If We Are Kind And Polite

April 22, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / 2 Comments

Text and Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration being a copy of a painting by R.W.ALLEY)

Hello, Paddington here!

In these crazy times of Witch Corona making us all suffering so much, all over the world, everybody has something to say and advise about it. Especially all the celebrities come out and say something clever!

This is why I am here today, I am a celebrity too and I have something very important and clever to say. Well, it is not me who said it the first time, it was my Auntie Lucy in Darkest Peru. She said:

“If you are kind and polite the world will be right!”

So, PLEASE, everybody, and you too, Witch Corona, be kind and polite!

If We Are Kind And Polite S

Bear Hunt Trail For Children

March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

Seen in CamdenNewJournal, The Independant London Newspaper, 25.03.2020

“Sweet Idea” to lift spirits.

RESIDENTS in West Hampstead are lifting sprits by putting teddy bears in their window for children to spot during their times of permitted exercise during the coronavirus lockdown.

The soft toys can be seen in windows in Gondar Gardens, Agamemnon Road and other nearby streets to create a neighbourhood ‘bear hunt’ during precious outside moments.

“This is something uplifting during this crisis,” said Fortune Green councillor Lorna Russell. “Lots of lovely residents have put teddy bears in their windows to create a bear hunt for children that walk by. What a sweet idea for children…

Miki de Goodaboom:

It reminds me of that beautiful vintage Winnie The Pooh that I saw in a window in Fowey, Cornwall, while I was on a painting trip through Devon & Cornwall, in May 2018. I wonder if he is still sitting there, i so much hope he does!

Please let me know if you spotted him!

Or is you spotted Teddy Bears in a window!

(Prints of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online)

Winnie The Pooh In Fowey

July 19, 2018March 28, 2020 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Kev Le Chat

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

While we -Mki de Goodaboom, Truffle McFurry and me- were in Fowey, Cornwall recently, we came across this beautiful antique Winnie the Pooh bear.

I’m not a fan of the stylised Disney bear version which always looks superficial to me, but there was something about this one, sat forlornly in a window that exuded a certain tender gravitas and sweet melancholy, something that spoke of A.A.Milne.

It’s the best Winnie the Pooh I’ve seen!

(Prints of all sorts are available. Click on the painting to go to Miki de Goodaboom’s shop online!)

Upside Down Christmas With Paddingtons And Piccadilly

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Ann La Mar

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

In my role as roving reporter for Miki I am given all sorts of interesting tasks. I was thrilled to be put on Paddington Patrol.

I was keen to get on with this so while on a shopping trip in Yarm I was over the moon to find Paddington in Waterstones book shop window. I had my phone out in a flash and began taking photos. Looking closely at the scene it was really quite amusing. A big Paddington was surrounded by Paddington books and behind him was a Christmas tree with gingerbread men, candy canes and little Paddington decorations. The thing that caught my eye was this cute little Paddington suspended upside down from the top of the tree clinging on to the branches he really looked as though he had made an early start on the Christmas sherry! I couldn’t wait to get home to send Miki the pictures.

Once home I was thinking of this poor little Paddington and asking myself why I didn’t buy him and rescue him from his precarious position. I mentioned this to Miki and of course she said ‘Why didn’t you’!

First thing the next morning, feeling rather guilty I went back to Waterstones and asked the girl in the shop if I could possibly rescue the poor little Paddington from their window display. She was very amused and proceeded to get him from the tree. He was suspended by his leg with fishing line poor little thing. This little bear had ‘spoken’ to me and we had a connection so he was the only one I wanted. I was delighted to set him free and bring him home.

Next came his name, as the real Paddington bear was named after Paddington station where he was found and Miki and Truffle have Euston bear from Paddington’s family living with them, I decided this family member must also be named after a station. I looked at the underground stations and came up with Piccadilly because he was in a Pickle when I first saw him and ‘dilly’ loosely means delighted and I was certainly delighted to have him. Miki loves his name and thinks it is very funny and so like an ‘upside down’ Paddington.

PS: If you are interested in prints of this 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 and many more. Just click on the painting, it will bring you to Miki de Goodaboom’s online shop.

Children In Need

November 17, 2017December 1, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Today I am doing something very important! I am sitting with Pudsey and other little bears to collect money for the Children In Need!

I met Pudsey the first time at Newby Hall, as we were visiting all the bears from Gyles Brandreth. He was already collecting money there, he is so generous!

I did not have a white thing with red dots to put on around my head like Pudsey, so I tore up a piece of my red trousers with the white hearts. I hope it will work too and people will give much money for the poor children!

Love you all

Truffle

Pudsey And Truffle McFurry For Children In Need S

We Love Paddington Movies

November 16, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki De Goodaboom)

A long time ago I told you about Euston, our little bear from Paddington Bear’s family, who arrived all the way alone from England. We all had many discussions to find the right name for him, he wanted to be called “Paddington” too, but my Mom Miki said we could not do it, because there is only one Paddington.

But now we have it, he is called “Euston”. Because he took the train at Euston Station in London, to come to us in Spain.

We have watched together the first Paddington movie, we love it so much! And now we can’t wait to see the new one, everybody says it is great. My parents said we will look at it for Christmas. What a wonderful Christmas gift for the whole family!

