The year is 1965, in a garden shed in South Wales, the journey of the Grogg, the brainchild of John Hughes MBE begins. Groggs began early life as clay animals and generic rugby figures, known as ‘Uglies’ but have now evolved and developed into the highly detailed resin figures which we know and love today, immortalising some of the worlds best stars from the world of sport, stage and screen.
Of course, a garden shed wasn’t enough to continue the development of what was to become a global success. A move to new premises, a former pub in Treforest followed in 1971. The Groggshop was established at its new home. However, it wasn't just the Groggs themselves that were distinctive and unique, even the shop was painted in tranditional Welsh colours making it a distinctive landmark. Today the Groggshop is home to a vast array of collectable figures, a museum featuring some very rare Groggs and memorabilia, the legendary signature wall and even the opportunity to visit the studio where the magic happens.
For those of you that have ever visited the shop or even simply spoken to them, you will know how much of a family feel the place has. That is no coincidence. In the years following the move to the permanent home of the Groggshop, John’s children Richard and Cathy became well and truly part of the business. Richard from an early age demonstrated his exquisite eye for detail and sculpting and Cathy showed her flair as a skilled painter. Today the team is joined by Carly, the third generation Hughes in the shop and I’m sure in time we will see future generations taking up the helm.
One thing collectors will certainly agree with is the fantastic service that the shop offers. Carly regularly communicates with fans and collectors alike on social media and it’s fair to say the Hughes family will go out of their way to accommodate and assist with the requests of the ever growing fan base. As a collector of Groggs you feel like a part of the family and that is what makes the place and the people so special.
The World of Groggs is internationally renowned and loved. Popularity of these figures has sky rocketed both with the stars who are immortalised and collectors themselves. Being ‘Grogged’ is a fantastic honour, in fact in recent years the stars themselves have been approaching the shop in the hope that they will be immortalised in clay and Richard, no doubt flattered by the requests is always keen to take on a new challenge.
Stars who have been ‘Grogged’ include Welsh legends such as Gareth Edwards, JJ Williams and JPR Williams, right through to stars of the modern game such as Leigh Halfpenny, Bryan Habana, Richie McCaw and Sam Warburton. With increasing popularity, there has also been increasing demand for non rugby Groggs and as such we have seen footballers such as Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale ‘Grogged’ along with a whole host of stars of stage and screen.
Of course the original roots of the Groggshop haven’t been lost and collectors can still purchase the animal based Groggs from the highly popular Grogg Sheep and Land of Dragons collections.
A number of groups have been created on social media forums such as Facebook to allow collectors and fans to share photographs, talk about their collections and of course document their hopes for future Groggs. Groups such as The Jolly Groggers and The Grogg Appreciation Group have united collectors and offered the opportunity for its members to view some extremely rare Groggs, some of which they may never have seen otherwise.
There is no doubt this venture started by John Hughes all those years ago has flourished into something enjoyed and revered the world over and will continue to do so for many, many years to come.
In the words of the Groggshop “Keep on Groggin”
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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| Photograph Courtesy Of The World Of Groggs |
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