The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 530 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 9 trips to carry that many people.
During my work as an Old Teddy Bear Dealer and writer, I obviously come across many stories about people and their Old Bears that touch me, but there was one story recently that I must admit fetched a tear to my eye, although at the same time it was just that little bit beautiful.
Thought you may like to hear it, so I will tell it to you as it was told to me….
‘An unmarried lady named Marjorie Feltham who was aged 85 had seen her wealthy family and friends die one by one, until she was almost alone, that is, apart from her Old Teddy Bear who was named Edward and who had been living with her since she was just two years old.
When Miss Feltham died in a Nursing Home, the staff there discovered that her last request was that Edward Bear should be cremated with her. During her eight year stay at the Nursing Home in Bristol, she never once received a visitor, Edward Bear being her only comforter and friend and they all recall how worried she was as to what would happen to Edward when she passed on.
So, the pair were placed in an eternal embrace by the nurses who worked there, as they were determined to carry out her last request. Later their ashes were scattered on a rose garden that was situated nearby.
Miss Feltham’s life was actually shrouded in mystery as she never ever talked to anyone about her life, all the nurses knew was Edward Bear was given to her by a Great Aunt.
Eighty three years of love had worn away the fur of the lovely old German Teddy Bear and he was rather tattered and torn but like most of us, Miss Feltham never worried about that.
The owner of the home where she lived said ‘It’s a tragic story. Margaroie was a lovely old lady but she had no partner other than her bear. She could never be parted from it and the nursing staff knew that she wanted Teddy Edward by her side when she went. She was kindly and would help anyone, but she would never discuss her past. By the end she had very little money left but I know she came from a very wealthy family and was the last in the line.’
Edward Bear….her partner in both life and in death.
So there you have it…I hope you enjoy this wonderful story and are touched by it as much as I was.
Boris Bear finally gets some new socks.
For years (well ever since he has lived with me) he has worn a pair of mine.
Finally my Old Bear gets some new socks.
Old Bears In Socks.
Just hope he likes them !!!
Having been a musician/songwriter in my past, I decided it really was time to get back to writing but first I needed a little bit of help and I looked to my collection of Teddy Bears. However, although all of my Bears both old and new love music as my house is always full of it, none of them actually fitted the bill and so I knew it was time to go out there and to find the right Bear.
At first I looked at Old Bears, but although one of two could have helped, they were just not ‘Mr. Right’ and so I carried on looking until, quite by chance really, I came across a Steiff ‘Oliver’ Teddy Bear who was made in 2004 in a Limited Edition of just 4,000 worldwide. As soon as I looked at him, I knew he was THE ONE.
On our drive home, I could feel him almost humming to the music I was playing, which ranged from modern day music to classical.
When he arrived in his new home, however, he needed more of a name, something more kind of ‘musical’ and although I loved his name Oliver (which was given to him by Steiff), he needed something more and I added the name Lennon to it. I mean what better name could any musician have but the name Lennon. So Oliver Lennon and I began our musical partnership.
Last Saturday, I took him to Cardiff to a James Taylor concert. He just loved it.
Oliver Lennon at a James Taylor Concert.
We also spent sometime looking around the capital city, occasionally stopping for a cold drink.
Stopping for a cold drink.
His favourite part of the whole concert, however, was when James Taylor sang Oliver’s favourite song…..’You’ve Got A Friend’. It could have been written about a Teddy Bear’s love, couldn’t it ????
Sorting through some old photographs recently, Lorraine and I stumbled across one that she particularly liked, of herself and Sooty Teddy Bear (who she actually calls ‘King Of Bears’).
It was taken when she was 7 in one of very favourite places….Dorset.
She said she remembers it really well because that day she was allowed to wear her favourite dress (a dress she told me she wishes she had today). It was taken not long after her 7th birthday and it was on a trip to a very special place called The Blue Pool.
Sooty Bear (who was then a pure white Teddy Bear and who now is a rather grey Old Teddy Bear) was always with her, whether it was on her birthday, at Christmas or on special days out and vacations.
When Lorraine first pulled out this photograph – and I was sitting next to her – she said it brought back so many memories and that she could even smell the sea air.
My Old Teddy Bear and Me.
