“Absolutely ridiculous”.
“Terrible”.
“They look like aliens”. “What were they thinking?” “It looks like something that I shouldn’t say on tape”.
These were just a handful of reactions in regards to what appears to be a crossbreed between a Pokémon (an ugly one at that) and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Thousands of pounds were spent in the dream of creating a masterpiece representing Britain in all its glory, and instead we end up with Wenlock and Mandeville.
While they look hideous and ungodly, the names are intuitive with Wenlock, being named after the Shropshire town that had helped to inspire Pierre de Coubertin launch the modern Olympics, and Mandeville whose name is of the Buckinghamshire town where the Paralympics were founded.
But that isn’t any justification for this insane insult, which has left many Britons feeling disheartened. Only some are bold enough to say something along the lines of “It looks quite cute actually…I like it”.
About This Story...
This story was produced by Nadine Reynolds, 15, and Shanice Coleman, 15, as part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Futureversity summer programme.
