A rugby fan is selling his signed set of 1,000 handcrafted wooden models of the game's top players - valued at £20k.<br /><br />John Wilesmith, 64, has spent the last two decades making oak figurines of rugby union's greatest stars.<br /><br />His models span rugby history and include Willie John McBride, Bill Beaumont and Beauden Barrett.<br /><br />And the grandad-of-three is now selling the 'Handpainted Heroes' set - many of which are signed.<br /><br />John said: "I'll be very sad to see them go. But I went into overdrive in the lockdowns and they have overtaken me<br /><br />"I've got signed figures of players from all over the world.<br /><br />"The most fun for me is taking a black and white picture and creating a figurine in colour."<br /><br />John, from Ledbury, Heref., started making the figurines 20 years ago, picking out players from rugby history.<br /><br />Some of his favourites include Dave Gallaher, captain of the 'original' All Blacks, and Alexander Obolensky - a Russian prince who played for England in the 1930s.<br /><br />And he also makes figurines of famous faces away from the sport - including royalty and prime ministers - although these are not up for sale.<br /><br />John, who is head of operations at an agricultural showground, said: "Making [the figurines] is the most relaxing thing I do.<br /><br />"My job is high pressure, which I enjoy, and making these is like therapy.<br /><br />"I was just enjoying making them for myself - but people are just so pleased to get them and that is encouraging.<br /><br />"Modern shirts are the hardest part to paint, they take as long as the whole figure because of the logos.<br /><br />"It's so important to me to get them accurate."<br /><br />Welsh supporter John makes two versions of each model - one for his mancave and one to give away.<br /><br />His work has seen him praised by many of his subjects.<br /><br />John says a particular highlight was when Gareth Edwards - thought by some to be Wales' greatest ever player - gratefully accepted a model.<br /><br />And he even received a letter from a lady-in-waiting to the Queen over a model of Prince Philip.<br /><br />John said: "That letter from the Queen was very touching. It's really precious.<br /><br />"Boris Johnson was very grateful too and wrote a nice letter."<br /><br />John's collection skyrocketed during lockdown, prompting him to decided to sell.<br /><br />The figurines are being sold online at handpaintedheroes.com and via auctioneers Mullocks on April 26.<br /><br />John, who is married to Suzanne, 60, has valued some figurines at as much as £100 - and the whole collection is worth £20,000, he says.<br /><br />John, who played for Ledbury RFC for 28 years and is now chairman, has rugby running through his veins.<br /><br />He says he's descended from the man who wrote the Welsh words to the hymn Bread of Heaven, sung by the nation's fans at international games.<br /><br />John's grandmother Mary Williams - her maiden name - was a direct descendant of William Williams Pantycelyn, who wrote Arglwydd, arwain trwy’r anialwch in 1745.<br /><br />The hymn was translated into English decades later - which includes the Bread of Heaven line - and is now sung to the tune of Cwm Rhondda.
