bears

Teddy Alphonse At Fontvieille Windmill

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By Ann La Mar

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

One day in early March while racing round making holiday preparations I went to Thornaby on Tees. The little shopping centre there doesn’t have all the fancy chain stores but enough shops to provide basic provisions to the community. It was an ideal place to go for my last minute bits and pieces and the parking is easy.
As I was wandering and as is habit nowadays…probably addiction…. any way one of my many guilty pleasures…I went towards the charity shops, there are three close together to look for teddy bears. I went in the first two and didn’t find any bear that I felt…all teddy bears are beautiful but I like to feel something personal from them. Outside the third shop was a tombola..now I’m not sure how Miki and Truffle would feel about this (maybe they will tell you) and I didn’t tell them at the time because they had so much sadness going on in their lives it didn’t seem right. The tombola was raffling very many orphaned bears all sitting patiently waiting to be loved in new families. I couldn’t pass by and not try to bring some home so I had ten goes on this tombola and not one bear was to come with me.
I went in the shop thinking should I try again then I saw a higgledy piggledy pile of bears and other creatures in a basket in the corner so I began looking in the basket and the back of a yellow patterned waistcoat stood out so I lifted out the bundle and to my joy it was a beautiful little cream coloured bear. He looked so cute in his waistcoat and he was also carrying a sign saying Provence… I had found my bear…Miki and I have had conversations about Provence so he was perfect. I went and paid for him then as I was leaving lots of children were at the tombola so I hope they had teddy bears to take home. I had to walk quickly otherwise I would have gone back and tried to get them all.
Once my bear was safely home I took a good look at him and discovered he was indeed a real French bear from Colmar in the Alsace region of France. Hopefully one day we will all go on a trip and take him home for a visit.

Next he had to have a name so I searched the internet for famous people from Provence while reading the list I read about Alphonse Daudet a writer…he wrote’ Lettres de mon Moulin’ about life at the windmill in Fontvieille well this was an amazing coincidence  as Miki had told me her family name was Fonvielle ( a modernised  version of Fontvieille meaning ‘old source’)….so he had to be called Alphonse.

I took his picture and sent it to Miki saying meet Alphonse, she adored him and asked me to bring him to Spain the following week. Alphonse was going on holiday to meet Miki and Truffle.

PS: Miki de Goodaboom here. Truffle and me did meet Alphonse, what a beautiful bear he is! And a perfect personage to invite you to visit the Provence, and the Fontvieille Moulin. My Dad loved teh Lettre De Mon Moulin, the famosu book written by Alphonse Daudet. For those who know the book and its characters, my Dad made a phenomenal impression of the “Curé de Cucugan”… it still cracks me up when i think of his face doing it!

 

Alphonse At Fontvieille Windmill S

 

 

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!

newby-hall-prince-william-and-kate-and-kids-s

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.”

newby-hall-grandma-and-grandpa-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…

newby-hall-tough-ted-and-friends-s

The Diana’s Bears At Newby Hall

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

With “The Three Paddington Bears”, I started yesterday publishing a series of Teddy Bears from Gyles Brandreth’s collection.  Today it will be “The Diana’s Bears”

These are the ones who probably touched me the deepest… here is their story, written next to them at Newby Hall:

“This is a small collection of the bears left by members of the public at Kensington Palace in memory of Diana, Princess Of  Wales, who died in a car accident in Paris, alongside her friend, Dodi Fayed, in August 1997. Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler, accepted the bears on behalf of the Brandreth Bear Collection in 2000. All the other bears were collected, cleaned and distributed among the children of war-torned former Yugoslavia.”

I habe nothing to add to that really, except perhaps that when i stood in front of them, tears came to my eyes and I had the feeling of witnessing an important and best moment of humanity’s history…

newby-hall-the-dianas-bears-s

Three Paddingtons At Newby Hall

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By Miki de Goodaboom (Illustration and Text)

In September 2016 my Teddy Bear Truffle McFurry and me travelled to the UK to make a Tour of Yorkshire with “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Ann La Mar.

One of our most expected events there was the visit of TV celebrity Gyles Brandreth ‘s Bear House at Newby Hall, exhibiting many  bears from his huge and famous collection.

Ann, Truffle and me will tell you all the details about that exciting day in our illustrated book “The Little Tour Of Yorkshire”, to be published at some point in 2018.

Before the trip, I had contacted Gyles to ask him for the permission of painting some of his bears. He had accepted, writing a charming email to Truffle and me, ending with the words

“With bear hugs and best wishes”

We loved that so much!

The first bears I painted are the first ones we saw as we entered the Bear House: the Paddington Bears. Having one Paddington at home (you can read about him in the post “Paddington Arrived To Spain”), we both were very emotional to see this famous brothers…

Once more I would like to thank Gyles to give all Teddy Bear lovers the opportunity to visit his wonderful bears!

newby-hall-the-three-paddingtons-s

Truffle McFurry On His Way To Malta

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By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

 

Hi everybody, I hope you are well and still love us, Teddy Bears!

I was just in holidays with my Mom Miki, the French painter, and my Dad, the English rocker. Well, my Mom was not in holiday because it was a painting trip. She was working.

It was our first holiday together again, for a long time, and it was so nice! We were in Malta, an island far away in the middle of the big blue sea. 2 weeks!

We took the plane in a new place, it is a city in Spain, it is called Valencia. I had never been there before. As always I was quite scared to go through the security, sitting in my tray and going into the tunnel, where they check if I have a bomb inside!

Look on the painting, we are waiting to go into the plane under the sign of the police. I tried to look cool, but the police is always scary. Even when you are innocent, you always feel that you have done something wrong and you think they will arrest you!

