they knew how to work iron.

-The height of Brymbo Man

-has been worked out.

-He was around 5'8".

-Taller than me!

-He'd also received

-a nasty head injury.

-The fact that he was discovered...

-..has provided a lot of information

-about the area.

-It takes us back

-much further than the Romans.

-Gareth, one of my favourite things

-in the world is football.

-What do we have here?

-It's an exhibition, not just of the

-Racecourse but of football in Wales.

-People from the area

-who've played for Wales.

-That's Billy Meredith's cap.

-He was one of the first men to

-play for Wales. He came from Chirk.

-There are shirts and caps belonging

-to some Welsh heroes from the area.

-People like Ian Rush.

-You notice the difference in boots.

-It's hard to believe how much

-the shirt and boots have changed...

-..even the ball itself.

-I remember wearing boots

-similar to those...

-..when I started playing football.

-It's been a pleasure

-talking to you today.

-I've walked around town. I'm now

-going to walk the Clywedog Trail.

-What am I going to see?

-It's a lovely walk.

-It starts in Minera.

-You follow the area's

-industrial past.

-There was a lead mine in Minera.

-Lead mining might be one reason

-why the Romans came to the area.

-You'll also see many mills

-on your journey...

-..which shows how important

-water used to be.

-Though the River Clywedog

-is small...

-..it's very important

-in the running of the water wheels.

-It's a beautiful walk.

-The Clywedog Trail is a great way

-of enjoying the outdoors...

-..while learning more

-about Wrexham's industrial past.

-You don't have to walk

-the nine miles in one go.

-You could do it in stages.

-But it's worth ending up

-at Erddig house and gardens.

-It was owned

-by the Yorke family until 1973...

-..when it was given

-to the National Trust.

-It's an inspirational place.

-Gareth was right.

-The Clywedog Trail is worth doing

-to see the industrial remains.

-Next, I'm going to

-a world-famous historical site.

-Many people have told me...

-..I must visit

-Pontcysyllte aqueduct.

-It was built by Thomas Telford, and

-I'm told it's a challenge to cross.

-Looking around, I'm not sure why

-as it's so tranquil.

-Now that I'm standing

-on Pontcysyllte, I understand.

-It's extremely high.

-I'm safe enough but if I was

-on a boat and fell that way...

-..I wouldn't be safe.

-Off you go.

-There are some lovely views here.

-You can see fields...

-..and a pretty bridge

-which shows how high up we are.

-We're not halfway yet.

-Let's go.

-We're now halfway

-along Pontcysyllte.

-What an incredible view!

-We're high up, that much is certain.

-I'm not sure how high,

-but, wow, it's high.

-Very high.

-Look at the view.

-I feel like I'm standing

-in the centre of the world...

-..with no-one near me.

-Superb.

-I've had a great time in Wrexham.

-What an interesting place.

-It started on a football pitch

-and it's ending above one.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

-.