Wombles News

'We've got Wombles everywhere - north, south, east and west'

June 2008

I noticed recently that Tidy Bag is now the second result in Google when you search for 'Wombles' or 'Womble' - beaten only by the mighty Wikipedia.

On a related note, have you tried our custom Wombles Search, powered by Google, which searches a selection of Wombles-related sites?

'We're gonna have some fun, so now's your chance'

May 2008

A new DVD box set brings together every episode of the original 1970s TV series for the first time ever, from Orinoco And The Big Black Umbrella right through to Womble Summer Party.

The Wombles Complete Collection, released on 12 May 2008, contains all 60 five-minute episodes.

Some of the cheapest places to buy the DVD include Amazon, HMV and Play.com. If you buy it direct from the Abbey Kids Shop, new customers get 20% off.

Unfortunately, some initial copies had a missing episode and some episodes in the wrong order. Lizzie Haines from Abbey Home Media says: "We have done everything we can to limit the damage and replace all faulty stock in the marketplace. Sadly we can't guarantee that some faulty stock did not get through to the consumer, so if people who bought a faulty copy contact me directly we will gladly replace it."

Congratulations to our competition winners, Beverley Kerry and Peter Spencer, who each win a copy of the DVD courtesy of Abbey Home Media.

'Let's go wombling USA, let's go wombling USA'

April 2008

The Wombles have moved to New York in a campaign to save British kids' TV. In a one-minute sketch called Badass Wombles Of Central Park, they are loud, brash, over-Americanised caricatures. The film features the voices of Bernard Cribbins, Wayne Forester and Emma Tate.

Pact, the association for companies that make television programmes, is campaigning for UK children to have more programming that reflects their own lives. As the film explains: "Children's TV is dominated by imported shows. Today just one per cent are new programmes made in the UK."

You can watch the film below or at britishkidstv.com, then sign the petition to the Prime Minister (by 3 October 2008) and send a message to your MP.

'He can remember the days when he wasn't behind The Times'

January 2008

Uncle Bulgaria's favourite newspaper, The Times, is giving away a set of classic kids' TV shows, starting with a free Wombles DVD inside this weekend's Sunday Times (13 January).

The cover image shows 'Tobermory On TV', similar to the commercially released DVD that came out last March, but it's not clear how many episodes will be included on this free version.

Apparently there will be adverts for this giveaway promotion across television, radio, press and outdoor posters, although the only one I've seen so far was in the press (in thelondonpaper). So keep an eye out for Tobermory!

Find out more about the giveaway on the Times Online site.

'Pick up the pieces and make them into something new'

January 2008

The Wombles are featured in a new TV advert for gas and electricity supplier EDF Energy. It's a montage of old footage with an environmental theme, and at the end it says: "This commercial is made from recycled film clips."

The short Wombles clip appears near the end, with Uncle Bulgaria saying: "Oh, that's the idea - making good use of bad rubbish."

You can watch the advert below or on YouTube, and read about it in the Media Guardian.

'I've got the information, now I'll be coming home'

Look through Uncle Bulgaria's archives to catch up with older news from the past five years.

© Tara Stockford