Wenlock and Mandeville
Encyclopedia
Wenlock and Mandeville are the official mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics
and Paralympics
being held in London, United Kingdom.
The mascots were unveiled on 19 May 2010; this marks the second time (after Vancouver
's Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk) that both Olympic and Paralympic mascots were unveiled at the same time. The mascots were created and designed by iris, a London-based creative agency. Wenlock and Mandeville are animations depicting two drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton
. They are named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock
, which held a forerunner of the current Olympic Games
, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital
, a facility in Buckinghamshire that initially organised the Stoke Mandeville Games, the precursor of the Paralympic Games
.
Baroness Dee Doocey
raised the issue of the London Organising Committee charging for appearances of the characters; she was formerly the chair of the committee that oversees the London Olympics. Doocey suggested only the richest of schools would be able to afford the appearances. Appearances are £850 for the two mascots to appear at a community event or multi-school sports day, rising to £1,720 for events requiring an overnight stay, and £2,450 for a trip to Scotland or Ireland. The fee covers the performer, cohort, van hire, and accident liability insurance. LOGOC insist they only charge the appearance cost, nothing more. LOGOC does issue some free appearances to schools demonstrating a commitment to the games, but Doocey says that poorer schools are too busy with students to deal with the paperwork.
in Shropshire, England, where the Wenlock Olympian Society held its first Olympian Games in 1850, regarded as an inspiration for the modern Olympic games. He has five friendship bracelets on his wrist. Each bracelet takes the colour of an Olympic ring. The three points on his head represent the three places on the podium. The pattern on his body with the logo of the games symbolises the whole world coming to London in 2012. The shape on the front of his head represents the shape of the Olympic stadium roof. In the run-up to the games Wenlock hopes to make as many friends as possible and always looks on the bright side of life.
in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England which held The Stoke Mandeville Games, the inspiration for the Paralympics. Mandeville wears a pink stopwatch on his wrist which on models reads 0:20:12. His helmet-like head with three points coloured blue, red and green represents the agitos, the Paralympic Symbol.
in issue 3601, and the strip, drawn by Nigel Parkinson
, will continue until the Olympics begin, in August 2012.
wrote the story concept to go with Wenlock and Mandeville and an animation titled “Out of a Rainbow” was produced by the London office of Beijing based Crystal CG; it is intended that this will form part of an ongoing series concerning the mascots in the run-up to the games.
"Adventures on a Rainbow", a sequel to "Out of a Rainbow", was released on 1st March 2011. This episode to their story was publicised on the mascot's Twitter and Facebook pages as well as their website. The video featured guest appearances from Olympic athletes: Phillips Idowu
, Shanaze Reade
and Tom Daley
as well as Paralympic athletes: Ellie Simmonds and Mandip Sehmi
.
He gets home to his wife and grandchildren as they give him his retirement cake. Later when everyone else is asleep he decides to make a gift for his grandchildren out of the steel drops.
The next day George and his wife give their grandchildren the steel Wenlock and Mandeville. The two children take the mascots up to the attic and place them on the windowsill when a rainbow forms going through the house. The rainbow brings Wenlock and Mandeville to colour and to life where they learn sports from the children, posters and the TV. Wenlock and Mandeville realise their names from books and trophies before leaving on the rainbow. The story ends with:
“And then suddenly the rainbow is back. Wenlock and Mandeville know that it’s time to go: their journey has just begun: so many adventures to have, so many people to tell. But they will meet again; in London, in 2012. They’ll be there, You’ll be there, the whole world will be there.”
stadium and meets members of the Great Britain National Wheelchair Rugby team
in which he witnessed a match from Mandip Sehmi's lap. Mandeville then goes swimming with Ellie Simmonds during a training session. Afterwards George and his family are seen on a bike ride when they meet Shanaze Reade the family then try some BMX themselves. The lorry carrying the girder is travelling along a road near Much Wenlock. Wenlock in his spiritual hometown watches the Wenlock Olympian Games and Phillips Idowu in the triple jump. Wenlock then takes part in the 110m Hurdles, he successfully jumps the first hurdle however his fellow competitor trips over the hurdle, Wenlock gives up his race time to help the athlete. Wenlock travels on the rainbow to a community pool where George and his family are swimming. Tom Daley is preparing for a dive on the platform while Wenlock joins him as everyone in the pool witnesses their successful dive.