By the way, Sooty Bear is still living with us, He spends most of his time sitting on a very old chair (nearly as old as he is) as he is much too old to travel and have adventures any more.
Written by…….Gino Bear
James is a very Old Teddy Bear who, without a shadow of a doubt, must have tons of wonderful memories from his past life.
I fell in love with James as soon as I saw him, even though he had lost most of his fur coat and he was half blind. He called out to me and luckily for us both, I think, I was there.
Recently, I took James to Gloucester Cathedral, the reason being, there is an exhibition of sculpture going on. Many of the pieces exhibited were modern art sculptures and I wanted to take some interesting photographs of new and old (of course, poor old James Bear was the ‘old’ bit, but I don’t think he minded one bit).
James poses for a photograph at Gloucester Cathedral
At the front of the Cathedral was this very interesting piece of sculpture. I loved the way Old James Bear looked.
Old Teddy Bear / Modern Sculptures
As he was having his photograph taken, many people came up to him and asked if they too could take his photograph, so I think there could be a lot of James photos around right now. Of course, they couldn’t leave without giving him a cuddle.
James meets a hog.
Inside the Cathedral we came across the Cathedral gardens and we found some very delightful pieces of art work there. Again, Old James Teddy Bear met loads of people.
We both had a very good day there and hopefully, we are hoping to return during the next week or two to take a look at some of the other pieces of art work.
James is already waiting to go !!!!
Old Teddy Bears love fairy stories as we all know, and amongst their all-time favourites are Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland. So, you can imagine I’m sure how excited one of my Old Teddy Bear friends was on Saturday when we went to Gloucester Docks, on the set of the film that is being made there (due out in 2016) called ‘Through The Looking Glass’.
Old Claude Albert Bear also loves sailing ships, so he was even more excited to be amongst it all.
Not only was there some amazing old sailing ships (five in all) but there was also tons of very interesting props and things.
Old Teddy Bear On Set
I think both Claude and I actually lost count of just how many interesting people we spoke to and who gave him a cuddle. He seemed to be the star !!
Claude Albert
The film is due to be released in 2016.
Old Chiltern Bear..Claude Albert
He’s resting today.
Remember the colourful character called Flat Eric ?
he was used in the Levi Commercials of days gone by and he rocketed to fame when he appeared in the music video ‘Flat Beat’ by French Artist Mr. Ozio.
Recently, I was sorting out a very crowded cupboard and I came across my old Flat Eric (or rather he bounced out at me). I picked him up and he really made me laugh. What a wonderful creature and I must admit I had completely forgotten him.
Do you recall in 2004, he co-starred with seventies pop-idol David Soul in a TV commercial for Auto Trader magazine ?
Well, there was no way he was going back into that very tight cupboard and so I had to introduce him to a couple of Teddy Bears who I had decided he would be sharing some shelf space with in the future.
Not sure what they really thought of him at first……
A Hug Of Old Teddy Bears Wonder Who Flat Eric Is.
I think he brings colour into their life and I think they are beginning to accept him now.
His name is Tommy. He was made by the soft toy makers Steevens, as a Mascot Teddy Bear for WW1. His owner was not only a soldier but a medic, hence his dress. Whatever terrible things this little bear has seen we will never know.
Tommy. A Word War 1 Teddy Bear.
Today, here in the UK we are paying tribute to all the men (and women and animals) who died during that terrible war. Between the hours of 10.00 p.m. and 11.00 p.m. we have been asked to switch off our lights and to put a candle in the window, which of course, we will be doing.
I have gathered together a small number of my War Bears together, not only from WW1 but also from WW2, as they too have been touched by war.
Tonight we will be saying prayers in the hope that one day war will be just a word we have heard and all the fighting in the world, for whatever the reason will cease and we will at last all live as one and united. This is my dream !!!
The famous author and poet…Sir John Betjeman wrote a wonderful Poem in memory of his Teddy Bear (Archibald Ormsby-Gore).
I heard the church bells hollowing out the sky,
Deep beyond deep, like never ending stars,
And turned to Archibald, my safe old bear,
Whose woollen eyes looked sad or glad at me,
Whose ample forehead I could wet with tears,
Whose half-moon ears received my confidence,
Who made me laugh, who never let me down.
Sir John Betjemen’s Teddy Bear.
Ginos Bears 