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Prince William And Kate And Kids At Newby Hall

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

My last post was about the Royal Balcony in the Bear House at Newby Hall. Noblesse oblige – I know, I know, they are all noble…  🙂 -, I had started painting Queen Elisabeth and Prince Philip.

Next to them were a young couple with two kids. I assume they were Prince William and Kate with George and Charlotte.  At least the resemblance was amazing, and it was a delight to paint them.

Little George was holding a teddy bear himself.. one could hardly see him, but what a cute detail! My Truffle McFurry, so obsessed with celebrities, saw him very well though, and asked me to have him as George’s bear on the painting… I could not refuse -can you see Truffy on the painting?-, but no way I would ever give my Truffle to anybody in the world, not even to princes, princesses, kings or queens or even gods! I could lend him to pose for a photo with them, but that’s it!

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Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip At Newby Hall

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

One of the settings which most impressed us when we were visiting Gyles Brandreth’s Bear House at Newby Hall in the UK, was the royal balcony. Gorgeous bears meaning to represent the royal family were standing there and waving to the crowd. It was so beautiful!

For some reason, one could really recognise Queen Elizabeth in that cute teddy with the blue dress and hat.

As for Prince Philip, I am not that sure. I suppose it was him, but the teddy standing next to the Queen had so much “hair”… well, I guess it is not easy to find a half- bold Teddy! But the ears certainly do the job… 🙂

 

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GrandMa And GrandDa At Newby Hall

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

Let me introduce you to GrandMa and GrandDa, the gorgeous grand-parents from the Bear House at Newby Hall in Yorkshire, UK.

My own Teddy Truffle McFurry, who was there with me and Ann La Mar, was a bit upset that GrandMa and GrandDa had some numbers tattooed on them. I explained to him that it was like with the Paddington bears, that there are many of them, because they are so famous, and many people wants one of them.

“Does it mean that there will be many of me when I have written the best-seller and I am famous?”, he asked.

“Perhaps, Truffy. Would you like that?”

“Euh… I am not sure… I like to be unique, me…”

“Well, we will see then, Truffy. You would still be unique, you know. The other Truffles would just be copies of you. But anyway, first we have to write this best-seller, and for that you have to work now !”

“But it is Sunday… Daddy said it is Sunday and one does not work and one hangs around in pyjamas the whole day!”

My Truffy has always the last word!

“Hermann Dressed Bears: The Pauline Grattan request
The Teddy-Hermann company was founded in 1912 in Sonneberg, Germany by Bernard Hermann who had earlier worked with his father, Johann, in the family business, crafting children’s violins and wooden toys. The Hermann Dressed bears are now among the world’s most collectable bears and almost all the dressed bears here were generously bequeathed to the collection by a very special bear collector, Pauline Grattan.”

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Teddy Lynton At Downing Street 10

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

 

Before my Truffle McFurry entered my life some years ago, I had no idea about the world of teddy bears. I had never had one before. I did not know how beloved they are around the world, among children and adults as well.

I went from one surprise to the next when I read Michele Brown ‘s (Gyes Brandreth’s wife) book “The Teddy Bear Hall Of Fame ” and discovered their story. I found out that even some very important people in history have had and loved a Teddy bear, and not only as they were children. And I thought:

“As long as this is the case, the world cannot be  that bad!”

One of these men is Tony Blair. There he was, his Teddy Bear  “Lynton”, posing in front of following letter written y Tony Blair:

“Here is Lynton, my family Bear. he was sent to me just after the 1997 General Election and holds a special place in our hearts. He normally leaves at Chequers but has come for a holiday at The Teddy bear Museum. I hope you enjoy meeting him as much as he will enjoy meeting you!
4 July 1998 – Tony Blair”

We certainly were over the moon to meet Lynton. I could, of course, not resist painting him in front of Downing Street 10…

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Truffle McFurry And Bua At Newby Hall

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Text by Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hi everybody!

My Mom Miki de Goodaboom has started painting the great bears we met at my friend Gyles’ Bear House when we were on our Tour of Yorkshire.

