Wombles and Moomins

I was a Wombles girl myself.

The Wombling Song

Mike Batt

Underground, overground, wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we.
Making good use of the things that we find,
Things that the everyday folks leave behind.

Uncle Bulgaria,
He can remember the days when he wasn't behind the times,
With his map of the world.
Pick up the papers and take them to Tobermory!

Wombles are organised, work as a team.
Wombles are tidy and Wombles are clean.
Underground, overground, wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we!

People don't notice us, they never see,
Under their noses a Womble may be.
We womble by night and we womble by day,
Looking for litter to trundle away.

We're so incredibly, utterly devious
Making the most of everything.
Even bottles and tins.
Pick up the pieces and make them into something new,
Is what we do!

Underground, overground, wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we.
Making good use of the things that we find,
Things that the everyday folks leave behind.

The Wombles were ahead of their time – recycling vegetarian environmentalist greenies, and I loved them. They were terribly, terribly British. Orinoco’s dream shop was Fortnum & Mason...oops, I mean Fortune & Bason. Great Uncle Bulgaria’s read The Times. The Serpentine and of course Wimbledon Common were the settings for their very delightful adventures. Oh my! I get this pleasant little feeling inside just telling you about them.

I tried reading Elizabeth Beresford's original books to Jemimah recently, but they didn't go down very well. A bit twaddly, to be honest, although I had a bit of a nostalgia trip out of them. The videos were more appealing, and I must admit that the TV series takes prominence in my fond memories also, although I did read (and still have) the books.

Not so the Moomins. While I was a Wombles girl, my Beloved was a Moomins boy.




In contrast to my little nostalgic memories for the inhabitants of Wimbledon Common, Jemimah's Daddy has a fondness for those from Moomin Valley, and his eyes nearly bugged from his gorgeous head when he caught sight of the Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson in Readers' Feast just before Christmas. Imagine my Beloved wanting to buy a children's book that I'd never heard of. Preposterous!! I bought it of course.

Now there are three Moomin lovers in our household. In fact, today we are in mourning because yesterday we finished the last chapter. What shall we do? Our lives are bereft. Meaningless. Empty. It helps that there are more in the series, I suppose, but right now we are wallowing in a mire of depression. Actually, we're not. I wonder why I wrote that?!!

The Moomins. Twaddle they are not.

The Finn Family Moomintroll is great as a read-aloud at seven, and it continues to inspire at fifty. Which is almost where Jemimah's Daddy is. It is delightful. It is whimsical. It is cheerful and chubby like the Moomins themselves. The Moomin family are furry troll-like characters with round white faces and big noses that make them look sort of like hippopotamuses. They're nice. And they love each other.That's cool. They celebrate their 65th anniversary in 2010, which means that they've been round since 1945. Phew. And they're still keeping us enthralled.

I love the way Moominpapa and Moominmama are kind and caring and easy-going. Fun and yet tough. They are parents who discipline their kids when they deserve it. The characters in this book genuinely seek to bring out the best in each other. They are kind and good, but not sickeningly so. Their friendships are good friendships.

When Moominmama sees what she thinks are a pair of mice scurrying into her cellar she sends someone up with a platter of milk for them. Then she makes up two very little beds. When the Snork Maiden's hair is burned off her friend, Moomintroll tells her he likes her better without it. When the Muskrat gets into a rage and wants to leave to be by himself, Moominpapa asks whether he should send up some furniture and food. When Snufkin goes away on a journey alone they are sad but respect his wishes and wonder whether he will be coming back.

In the Finn Family Moomintroll, the Moomins find a big hat. But it is no ordinary hat. It is a magical hat, and it belongs to the Hobgoblin...

You've gotta get hold of this book to find out what happens next, because...well, because I recommend it. I say it's a goody no matter how old your kids are - no matter how old you are.

You can get an idea of what the books are like by reading the introductory story of the Moomins, The Little Trolls and the Great Flood online. Don't dismiss the series if you don't like it though, since this is is often considered Jansson's weakest work and it is still worth giving the rest of the books a go. I really can't imagine that anybody could dislike the Moomins. We love 'em.

So now I'm a Moomins girl too. I still like the Wombles, mind you, but I like the Moomins better. Sorry Orinoco.