Love you all

Take care

Truffle xxx

We Love Paddington S

Teddy Linton And Mary Lou

November 11, 2017November 12, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

The other day I had such a wonderful surprise. a very nice lady wrote me an email, yes to me in person, Truffle McFurry. She had found the image of Teddy Lynton here, in Go Teddy.

We had met Teddy Lynton in England as we were visiting all the bears from my mate Gyles Brandreth, the very famous and lovely man from the TV in England. My Mom Miki wrote about it here. Read it, it is very interesting. Lynton was the Teddy of Tony Blair, a very important man says my Dad.

The nice lady was saying that she was a friend from Mary Lou, who had made Lynton. That Mary Lou had a shop once in London, and it was called “Lou Lou Bears”. What a cute name for a teddy bear shop, isn’t it?!!! Anyway Loulou was very happy to see her bear Lynton painted, and to see it on all the nice things my mom sells. She wants one of them too.

She made my day! My Mom and auntie Ann said

“The circle is closed!”

I don’t know exactly what it means, but they love it when a circle closes, so I guess it is a fabulous thing!

Love you all

Truffle xxx

Mr Bean’s Teddy

July 26, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

I was once a big fan of Mr Bean, one of the rare TV comic figures who did manage to make me laugh. There are not so many!

These days, I did not know Teddy Bears, I had not met my Truffle McFurry yet, and had had none as a child. I certainly did not get it with the Teddy Bear love, and to my deep shame today, I even ignored them. Which is why I did not even know that Mr Bean’s best friend was his Teddy Bear “Teddy”!

Here is what I found about him on the “Mr Bean Wiki”:

“…Teddy (born in August 15) is Mr. Bean‘s teddy bear, generally regarded as Mr Bean’s best friend. The bear is a dark brown, knitted oddity with button eyes and sausage-shaped limbs, invariably ending up broken in half or in various other states of destruction and disfiguration. Although Teddy is inanimate, Mr Bean occasionally pretends it is alive. For example, when Mr Bean hypnotises Teddy, he snaps his fingers and the bear’s head falls backwards as if it has fallen asleep instantly (Bean used his finger to prop Teddy’s head up). Certainly, Bean behaves as if the bear is real, buying it a Christmas present or trying not to wake it in the mornings. The bear is often privy to Mr. Bean’s various schemes and doubles as a good dish cloth or paint brush in an emergency; it has been decapitated (“Mr. Bean in Room 426”) and shrunk in the wash (“Tee Off, Mr. Bean”). In the animated series, he has a girlfriend. It is actually Irma Gobb’s teddy (Lottie), which doesn’t appear in the original series.

Over the years, Teddy has undergone several changes. When it debuted on The Trouble with Mr. Bean, it had a smaller head. Two episodes later, its head reached its current size, but its “eye” wasn’t present until Bean placed gold thumb tacks on its face. The “eyes” have since been replaced with two small white buttons sewn over Teddy’s face, giving it a distinct image…”

Well, I guess I will have to look at Mr Bean again. I do need to see him with teddy. In the meanwhile I have painted them together… based on toys, which were given to me last year…

Mr Bean And Teddy S

Napoleon Bearnaparte

July 12, 2017July 14, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

Our bear family has grown a lot in the last months. I was very busy with some painting projects, and still am, but now I have decided to take 2 weeks to catch up with painting some of our new bears. A portrait is a portrait, be it of a person or of a Teddy bear. Painting them if for me the best way to get really close to them, to look into their soul. Because in case you don’t know it: Teddy Bears have got a soul, a wonderful one!

I started the two weeks painting Shakesbear giving writing lessons to my Teddy Truffle McFurry.

My mother, who is a very nice 92 old lady, always loved dolls (not like me) and did not really know Teddies. But with me, she got to know them, as I always bring some of her grand-children with me to her. She has caught the bug now, and always get me some new. This is how, partly, my bear family increased so much!

She recently saw Napoleon Bearnaparte on the net (yes, she is a profi with the internet, needed a tablet and just a bit more than one year to learn it all) and wanted me to have him. In memory of my brother, who recently passed away and loved Napoleon. She too likes Napoleon. I am a bit embarrassed about that, as I am not sure Napoleon was a good person… but one can admire him for his military skills, I suppose.

Anyway, my Napoleon Bearnaparte is a good person, and certainly looks infinitely cuter than the original one!

Napoleon Bearnaparte S

Shakesbear

July 11, 2017July 14, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / 2 Comments

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hallo everybody!

I told you millions of times, I am writing books right now. And I need them to be best-sellers, because I want to buy a castle where all abandoned Teddy Bears of the world could live.

Buy my Mom Miki de Goodaboom says, it is difficult to write a best-seller. So, she has decided to invite the Great Shakesbear at our home in Spain, to give me lessons about how to write a best-seller.

I had 2 lessons already. When I have my lessons, I am wearing my school boy uniform. Well, I never was at a real school, so I don’t have a school uniform, but we looked in my wardrobe and put something smart together.

The first lesson was while my parents were swimming. When they came back home my Mom asked me how the lesson was, and I told her it was great and exciting. But she looked at me with her big brown eyes. She did not understand one word! My Dad told her that I was speaking all Shakesbearean suddenly!

Love you all, take care, xx

Truffle

Shakesbear And Truffle McFurry S