Ipswich: Sara Cox and Radio Two listeners help find new name for Ipswich museum’s wooly mammoth - early favouite is Wool-I-Am
Gordon Mole, Head of Community and Cultural Services with the Mammoth in Ipswich Museum that has been made famous by Sara Cox and the Radio 2 Breakfast Show
In life they roamed Suffolk 210,000 years ago – but now Ipswich’s mammoth display has attracted a new nationwide fan base.
And this is set to bring the replica mammoth on show at the town’s museum in High Street a new lease of life – and a new name.
Ipswich Museum caught the eye of producers of Sara Cox’s Radio Two programme after a listener contacted the station to point out that it had a full-sized mammoth taking pride of place as visitors go into the building.
Museum boss Gordon Mole went on the programme to talk about it, and to challenge listeners to come up with a name.
Interest took off with hundreds of thousands of people reading tweets about the museum and tens of thousands e-mailing suggestions for a name – the early favourite is “Wool I Am.”
Mr Mole was delighted that the museum – and the mammoth – had attracted the nation’s attention.
He said: “We are very proud of what we have on show here. The mammoth is, of course, a life-size model. But we also have fossils of the real thing found in the area.
Most Read
- 1 Most desirable places to live in Ipswich according to estate agents
- 2 Ipswich man charged with string of sexual offences
- 3 Could you offer one of these rescue animals their forever home in Suffolk?
- 4 Missing 12-year-old girl from Ipswich found safe
- 5 Jailed in Suffolk: The criminals locked up so far in 2022
- 6 Regent expansion project takes step forward as plans urged for approval
- 7 7 roadworks Suffolk drivers should be aware of this week
- 8 Ipswich singer to perform UK festival tour after scoring club hit
- 9 Ipswich Music Day 2022: All you need to know
- 10 Popular Ipswich motorcycle show to return for 30th year
“It all came about because Sara asked what people could do in Yorkshire after the Tour de France had been through and they were talking about museums.
“Someone called in and said ‘In Ipswich we’ve got a mammoth in our museum’ and Sara’s producer is an Ipswich fan who remembered seeing the mammoth during a school trip and they followed it up.”
Mr Mole was not sure about the name of the mammoth at this stage: “We’re going to look at all the suggestions and it will be up to the young members of our Mini Mammoth club to decide during the summer.”
The publicity should stir up more interest in the museum, which should help to persuade the Heritage Lottery Fund that it’s application for a substantial grant is worthwhile.
He said: “It is great that there was so much interest, it shows that the museum is very important to many people.”
