Above is our House Bear named Monty (named well before we had our Labrador of same name).
If any children should come to stay WITHOUT their own Bear, they are offered Monty to keep them company during their stay.
As a child I didn't have a Bear; instead I had a 'soldier doll' named Alphonse. He stood nearly 2 ft tall, and was dressed in Khaki-coloured army fatigues. He was a hard 'composition' doll, so not really the type you'd take to bed with you; he was won by my mother at a Red Cross Ball in London. I still have him back in England, and other than my 'spoon and pusher' he's the one thing that's stayed with me throughout my life.
My own children naturally had their own Bears. My oldest son had Bryn, my daughter had Mrs Pins, and my youngest had Harry (you might remember Harry's Passport). The first two were named by the children; Harry came ready named.
I think all children should have a Bear. Not some silly dayglo Disney character Bear that speaks in Japanese, but a pukka Teddy Bear. They, and their owners, soon become inseparable, and as much as they like to pretend that they no longer care for their childhood Bears; let me assure you that they do!
Thinking of what to buy for a small child? Buy a classic Bear.
If you still have your childhood Bear; put up a picture on your page!
Because all the girls at school when I boarded had a bear and I had never had one Mother gave me one for my 21st birthday. He is sitting above me as I type.
ReplyDeleteYes, I don't remember any pukka Bears in the house.
DeleteMonty looks to be an older high quality bear.
ReplyDeleteHe's not very old.... about 50 maybe.
DeleteEldest son still has his bear...Arthur....Arth=Bear..
ReplyDeleteGood for him.
DeleteI don't remember having a teddy when I was young, dolls, yes. My tall grandson, now 17, has his teddy, named Flonce. Looks like he'll be living a long loved life. My daughter's have their teddies still . Youngest grandson has a small collection of soft dogs, all named and we'll loved . Think they'll be living long loved lives too.
ReplyDeleteI'll get my camera ready.
A favourite Bear becomes part of a child's family, rather like a dog or cat. Not something you get rid of as you grow older.
DeleteMonty looks like he'd be great company. I still have my Panda and Lily has her Golden Bear in bed with her every night. We favour original names here.
ReplyDeleteMonty's a nice Bear. He has a non-judgemental face, and very soft fur. Beat that!
DeleteMonty looks a much better quality bear than the one for my 21st. His fur is not at all soft and has not lasted very well.
ReplyDeleteOh dear; I'm afraid I don't remember him!
Deleteyou wouldn't as I got him for my 21st birthday and sailed for N.Z. a few months later.
DeleteI have a small, sitting bear called Teddy. My sister (5 years older than me) gave him to me when I was born. My siblings had a sure-fire way of upsetting me - by calling him Edward! Threadbare, and without his growl, he is much loved.
ReplyDeleteI think Edward Thread-Bear sounds rather nice.
DeleteSo glad I’m not the only one! Our house bear is for ME though!?!
ReplyDeleteLX
I wouldn't admit to such a thing.
DeleteI remember having a golliwog when I was a tot. I used to play with it and when I'd finished I'd chuck it in the 'toy box' with all the other toys at the end of the day. If I had bears I never cuddled them or took them to bed. My mother would 'tuck me in' at bed time and tell me a story or sing a lullaby.
ReplyDeleteNo Bear for me either, but I did have the nightly stories. Given the choice between the two, I probably would have chosen the stories.
DeleteI still have my childhood teddy bear. He used to be a girl with a check dress, but at some point my Mum knitted a red and white trouser suit ( I suppose the dress had become too old) and she changed sex! He spent many years in a black plastic bag with my kids old soft toys, but sometime ago I got him out and put him in my bedroom. This last few nights I have , for some reason, cuddled him while going to sleep, and I have had much better sleep than usual ! Just " googled" utility teddy bears" and he is there on about row 17 in all his glorious red and white striped jacket. I must have sent the photo to a friend some years ago and she put it on somewhere!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's Bear was female. She wore a blue gingham dress, and had two baby Bears. She's still reasonably intact, other than one missing eye; but that's traditional.
