Smart gnome Norbot takes centre stage at creamery
Wallace & Gromit have been joined by their smart gnome companion, thanks to fundraising knitting experts in North Yorkshire.
A 5ft (1.5m) woolly recreation of Norbot, who featured in animated adventure Vengeance Most Fowl, has taken pride of place alongside the claymation characters at the Wensleydale Creamery visitor centre.
Created by the Hawes Yarnbombers, Norbot took 60 balls of yarn to make.
Yarnbomber Jane Barratt said the group were "very pleased" with their creation, in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
She added: "We love him, we were very excited to make him."
Wallace & Gromit first appeared in Nick Park's animated short film A Grand Day Out in 1989 - and returned to screens at Christmas in Vengeance Most Fowl, which pitted the pair against pesky penguin Feathers McGraw.
Wallace's love for Wensleydale cheese - which is produced at the creamery in Hawes - is frequently referenced in the series.
The Yarnbombers have knitted and crocheted figures for several years to raise funds, with Shrek characters among their earlier creations.
They made the Wallace & Gromit figures in 2023.
Yarnbomber Suzanne Excell said the group had raised more than £20,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
"We are so proud of everything we have done," she said.
Norbot, their latest addition, took about 160 hours of work and "lots and lots of thinking time", Ms Excell said.
The woolly figure is a combination of knitting and crocheting and is now on permanent display alongside Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw as part of the creamery's cheese visitor experience.
Tessa Klemz, regional fundraising manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said the group's effort had been "phenomenal".
"To do it in such a creative way, it raises terrific awareness for us in such a rural area and it really does help save lives," she said.
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