By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

To me the world has become a much better and softer world the day I discovered Teddy bears. This happened in the person of my beloved Truffle McFurry, whom you probably know quite well in the meanwhile.

I live though in a country -Spain- where the Teddy Bear culture is not very alive. I guess it will come, one day. It was the same with the pets. Until not a long time ago, the Spaniards didn’t really know the notion of pet: dogs, for example, were only there to watch the house. And cats to catch mice.

Now, every time I travel to the UK, it is like being in Paradise: Teddy Bears are everywhere, they are part of everybody’s daily life.

I was so surprised as one day, at a charity shop from Mojacar beach, only a couple of kilometres away from where I live, I found Lord Albert,  a magnificent Teddy. The woman told me his name, and cuddled him a very long time before handling him over to me. It was obvious, that she was sad to let him go. I told her
“Don’t worry, he is going to a very loving home.”

We took lord Albert home. He was glad to be with us, but he felt a bit alone. I had no other aristocrat in the house, he missed that. And he missed a wife. He didn’t say it, him being English and understated, but it was quite obvious. I don’t know if he was a widow, or a bachelor as we adopted him.. would love to know! If somebody comes across this post and knows my Lord Albert, please tell me what you know about him.

Anyway Ann La Mar found in internet a wonderful little Duchess. Lord Albert and I looked at her, and for him, it was love at first sight. We let her come all the way from England. I was a bit worried, as love needs to be reciprocated. But Duchess Alba also fell in love at first glance. Both are now spending all their time together, and look very happy. There are even some talks of wedding in the air…

These two, they look so much like my partner and me: the size difference certainly corresponds, me being about half as tall as him. Only the skin colours are inverted!  🙂

PS: If you are interested in prints of that painting, they are available in many different sizes on paper, metal, canvas, wood, etc. Also on pillows, covers, phone cases, Tote bags, shower curtains, T-shirts, notebooks, towels etc.  Just click on the painting, it will bring you to my shop online.