Songwriter Mike Batt has spoken of his sadness at being shut out of a controversial 21st Century remake of The Wombles.
Mr Batt’s hit, Remember You’re A Womble, was a huge part of the enduring appeal of the children’s classic, and the musician even owned a controlling share of the rights to the show’s much loved characters, including Orinoco and Great Uncle Bulgaria.
But bankruptcy four years ago forced him to give them up – and he has now revealed a troubling rift with the new copyright holder, businessman Craig Treharne, who he claims has frozen him out of the plans for the new series.
Common touch: Mike Batt with one of The Wombles said he was sad to be ‘shut out’ of the controversial film remake
Mr Batt, 71, has described feeling ‘distraught’ at the slight, and said it was a ‘personal tragedy’ to be shut out of a brand that was so intertwined with his identity.
‘It just feels horrible not to be the one that is legally in charge of the musical side of any ongoing projects,’ he said.
‘People think, ‘Mike Batt, he’s the Wombles man.’ My wife said to me the other day that if I invented a cure for cancer tomorrow, I’d still always be The Wombles man.’
Mr Batt spoke out after we reported last week that his former friend Mr Treharne wanted to redraw the creatures to make them more ‘woke’, with the introduction of Wombles who may be gender-fluid or of different races.
Biggest bands: The Wombles went on to enjoy chart success in the 1970s with a number of hits
Mr Batt was not only integral to the original series, but took on the brand as part of the novelty pop group, The Wombles, which became one of the biggest bands in the 1970s with a string of hits.
‘A lot of people have said my association with the music can’t ever be severed because everyone knows I’m Mr Womble,’ he said.
‘I wrote 52 songs. We were the biggest pop group in 1975.
‘To me, at my late stage in life, it’s absolutely a personal tragedy to have lost influence.’
The Wombles was first published as a children’s book by Elisabeth Beresford in 1968, and detailed the exploits of a group of characters who lived on Wimbledon Common and cleared it of rubbish, often repurposing what they found.
It was turned into a TV series in 1973 with Mr Batt, then 23, writing the iconic theme tune.
The characters and storylines have been adapted and updated over the years in consultation with Mr Batt and the Beresford family.
But in 2016, Mr Batt sold the 85 per cent stake he had in Wombles Copyright Holdings Ltd to Mr Treharne.
‘I am very unhappy about the way the acquisition was done,’ he said. ‘I would have liked to have retained the right to look after the music.
‘But it was done so quickly that I pretty much had to agree to forgo my position, which I’d enjoyed ever since I began writing the hits and making The Wombles as famous as they were. I had to step aside from that. That was sad.’
Mr Batt, who moved to Wimbledon himself two years ago, said he had not spoken to Mr Treharne for a year but appealed to the new owner to reconsider.
‘I still would offer my services because these little guys that keep the Common tidy are a big part of my life,’ he said.
‘I have a lot of good will towards them. If we [Craig and I] were able to have a friendly, civilised relationship, I believe I could bring value. As it stands, he’s got all the cards.’
Mr Treharne has not recorded any income or profit from the company.
According to Companies House, he has been involved in 22 ventures, including a company that makes bespoke luxury saunas.
Eleven of the previous businesses have been dissolved.
Elisabeth Beresford’s family said they were concerned over his plans for the new series.
Her son, Marcus Robertson, said he also feared the new owner did not have a long-term commitment to his mother’s creations – an allegation Mr Treharne’s representatives described as ‘groundless’.
Mr Robertson said: ‘More than anything, my mother believed that The Wombles belonged to all the children of yesterday, today and tomorrow and any relaunch, while modernising them, should cherish their historical charm and the child-centric magical pleasure they give.’