Boxing Day litter pick, What a beautiful sunny day it was, warm enough for Womble Wendy to take off her scarf and gloves after a bitterly cold Christmas Day.
Womble Wendy (WW), Womble Pistache (WP) and Don were down on the beach for 9.30am, shortly afterwards they were joined by Womble Amanda from Hambrough Road on her first Womble litter pick and then regular Womble Mike joined them. They litter picked the beach so it would look good for the Boxing Day Swim and between them in about an hour they collected one bin bag of rubbish.
Meeting people along the way
While litter picking they met people who took an interest in what they were doing. One lady out with her dog was pleased to put a face to the name of WW. Although she had not been on one of the litter picks, she said she sometimes goes on a Womble Walk with her dog and that she enjoyed reading the reports.
Then a gentleman came to enquire if WW was a council employee working on Boxing Day? He was a member of the Ventnor Town Council and thanked the Wombles for cleaning the beach.
Coffee break and change of outfit
After the litter pick the Wombles went to the Mill Bay for a well deserved cup of coffee. WW and WP changed into their outfits to collect change for P.A.T.C.H. for the Boxing Day Swim. They both wore hats and WP wore her special coat “Official Collector for P.A.T.C.H.” with her name on it.
Official collectors for Boxing Day Swim
Then along with a dog bowl they went along the seafront several times collecting. One lady placed a bag full of coppers into the dog bowl. They went down onto the beach for the countdown and those taking part in the swim ran into the seas.
While here a lady introduced herself to them. She wanted to thank them for what the were doing and to give them a present. A small green gift, inside was a pin badge of Alderney the Womble. She asked if they had heard the news about Elizabeth Beresford, the curator of The Wombles.
History of the Wombles revealed
Elizabeth Beresford had died aged 84. She had suffered a heart attack on Christmas Eve. She came up with the idea of the Wombles in the 1960s after a Boxing Day walk on Wimbledon Common with her children.
Her daughter mispronounced the name calling it Wombledon Common. In 1968 the first Wombles book was published. The Wombles became household names. In 1998 Elizabeth Beresford received an MBE, remarking “The Queen’s a mad Womble fan.”
What a fitting tribute that Ventnor Wombles litter picked on Boxing Day and that the pin badge of Alderney the Womble was extra special, as Elizabeth Beresford died in Alderney in the Channel Islands.
WP had collected in her dog bowl £50.33 not including the bag of copper. Thank you everybody for your donations.
You can take part too
Ventnor Wombles litter picks take place on the last Sunday of each month.
The next litter pick will be on Sunday 30th January.
Meet at 10am, outside St Francis (Upper) Primary School, St Boniface Road. All equipment provided.
Or phone WW on 855947 if you know of an area that could do with a litter pick.
Happy New Year from Ventnor Wombles.
Many thanks to Mark Birch of Sandown and Shanklin Inshore Rescue for pictures of the Boxing Day Swim
Click on images for larger versions
