The Wombles have surfaced in Wimbledon, with a new bench outside AFC Wimbledon Club. While they may typically hide themselves away from human eyes, doing their best to recycle and reuse our trash, they’ve clearly had enough. So Orinoco has popped up in permanent statue form astride The Orinoco Womble Bench to promote a greener lifestyle.
The Orinoco Womble Bench finds Orinoco perched on one end, with his signature tidy bag. At the other end is an overflowing trash can of carved food waste. Wood sculptor Lorraine Botterill made the bench out of fallen and replanted oak.
The unveiling saw Orinoco joined by some of his fellow Wombles, and even the AFC Wimbledon mascot Hayden. Originally conceived as part of a crowdfunding campaign in 2020, the project first envisioned a bronze statue atop a bench. In keeping with the Wombles’ constant quest for recycling and repurposing, however, they settled on a wooden bench and sculpture.
Decorated in royal blue and yellow (the Wimbledon Football Club colours), the installation reminds visitors of the importance of their local area. To look after one’s surroundings, one also has to be proud of those surroundings. And the Wombles sure are proud to live in Wimbledon Comm0n.
Find the Orinoco Womble Bench at at Plough Lane, outside AFC Wimbledon football stadium, right by the gate 3 entrance.
