Green, before it was trendy...

We all recycle, or at least we should. Back in the 70s we didn't give a toss what happened to our old Blue Nun bottles or empty Alphabetti Spaghetti tins. So when the message that recycling was a good idea, was put across to our kids, we probably frowned upon it. Kids TV today, don't get me started on that. If it's not some badly drawn cartoon imported from the US, it's some crappy gunge fest with no budget and canned laughter. Kids didn't know what they were missing in the 70s. So much so in fact that even the adults knew about some of the characters. And that's where today's video comes from. The wombles were made in 1974/75. 5 minute shorts narrated by Bernard Cribbins (yes kids, Donna Noble's Grandfather in Doctor Who), these were true pioneers of recycling. The opening titles said it all...

"Making a use of things that we find, things that the everyday folks leave behind."
They would walk around Wimbledon Common, a large open area in South West London, and clean up after us humans. They had a burrow made of old newspapers and a large wooden hatch was it's front door. There was a large team, I'm guessing they were all related, and they were all ordered around by their eldest relative "Great Uncle Bulgaria." They had a handyman (Tobermory), a boffin (Wellington) and a layabout (the infamous Orinoco), and whilst it was male dominated, they also had the mother figure (the scary french Madame Cholet). I was transfixed as a child, so much so my parents got me their album. The very cool music was done by Mike Batt, and even today you can't help but smile and want to dance around like a fairy (I won't scare you with an image of me dancing around like a fairy). So, news today that the Wombles will be appearing at the rock festival to end all rock festivals, Glastonbury, has steered me in the direction of this week's video.
"Remember-member-member what a womble womble womble you are..."
Enjoy.


P.S. Yes, that's Mr "Deal or No Deal" Noel Edmonds. Hasn't changed much has he?