The video ends with:
"Wenlock and Mandeville are on their magical adventure, the twins will be looking out for them whenever they see a rainbow, and you can do the same, you'll see them again, we all will; the whole world will see them in London, in 2012."
and a Dalek
". Others have compared the mascots to Izzy
, the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics
, another critically panned mascot. However it has been reported that children of the target audience (5 to 15 years) find the duo enjoyable.
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
and Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
being held in London, United Kingdom.
The mascots were unveiled on 19 May 2010; this marks the second time (after Vancouver
Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was the non-profit organization responsible for planning, organizing, financing and staging the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics...
's Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk) that both Olympic and Paralympic mascots were unveiled at the same time. The mascots were created and designed by iris, a London-based creative agency. Wenlock and Mandeville are animations depicting two drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
. They are named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock, earlier known as Wenlock, is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford...
, which held a forerunner of the current Olympic Games
Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games
The Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games, dating from 1850, are a forerunner of the modern Olympic Games. They are held each year in Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England.-Overview:...
, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service hospital within Aylesbury Urban Area to the south of the town of Aylesbury, near the village of Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire...
, a facility in Buckinghamshire that initially organised the Stoke Mandeville Games, the precursor of the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
.
Character appearances
London AssemblyLondon Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
Baroness Dee Doocey
Dee Doocey
Elizabeth Deirdre Doocey, Baroness Doocey OBE is a British Liberal Democrat politician and businesswoman, and a former Chair of the London Assembly. She was born Elizabeth Deirdre O'Keefe in Drumcondra, Dublin...
raised the issue of the London Organising Committee charging for appearances of the characters; she was formerly the chair of the committee that oversees the London Olympics. Doocey suggested only the richest of schools would be able to afford the appearances. Appearances are £850 for the two mascots to appear at a community event or multi-school sports day, rising to £1,720 for events requiring an overnight stay, and £2,450 for a trip to Scotland or Ireland. The fee covers the performer, cohort, van hire, and accident liability insurance. LOGOC insist they only charge the appearance cost, nothing more. LOGOC does issue some free appearances to schools demonstrating a commitment to the games, but Doocey says that poorer schools are too busy with students to deal with the paperwork.
Characteristics
The two are the world’s first customisable mascots. According to the associated (fictional) storyline, they were formed from the last girder of the Olympic Stadium. Their skins are made of highly polished steel allowing them to reflect the personalities and appearances of the people they meet. They have cameras for eyes filming all of their adventures and London taxi headlights with the first letter of their name “W” for Wenlock and “M” for Mandeville.Wenlock
Wenlock’s name is inspired by Much WenlockMuch Wenlock
Much Wenlock, earlier known as Wenlock, is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford...
in Shropshire, England, where the Wenlock Olympian Society held its first Olympian Games in 1850, regarded as an inspiration for the modern Olympic games. He has five friendship bracelets on his wrist. Each bracelet takes the colour of an Olympic ring. The three points on his head represent the three places on the podium. The pattern on his body with the logo of the games symbolises the whole world coming to London in 2012. The shape on the front of his head represents the shape of the Olympic stadium roof. In the run-up to the games Wenlock hopes to make as many friends as possible and always looks on the bright side of life.
Mandeville
Mandeville’s name comes from Stoke Mandeville HospitalStoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service hospital within Aylesbury Urban Area to the south of the town of Aylesbury, near the village of Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire...
in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England which held The Stoke Mandeville Games, the inspiration for the Paralympics. Mandeville wears a pink stopwatch on his wrist which on models reads 0:20:12. His helmet-like head with three points coloured blue, red and green represents the agitos, the Paralympic Symbol.
Comic Strip
They appeared in The BeanoThe Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
in issue 3601, and the strip, drawn by Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson
Nigel Parkinson is a British cartoonist who currently works for D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and mainly draws for The Beano and The Dandy.-Biography:...
, will continue until the Olympics begin, in August 2012.
Animated shorts
The British children’s writer Michael MorpurgoMichael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
wrote the story concept to go with Wenlock and Mandeville and an animation titled “Out of a Rainbow” was produced by the London office of Beijing based Crystal CG; it is intended that this will form part of an ongoing series concerning the mascots in the run-up to the games.
