IF you go to the Black Mountains today be prepared for a big surprise. And it’ no teddy bear’s picnic either but a dragon. A big red one to be precise.

But don’t worry. It’s not real. It was painted a part of a mural to honour Wales lifting the Webb Ellis Cup later this year.

Admittedly depending on which bookmaker looks after your folding stuff, there’s an 11-1 shot to that happening but you’ve got to dream big. Just ask the mural’s creator Rob Jenkins.

“I’ve no doubt the boys in red will bring home the silverware,” explained the 45-year-old exile who left the mist, murk, and magic of Wales for the bright and light beaches of Perth in Australia many moons ago.

“After watching them effortlessly dispatch the Aussies in style on Sunday I can’t help thinking ‘Who’s gonna stop them now?’”

Although Rob has made Australia his home for the last 15 years, he often hops on a jet to make the trip to the green green grass of home, with his wife Denise and three-year-old son Evan, to catch up with family and friends.

It was on such a visit just over two years ago that he decided to give his parents an unusual birthday gift and paint an eye-catching mural on the side of their farmhouse.

Rob is no stranger to painting murals. In Australia, his artwork is highly sought-after and he has been commissioned to brighten up many a wall in Perth.

Rob was filmed creating the original mural by his old friend and fan Lee Dainton of Dirty Sanchez fame.

Both Rob’s parents Eric (82) and Patricia (72) were pleased the way their former white wall had been transformed into an eye-pleasing treat of trippy textures.

Yet as Rob pointed out, “Unfortunately the render which I painted was very old and gets a lot of rough weather and started to crack and fall away. My folks had to have it taken off and redone. They’d gotten to really like the painting. So I’d said I’d do another one when I get was over next and if they had any requests. My mum said she wanted a dragon. What with the World Cup looming, how could I refuse!”

How indeed!

And during his two-week stay in the land of his fathers, Rob was lucky to be blessed with one week of gorgeous autumnal sunshine to get the mural completed before it all went to hell in a handcart and the heavens opened up and didn’t relent.

Needless to say, both Eric and Patricia Jenkins were delighted with their son’s handiwork and the icing on the cake before he made the trip back down under on Sunday was watching Wales wallop the Wallabies.

“It’ll give me something to wind up all my Aussie mates about,” said Rob “And that’s always a good laugh no matter which way you slice and dice it. C’mon Wales!”

The keen-eyed amongst our readers will recognise Eric and Patricia Jenkins as the couple who used to run Cross Street’s popular Eric Jenkins Motorcycle Shop. The Chronicle will be running a forthcoming feature on the history of that much-loved business, so stay tuned.