Jedi's Paradise - Childrens TV

History

Created by Elisabeth Beresford, the idea for the Wombles developed from a winter stroll on Wimbledon Common with her children and her first Wombles book was published in 1968.

All the Wombles are named after places around the world and new Womble 'Alderney' is named after the Channel Island where Elizabeth Beresford has lived for over 20 years.

Elizabeth based a number of characters on her family, such as Great Uncle Bulgaria (father-in-law), Tobermory (brother), Orinoco (son) and Madame Cholet (mother).

the Wombles appeared long before recycling and environmental concerns became an issue. They captured the hearts of children and adults and have become part of British national folklore.

Sixty episodes were produced for the first series, each lasting five minutes. Eventually Filmfair produced a new series of the Wombles 23 years after the last one. For the original series Bernard Cribbins provided the voices of the Wombles and also narrated it, but sadly he wasn't used for the newer series.

Mike Batt, who produced the original unforgettable theme tune has re-recorded it for the new series, which goes like this:

'Underground, overground, wombling free
the Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we.
Making good use of the things that we find,
things that the everyday folk leave behind.'
�Batt/EMI

Not only that, the Wombles made a successful live action Movie (Wombling Free - 1977) and made lots of songs/albums, which netted Mike Batt an awful lot of money.

Story

Wombles are small furry creatures with long noses that live in an underground burrow on Wimbledon Common, London, UK. The burrow is a strange place, as it has a drawbridge for a front door, the walls are lined with newspaper and everything inside of it looks like it has been made from rubbish.

In fact most things in the burrow has been made from rubbish, as Wombles go out on the common, with large bags, looking for rubbish that people have thrown away. You see a Womble is very environmentally friendly and loves recycling things (they call it Wombling).

If I could have a Womble living in my back garden, then I would, but they prefer larger areas where people throw away more things. Also they are frightened of humans.

Most of them are hard working, but there is always one bad egg (Orinoco).

The burrow on Wimbledon Common is lead by Great Uncle Bulgeria, who makes sure that Bungo, Orinoco, Tomsk ,and Wellington go out and retrieve the day's rubbish.

Years later they are still Wombling strong, but now have Alderney, Stepney, Shansi and Obidos to help them.

Keeping pace with technology hasn't been a problem for the Wombles and they now have a Wom-copter and a Burrow Buggy to aid their search for useful items, and a Wom-fax to keep in touch with other Wombles around the world.

Great Uncle Bulgaria

He is in charge of all the other Wombles on Wimbledon Common and is very old and wise. Although their burrow is warm and cosy he still sometimes feels the cold and so he wears a tartan shawl.

Great Uncle Bulgaria can be quite strict at times but still he is kind hearted.

He is always asking the other Wombles to find him a copy of the latest 'Times' newspaper.

When he can, he likes to sit in his office on his rocking chair and think (which normally turns into a sleep).

He used to be good a footballer when he was a young Womble. So when they found a football, he decided that the Wombles should get fit and that they should form a football team - Womble United.

Wellington

He is the smallest and shyest Womble. Although he is rather absent-minded he often comes up will all kinds of clever ideas and inventions. He also loves to use big words.

Orinoco

He is the fattest and laziest Womble who often needs 'a little forty winks' before he can get his strength up to start work. He is always late for everything because he's overslept and it looks like he has never brushed his fur.

For Orinoco, a bench is not for sitting on, but instead it is for sleeping on. The only time he thinks about work is when he is asleep. If he isn't thinking of sleeping, then he's thinking of eating, and tries to be first in line for dinner.

He is always complaining about something. Once, he was caught up in a white net and none of the others could see him (or were they just ignoring him). It was fun for a while, until he had trouble walking back to the burrow to eat his food.

Bungo

He is a headstrong Womble who is inclined to be a little bossy and full of his own importance.

But he came down to earth when he had to go and rescue Wellington when a human was getting too close. To disguise himself, he had to wear a cardboard box over himself. Eventually he found Wellington and rescued him.

Tomsk

He is the largest Womble in the burrow. He enjoys keeping fit and is always trying to persuade Orinoco to do more exercise, without any success.

He is the only Womble that doesn't wear a hat.

Tobermory

He is in charge of the workshop where he makes all kinds of clever and useful gadgets with the things that the other Wombles find. He is always very busy. He used to be in the Navy.

Madame Cholet

She is a wonderful cook and makes delicious meals will all kinds of strange ingredients. Her clover buns and elm-bark pies with acorn topping are famous throughout the Womble world.

Alderney

She lives in a tree house and looks after the lake on the Common, trying to keep it clean and tidy. She has been dubbed by the press as 'Girl Power Womble'.

Stepney

He is a barrow-boy on an exchange visit from the Thames burrow. His ideas often seem a little way-out to the other Wombles in the burrow.

Shansi

She is of Chinese descent and is a keen gardener and conservationist.

Obidos

He comes from the Rio de Janeiro burrow and is well-travelled. He knows a great deal about the customs of Wombles around the world.

Gallery


Get Wombling	Orinoco has found a faster way to get around