But they did not arrest us, and we could go on the plane! It was beautiful then, and sure I will tell you about Malta soon.  We have saved some lovely Teddy Bears in Malta, and I have even found my Grand-Da again. I will ask Miki to paint them all and we will show you.

Take care!

Love you all

Truffle

 

 

valencia-airport-truffle-s

 

 

Dr Bear And Dr Bear

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By Urso Arctos and Jo Du Nor

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by Jo Du Nor)

Hello ! Do you remember me, Ursus Arctos, from Sarajevo ?
When I arrived to France, I was not in a very good shape…
I would like to present to you the so nice doctors who took care of me : Jo and El Bear, 2 brothers who worked together in the hospital where my parents confided me for my care.
In this period of joy and love for Christmas, I have so much pleasure to thank them for what they made for me ! And I wanted to say it to everybody.
I give big hugs to all of you.

dr-bear-and-dr-bear-s

 

Noel and His Christmas Friends

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By Ann La Mar

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on photographs by Ann La Mar)

As usual every few weeks I meet my friend for tea. This evening was just the same I set off early to avoid the rush hour traffic as it is normally gridlocked at this hour. To my surprise there was little traffic and plenty of parking spaces. I was now fifteen minutes early and my friend was sure to be five minutes late. I decided to go for a walk in the high street and headed towards the town Christmas  tree, it was all blue and sparkly and looked  lovely against the dark sky. I knew Miki would like it and we are having a sort of virtual Christmas so I took a picture to send her. It has become a favourite pastime of mine to find festive things she would like. The Christmas tree was on the cobbles outside the Oxfam shop. I have discovered that charity shops are a great place to find Teddy bears, although it is a bit sad because they are all there to find new homes.
This evening I was not disappointed, the window had three festive teddy bears displayed all sitting looking out at the Christmas tree. I just had to take pictures of them to send Miki later.
The next morning I was telling MIki about my evening and sent her the pictures. A few minutes later I heard my phone beep, it was miki saying how gorgeous the bears were and a message:

“Ann, is there a chance for me to get this one? But only if it does not mean too much work for you to go back there. I want a Christmas bear, Christmas is so special this year with you sharing everything with me…”

I needed to go to town so I set of on a mission to buy the Christmas bear, hoping he would still be there. If so it was meant to be and Miki would have her bear. As I parked another message arrived…the bear already had a name…

“If I get the bear, I will call him Noel… this is Bernard’s second name… always loved it…”

Now I must get Noel…I didn’t have a plan B if he wasn’t there and Miki would be devastated now he had a name. I got to Oxfam I hardly dare look in the window….what a relief he was sitting waiting for me. I went inside and asked the man if he would take him from the window for me…he was so gentle with him and said:

“ Isn’t he a lovely chap!”

I could tell he was a bear lover so I told him he was going to live in Spain with my friend who is an artist and paints teddy bears. He was genuinely interested and he said:

“Well he is dressed and ready to travel, he will have a lovely time”.

I payed and he gently handed him over. I was and am so happy to get him. I cannot begin to explain my feelings as I know how much Noel means to Miki.
I was now carrying Noel in his fine Christmas outfit in the high street…lots of people smiled at us…I’m sure it cheered them up on such a dreary day. I got him back to the car and took his picture to send to Miki with a message..

“Merry Christmas …get ready to welcome Noel!”

Not long after she replied:

“OH MON DIEU!!!! HE IS GORGEOUS!!! Even more from front! I adore him! And a robin!!! and he is going on a drive with Audrey and Ann!!! I am so happy Ann!!!! SO HAPPY! Can’t take my eyes from him, he symbolises so well that special Christmas for me...”

I had to go and visit my dad so Noel came with me in the car (Audrey).
He looked so cute sitting by my side..I wanted to hug him.
As soon as we were home we went to see all my bears and take some pictures for Miki…I’m sure by now Truffle will have seen pictures of Noel his new family member..
It was decided that he will spend Christmas in the UK with his cousins before travelling to Spain in January. We are all delighted to have him stay with us and we will give him a lovely Christmas. Miki and Truffle will get many pictures. Noel is quite happy with Fluffle and Travis…he will sleep in ‘Miki’s room’.

noel-and-his-christmas-friends-s

Father And Son Santa

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By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by Ann La Mar)

 

We are all coming into Christmas craziness here! Ann la Mar has just bough a giant Canadian tree, and she sends us all the time photographs from Christmas in England. This is so kind of her to share it all with us. We haven’t such beautiful Christmas decorations in the shops here in Spain, he does not really feels like Christmas. But in England they are all getting crazy!

Yesterday Ann La Mar wrote to me and told me that story:

“Anyway I think I have gone crazy….I have Christmas fever….I was just coming home in the car and waiting to come onto the roundabout was Father Christmas on a motorbike with loads of presents and flashing lights…I nearly put the car off the road! He followed me all the way to Yarm..I am thinking it is only November should I stop and ask if he is lost…I couldn’t take a photo as I was driving and I hadn’t been drinking wine🍷 but even more crazy as I was turning into our road he passed me but now it was 3 father Christmases on motorbikes…I think two must have been security like the queen and presidents have….it was real…I don’t need a shrink….The uk is mad at Christmas…once June and I saw a man in the middle of Northallerton high street in December in nothing but red underpants….he was selling Calvin Klein underwear for the posh store on the high street…“

I could not believe it, but she swears it is true! She said, she could not make it up!

And then she sent us a photograph of Santa and his son… look, even Little Santa loves Teddy Bears the most, among all the toys he could hold in his arms, he is holding a Teddy bear. I am so happy about it!

santa-father-and-son-s