On the third day, we had decided to take with us Auntie’s Ann bear Bua. We took every day with us another of her bears, and we all had a ball. It was so nice to have so many different travel mates.

Bua is a German boy, and Auntie Ann will tell his story in our book. I think he was the last one she had adopted before we arrived… we were so impatient to meet him. As soon as we saw him, we adopted him in our hearts too, he is so cute.

Before we went to the Bear House, we sat at the cafe there, it was very lovely, Bua and me we posed for Miki, very close to each other, like the best friends in the world!

I hope you like the painting… and us!

Love you all

Take care

Truffle

newby-hall-truffle-and-bua-s

Tough Ted And His Friends At Newby Hall

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

Some more wonderful bears from Gyles Brandreth Bear House at Newby Hall in the UK…

These were not celebrities bears, I think. They were not behind glass, and they were no explicate notes telling who they are. They were sitting directly under the roof, on a wooden bar from the roof structure. They were not famous, but nevertheless incredibly cute and touching.

I fell in love with this scene, with Tough Ted and his big Teddy Mate, and the bear girl with the marine dress turning her back to them! Reminded me of so many scenes between children…

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Vampiretta And Teddy Pumpkin

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Text and Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, Teddy based on a photograph by Kev le Chat)

 

Recently my Teddy Truffle McFurry and me  spent a wonderful week in north Yorkshire, invited by Ann La Mar, one of our star reporters at “Go Teddy!”. We three are right now writing a  huge book about that adventure, with many illustrations. Of many places there and, of course, of teddy bears

On my way back I took the train to Derby , where Kev le Chat – also working as reporter at “Go Teddy!” picked me up at the station. He have me as a gift a very cute little doll, disguised as a vampire for Halloween. I call her Vampiretta.

The other day he went again to a Photo Safari and sent me the photo of  a Teddy Pumpkin. I guess the Halloween business is blooming up there! Vampiretta loves him, and asked me to paint him.

“If not, I will bite you!”

she said and showed me her Baby Vampire teeth through her big smile.

Who can say “no!” to a vampire? Far too dangerous! 🙂

 

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The Truffle From Whitby

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By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

Something incredible happened to me while I was touring The North of Yorkshire: I met another Truffle!

I can’t tell you more, I will be writing it for our book and I am not allowed to tell more now. It is a big secret!

But my Mom allows me to show you the images. So here is the other Truffle. I think he had had a bad accident, don’t you think?

Take care!

Truffle

 

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Me And Me

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By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

My Mom and me are very busy writing and painting our two books, it is a huge work! I think it will take ages until we are finished.

One of the books is about our Tour de Yorkshire with our reporter Ann La Mar. I am not allowed to tell you many details, but I can show you the images of the book which have to do with the Teddy Bears or other furry creatures we met.

But today, it is just about me and me. Ann la Mar loves me very much, and has me on her screen on her new iPhone. Miki sent her the photo of me posing as a professional footballer for the Europa Championship, some months ago. She loved it so much that she is looking at it all the time on her phone.

On the painting, I am sitting in a lovely Cafe in Whitby, on the English coast, with Ann La Mar’s phone. More about it in the book.

Be patient!

Take care, love you all

Truffle McFurry

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A Bibliophile Teddy Bear In Great Ayton

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

My Mom Miki and me have just come back from an exploring and painting trip through North Yorkshire in England. We had been invited by our amazing “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Ann La Mar. She was the best guide ever, she knew every little corner and road, and she showed us so many beautiful things!

It was so exciting that Miki, Ann and Me have decided to write a book together about our adventures there. I cannot tell you much now, because if I did, you would not want to buy the book, and you need to buy it, because I want it to become a best-seller” I need serious pocket money, but I cannot tell you why now!

I saw that funny bear with the golden glasses in a shop in Great Ayton, where Captain Cook went to school. That bear was a “bibliophile” (Miki told me!), somebody who loves books. I love that word, and I will use it very often, because it is the best way to learn it for ever! I am a bibliophile too, I love books, but I don’t really love reading, I prefer when my Mom reads out loud for me!

Love you all, take care! xx

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