Where's Shansi?

Well, Shansi Womble is here, but that's not what I mean. Shansi is one of those rare Wombles whose name doesn't lead unambiguously to a single place. There are two neighbouring provinces in China with similar names to Shansi/Shanxi. One of them includes X'ian, home of the world famous Terracotta Warriors, which I visited a few years ago. 'Amazing' is a devalued word these days, but the Terracotta Warriors are amazing. Anyway, it's a pleasure to welcome Shansi to our own Womble burrow.

Hello Obidos!

I'd love to have gone to Obidos - which is in Brazil, on the Amazon. Perhaps I'll get there one day...?

Welcome to Team Womble

My other half's visit to a local charity shop resulted in the acquisition of half a dozen more members of our Womble team, joining Orinoco, Bungo, Great Uncle Bulgaria and Wellington.

Pictured, top row (l to r): McWomble the Terrible (who isn't really terrible - he was very cooperative at the photo shoot); Alderney; Wellington; Obidos; Madame Cholet.

Centre row: Orinoco, Bungo, Bulgaria

Bottom row: Tobermory, Shansi

One more needed for a football team...

The 'Fab Fur'

Meanwhile, the band is busy around London, promoting its soon-to-be-reissued albums and that Glastonbury gig...

Less than total harmony at Glastonbury

As one of the world's most famous rock and pop festivals prepares for an injection of Womble-ness, it seems the organiser of the event is having second thoughts about inviting everyone's favourite furry eco-warriors.

Now, it isn't exactly a new idea for the Wombles to play Glastonbury (remember the rumours next year) so Mr Eavis can hardly claim to be taken by surprised. He is quoted thus:

"I've got about 25 stages and managers and bookers for each of the stages. I can't control every single one of them but I do get cross about that kind of thing."

Cross about what, exactly? Cross about a very popular band playing at your festival? Cross about your underlings doing something you don't approve of? (And criticising your organising team in public seems a stupid thing to do) Cross (as you say yourself) that you can't control everything?

Or cross that the Wombles get the publicity from this story and Glastonbury doesn't? In which case a burst of synthetic, calculated anger a couple of weeks before the festival may garner Glastonbury yet more publicity.

That, you may say, is a cynical thought. Well, yes, it is. But scarcely more cynical than booking a band and then criticising the book. I'm sure Mr Eavis will be grumbling all the way to the bank.

Cynical, disorganised, control freakery... no wonder he doesn't like the Wombles.