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Mr Whoppit was the teddy bear mascot of Donald Campbell, the land and water speed record holder. Writing in his 2011 book, ''Donald Campbell: The Man Behind The Mask'', journalist David Tremayne described Whoppit as Campbell's "magic talisman". 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 noted in 2003 by reporter Frank Bennett as being part of the "threesome" arriving for the 1964 record run the others being Campbell himself, and his wife. Bennett remarked that the mascot was in the cockpit each time, along with other memorabilia. 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, while driving the jet hydroplane Bluebird K7. His body wasn't recovered, although Mr Whoppit floated free and was found almost immediately by Leo Villa. Campbell's body was finally located and recovered in 2001. Campbell also named one of his dogs 'Whoppit'.〔 Another teddy bear mascot was found as a 'wife' for Whoppit, named 'Mrs Whacko',〔 who did not ride with Whoppit but stayed with Tonia and the pit crew. ==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, Merrythought manufactured a 9-inch tall Woppit bear wearing a red felt jacket and one of these was given to Donald by his close friend and manager 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.〔"Bears with Rich History" Middlesbrough Evening Gazette, April 18, 2012, p.18〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mr Whoppit」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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