“Every time I come back to St Neots from Chicago I always try and find a wall or an opportunity to do a mural and this time it happened,” he said.
“Because it’s being knocked down, the developers were fine with it, it’s only ever intended to be temporary.”
He said on the day he was due to paint it, 27 August, he did not know what the subject would be, but then he remembered he had photos of his grandfather when he studied photography at Cambridge Regional College.
“My end of year project was on my grandad, in 1997, I took some good quality images, I looked at one and thought, this will work well.
“Lots of people would have known him.”
Mr Irons was born in Eynesbury, and lived most of his life in the village of Hail Weston.
“He was such a lovely, gentle guy, he was a very important influence on me, it was fantastic to paint him,” Mr Wilson said.
“It’s the most special, important, meaningful and enjoyable mural I’ve ever painted.
“I’m very proud to be able to showcase my grandad for the town – to see him and to remember him.”