Wrexham Mayor Ian Roberts bought footballing legend Mickey Thomas yesterday – for £1.
The bargain transfer came as Cllr Roberts and wife Hilary opened the town’s new international “Store” at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre.
The former Wales and Manchester United player and now radio star Mickey Thomas was a “cheap copy” which Cllr Roberts got for £1 on an artistic menu.
Llanrwst-based Migrations contemporary dance and performing arts group, which draws on dancers from all over the world, set up ‘Store’ at Eagles Meadow.
For the next four days, until April 28, two performers invite customers into their shop, show them a menu of more than 60 acts, invite them to make a selection and will then perform for them – and passers-by.
Japanese born dancer, Michikazu Matsune, now based in Vienna, and Austrian born David Subal, now based in Paris, who perform all over the world, will be performing at Wrexham between 10am-4pm every day.
Included on the menu are “today’s specials”, “takeaways”, and “cheap copies”. For £1, Michikazu slowly copies an iconic photograph of Mickey Thomas making a left-footed shot – although for this performance the football was a ping pong ball.
Then, as Cllr Roberts watched both men on bended knee in front of his wife, for a performance of ‘Just Love’, he said: “It’s crazy and it’s humorous. It’s brilliant and it’s a change and brings something different to the centre of Wrexham.
“It brings a smile to everyone’s face. It also adds an extra dimension to shopping in Wrexham and helps bring in the visitors.”
Eagles Meadow Operations Manager Stuart Bellis said: “There’s never been anything quite like this in Wrexham before. Hopefully it will attract the crowds.”
Anthony and Nancy Wright from Caia Park were among the first shoppers to visit the Store. “It’s certainly something very unusual, I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” said Nancy. “It’s something I would like to bring our children to, they would really enjoy it.”
Anthony added: “In the 16th and 17th century I suppose street theatre was like this. You would give the performers a few coppers and they would perform, I suppose this is an upgrade.”
Migrations has its roots back in 2004, initiated by Conwy County Borough Council which wanted to fill a void and bring high profile contemporary dance and performance to North Wales.
Since then it has become an independent not-for-profit voluntary organisation and run as a community interest company, with Karine Decorne (corr) as its director and bringing in artistes from all over the world.
Karine said: “Mich and David were invited a few years ago to perform at the Nottingham Festival and the person in charge of the programme recommended them to me because they knew I was looking for new performers and it seemed like such a good way to use empty shops. She said I had to look at this pair because they are such a success everywhere they go.”
Stefan Jones-Hughes, Wrexham County Borough Council’s Arts manager, got himself involved in a performance of Blue Monday Workshop and said afterwards: “They’re just great, so off-the-wall, it’s fantastic to have something like this in Wrexham and it’s great use of an empty shop unit to have something which engages the public.”