DeleteI had to look him up on Google. He looks very nice, with his big ears. Nice jumper too.
DeleteOur grandson Will has Ewan the sheep at home, he's very popular. BUT when he sleeps at ours he takes tiger to bed with him, Tiger is called Roar, they always snuggle down together. I keep a teddy on our space bed for the same reason as you.
ReplyDeleteMost children bring their own, but it's good to have a spare!
DeleteI looked at my teddy bear the other day coincidentally. I don't remember him being that important and he didn't come to bed with me and he was just called Teddy.
ReplyDeleteMine was and still is called " Teddy" !
DeleteI suspect that most Bears are called Teddy. Why change something that's worked so well.
DeleteI think my childhood bear ended up on the front of a rubbish lorry. I have his photo (not on the lorry). My grown up children still have their buddies. A monkey called Coco and a Daffy Duck. Still much loved.
ReplyDeleteI always feel so sorry for those Bears on the front of rubbish lorries.
DeleteA two-foot soldier named Alphonse? Have you told this to your therapist? You could save yourself a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a love/hate relationship, but these days I wouldn't part with him for anything.
DeleteThese days, you couldn't part with him without professional help.
DeleteI had a bear named Brownie. I picked him from a bin of bears at a department store where my mom worked when I was a small girl. He was missing a nose, which is why I chose him, and mom sewed on a new nose for him. I have no idea what happened to him, though.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt some other child now has him, and is enjoying him. Noses do tend to be replaced on Bears; just like one eye goes missing.
DeleteBears have always been my toy of choice I should have loved to be married to a man called Edward Bear, but I suppose that we could still do a name change - mainly to confound the Tax people. We have lots of bears with assorTED names.
ReplyDeleteWe have several soft toys around but only one Bear (Monty). And, yes, I do have a golly.
DeleteOo, yes, Teddy still lives at my place but in the wardrobe these days! He's a yellow shearling bear that is loved back to the raw skin in parts. There's a photo of me around age 1 holding him and he looks like he's half my size but he's only about the size of a dinner plate. I'll take a pic tomorrow and give him an airing on the ol' blog. I'm not sure Alphonse sounds cuddly at all but it's nice to know he's still around.
ReplyDeleteNo, Alphonse wasn't at all cuddly, but he was won by my mother in a prize draw. I quite like looking at him though.
DeleteI never had a "special" toy that I slept with. My daughter was given a very soft Peter Rabbit when she was a baby - she took him to university with her! Son has a dog named Riley that he slept with every night. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI had a large Lion head 'bag' that my pajamas went into. It was a beautiful thing, and years later I saw the exact same thing on top of a wardrobe in an 'Interiors' magazine. I wonder if it was mine?
DeleteI remember falling in love with a giant teddy in Harveys of Guildford when I was a child. I saved up my pocket money and eventually bought this oversized teddy for ten guineas. After several years in the attic he was sold at auction about a decade ago.
ReplyDeleteDidn't one of your girls want it? I hope you made a good profit!
DeleteI wish I did have my bear. I cut his hair at some stage on the grounds that if mine grew so should his. He was names Teddy but that was short for 'Teddy-weddy-lard-Body' after my maternal Uncle's teddy. I wish, now, that I knew the history of that name (Body was my Uncle's surname.)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a very 21st C name (not very PC of me). Shame you haven't still got him; especially with a name like that.
DeleteHello Cro my mum bought me my teddy bear when I was four years old and I am now 62 so he and I have been through much together
ReplyDeleteLast winter he had surgery to repair his damaged tummy but he came through it just fine so well indeed that I knitted him some pyjamas and a nightcap x wish I could send you a photo but alas I don't know how x
That's a great story, and shows total dedication to your friendship. Exactly the relationship one should have with a Bear.
DeleteMy oldest son had his 'moo cow'... and still has it (he and Moo just turned 50). My mother-in-law made it for him when he was a toddler and he latched onto it forever. Poor Moo is in sad shape these days, but apparently still around.
ReplyDeleteAs they always say in the antique trade; it's not tattered, it's been well loved.
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