"Adventures on a Rainbow", a sequel to "Out of a Rainbow", was released on 1st March 2011. This episode to their story was publicised on the mascot's Twitter and Facebook pages as well as their website. The video featured guest appearances from Olympic athletes: Phillips Idowu
Phillips Idowu
Phillips Olaosebikan Idowu MBE is a Nigerian-English triple jumper...
, Shanaze Reade
Shanaze Reade
Shanaze Danielle Reade is a professional British Bicycle Motocross racer and track cyclist whose prime competitive years began in 2002. She has won the UCI BMX World Championships three times...
and Tom Daley
Tom Daley (diver)
Thomas Robert "Tom" Daley is an English diver who specialises in the 10 metre platform event and was the 2009 FINA World Champion in the individual event at the age of 15. He started diving at the age of seven and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club. He has made an impact in national and...
as well as Paralympic athletes: Ellie Simmonds and Mandip Sehmi
Mandip Sehmi
Mandip Sehmi is a British wheelchair rugby player.He was part of the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team that came in 4th place at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China....
.
"Out of a Rainbow"
At the steelworks in Bolton they are finishing building the last girder for the Olympic stadium. Two drops fall out of the molten-steel, and once cooled are picked up by a man named George. The day happens to be George’s retirement day so he signs the finished girder and cycles home.He gets home to his wife and grandchildren as they give him his retirement cake. Later when everyone else is asleep he decides to make a gift for his grandchildren out of the steel drops.
The next day George and his wife give their grandchildren the steel Wenlock and Mandeville. The two children take the mascots up to the attic and place them on the windowsill when a rainbow forms going through the house. The rainbow brings Wenlock and Mandeville to colour and to life where they learn sports from the children, posters and the TV. Wenlock and Mandeville realise their names from books and trophies before leaving on the rainbow. The story ends with:
“And then suddenly the rainbow is back. Wenlock and Mandeville know that it’s time to go: their journey has just begun: so many adventures to have, so many people to tell. But they will meet again; in London, in 2012. They’ll be there, You’ll be there, the whole world will be there.”
"Adventures on a Rainbow"
The story starts in Bolton where the last steel girder of the Olympic Stadium is being transported to London. The two children make their way up to the attic, the two look out the window to see a rainbow form by their house in which Mandeville is travelling on, he sends a text message to one of the children's phones. Mandeville then arrives at Stoke MandevilleStoke Mandeville
Stoke Mandeville is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district to the south-east of Aylesbury in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. Although a separate civil parish, the village falls within the Aylesbury Urban Area...
stadium and meets members of the Great Britain National Wheelchair Rugby team
Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team
The Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team represents the Great Britain in international wheelchair rugby. Great Britain is the most successful team in European competition, winning four gold medals at the European Championship.-Paralympics:...
in which he witnessed a match from Mandip Sehmi's lap. Mandeville then goes swimming with Ellie Simmonds during a training session. Afterwards George and his family are seen on a bike ride when they meet Shanaze Reade the family then try some BMX themselves. The lorry carrying the girder is travelling along a road near Much Wenlock. Wenlock in his spiritual hometown watches the Wenlock Olympian Games and Phillips Idowu in the triple jump. Wenlock then takes part in the 110m Hurdles, he successfully jumps the first hurdle however his fellow competitor trips over the hurdle, Wenlock gives up his race time to help the athlete. Wenlock travels on the rainbow to a community pool where George and his family are swimming. Tom Daley is preparing for a dive on the platform while Wenlock joins him as everyone in the pool witnesses their successful dive.
The video ends with:
"Wenlock and Mandeville are on their magical adventure, the twins will be looking out for them whenever they see a rainbow, and you can do the same, you'll see them again, we all will; the whole world will see them in London, in 2012."
Reception
In response to their launch the UKs leading design publication Creative Review had this to say "Both are clearly of the digital age. And we have to say, we think they look rather good...". In other quarters their design has been greeted with some disdain. One columnist theorised that the pair were the product of a "drunken one-night stand between a TeletubbyTeletubbies
Teletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was...
and a Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
". Others have compared the mascots to Izzy
Izzy (mascot)
Izzy was the official mascot of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. Named Whatizit at its first introduction at the close of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the computer animated character with the ability to morph into different forms was a departure from the Olympic tradition in that it did...
, the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, another critically panned mascot. However it has been reported that children of the target audience (5 to 15 years) find the duo enjoyable.