Mr Whoppit
Encyclopedia
Mr Whoppit was the teddy bear mascot of Donald Campbell
, the land
and water speed record
holder.
As was his father Sir Malcolm Campbell
, Donald Campbell was highly superstitious. Both consulted spiritualist mediums and fortune tellers, Donald also placed his faith in a lucky mascot, Mr Whoppit. He refused to drive unless Whoppit was with him. One of his wife Tonia's tasks was to hand Whoppit to him on entering the cockpit.
Whoppit was with Campbell during his serious crash during a land-speed record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1960, driving the Proteus Bluebird.
Campbell was killed during a record attempt on Coniston
in 1967, whilst driving the jet hydroplane Bluebird K7
. Campbell's body wasn't recovered, although Mr Whoppit floated free and was found almost immediately (Campbell's body was finally located and recovered in 2001).
Campbell also named one of his dogs 'Whoppit'.
Gar Wood and his brother George also kept teddy bears tied to their raceboat engines.
manufactured a 9-inch tall Woppit bear wearing a red felt jacket and one of these was given to the (adult) Donald by his close friend Peter Barker. On joining the Bluebird team, Woppit acquired a miniature of their "Bluebird" patch sewn to his jacket, later followed by a one-piece flight suit. His name also changed slightly to 'Mr Whoppit'. In 1959, both Campbell and Mr Whoppit were photographed together in Robin.
In the late 1990s, Merrythought re-issued a limited production of 5,000 replicas of Mr Whoppit, with the original red jacket now sporting the Bluebird motif.
In 1995 she offered him for auction, together with other Campbell memorabilia, although he failed to reach the reserve and remains in her possession. The decision to auction off Mr Whoppit was a cause of acrimony between Gina Campbell and Donald's widow Tonia Bern-Campbell, which re-surfaced again during the recovery of Bluebird in 2001. In 2001, Whoppit and Gina Campbell returned to Coniston
together for Donald's funeral.
Donald Campbell
Donald Malcolm Campbell, CBE was a British speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s...
, the land
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
and water speed record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
holder.
As was his father Sir Malcolm Campbell
Malcolm Campbell
Sir Malcolm Campbell was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times during the 1920s and 1930s using vehicles called Blue Bird...
, Donald Campbell was highly superstitious. Both consulted spiritualist mediums and fortune tellers, Donald also placed his faith in a lucky mascot, Mr Whoppit. He refused to drive unless Whoppit was with him. One of his wife Tonia's tasks was to hand Whoppit to him on entering the cockpit.
Whoppit was with Campbell during his serious crash during a land-speed record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1960, driving the Proteus Bluebird.
Campbell was killed during a record attempt on Coniston
Coniston Water
Coniston Water in Cumbria, England is the third largest lake in the English Lake District. It is five miles long, half a mile wide, has a maximum depth of 184 feet , and covers an area of . The lake has an elevation of 143 feet above sea level...
in 1967, whilst driving the jet hydroplane Bluebird K7
Bluebird K7
Bluebird K7 was a turbo jet-engined hydroplane with which the United Kingdom's Donald Campbell set seven world water speed records during the 1950s and 1960s. Campbell lost his life in K7 on January 4, 1967 whilst making a bid to raise the speed record to over on Coniston Water.-Design:Donald...
. Campbell's body wasn't recovered, although Mr Whoppit floated free and was found almost immediately (Campbell's body was finally located and recovered in 2001).
Campbell also named one of his dogs 'Whoppit'.
Gar Wood and his brother George also kept teddy bears tied to their raceboat engines.
Mr Whoppit's origins
'Woppit' first appeared as a cartoon strip 'The story of Woppit' about a toy teddy bear, from the first issue of the comic Robin in 1953. In 1956, MerrythoughtMerrythought
Merrythought is a toy manufacturing company established in 1930 in the United Kingdom. The company specialises in children's soft toys, especially teddy bears. It is the last remaining British teddy bear factoryDean's Rag Book Co. is an older British teddy bear company however their products are...
manufactured a 9-inch tall Woppit bear wearing a red felt jacket and one of these was given to the (adult) Donald by his close friend Peter Barker. On joining the Bluebird team, Woppit acquired a miniature of their "Bluebird" patch sewn to his jacket, later followed by a one-piece flight suit. His name also changed slightly to 'Mr Whoppit'. In 1959, both Campbell and Mr Whoppit were photographed together in Robin.
In the late 1990s, Merrythought re-issued a limited production of 5,000 replicas of Mr Whoppit, with the original red jacket now sporting the Bluebird motif.
With Gina Campbell
In later years, Donald's daughter Gina Campbell also adopted Whoppit as a mascot for her own water record-breaking attempts. These led to Whoppit's third high-speed crash.In 1995 she offered him for auction, together with other Campbell memorabilia, although he failed to reach the reserve and remains in her possession. The decision to auction off Mr Whoppit was a cause of acrimony between Gina Campbell and Donald's widow Tonia Bern-Campbell, which re-surfaced again during the recovery of Bluebird in 2001. In 2001, Whoppit and Gina Campbell returned to Coniston
Coniston, Cumbria
Coniston is a village and civil parish in the Furness region of Cumbria, England. It is located in the southern part of the Lake District National Park, between Coniston Water, the third longest lake in the Lake District, and Coniston Old Man; about north east of Barrow-in-Furness.-Geography and...
together for Donald's funeral.