Introducing a new Friend

We are both very pleased to introduce you all to a new Friend, who has come to stay with  us for a week.  His name (the one we've given him, anyway - because we don't know what anyone else calls him!) is Golden Teddy and he has a very special job to do for us while he is with us.  He is to be the model for Isobel to use when rejuvenating Tommy Teddy - because he is the dead spitting image of how she remembers Tommy Teddy, when he first came to stay with the Morrell Bear Family in the 1970's, and will make the job easier for her to achieve.

Golden Teddy and Cy Bear on a convenient garden chair

The interesting thing about all this is that in all the years they've known him, Isobel has never seen another Bear like Tommy Teddy, and although he is not the same colour(s) as him, he is the same shape and size.  He is also made with a more modern pattern (and Isobel thinks she can improve on that too while she has Golden Teddy staying with us) so rejuvenating Tommy Teddy is not going to be quite as much of a nightmare as he might otherwise have been.  Here is one of the latest pictures of Tommy Teddy - before he was deconstructed and given a bath, and Isobel struggled to put him back together again.

Can  you see the similarity?

Where did Golden Teddy come from?  Well, every Saturday morning each summer, the Parish Church in Heytesbury holds a produce sale, at which the local gardeners donate their surplus produce for other villagers to buy - with the proceeds going towards the upkeep of the Church.  It's a 12th Century building, so you can understand  it takes a lot of looking after.

Well, last week Isobel went to see if there was anything she could buy, as well as to get some raffle tickets, which are also sold and are a real money-spinner.  Isobel has been quite lucky this year, incidentally, which is why she goes back so regularly!  Sitting in one of the pews was Golden Teddy - and she had not seen him there before.  However, upon enquirng, she found out that Golden Teddy has a very important job.  He is the offical Church Child Comforter.  Whenever a little person finds the old building - which is rather large, echoes a bit, and can be rather dark and cold sometimes - a bit overwhelming, then they are given Golden Teddy to cuddle.  Apparently, he has one particular little girl-friend who makes a bee-line for him, whether she is overwhelmed or not!

After checking to see there were no Family Services planned for the Church this coming week, Golden Teddy was allowed to come to stay with us for a week - and Isobel will be taking him back to his duties, when she sets up a table on which the smaller ColdhamCuddlies (Baby Rabbits, Koalas and Pandas in the www.coldhamcuddles.etsy.com shop) will be displayed at next week's produce sale.

The Hospital of St. John residents have undertaken responsibility for organising next week's event, and Isobel has been allowed to show off the little Cuddlies!  This is a first for us - which is exciting  and it will also be a practice-run for another sale which we've been invited to attend on September 30th - which is the MacMillan Cancer Research "Biggest Coffee Morning in the World" - an annual event held in a big barn located on one of the farms in the village.  So, we're beginning to get some local publicity, which we hope will be successful for both the Shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com) and the Soft Toy Clinic (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com/#79124185).  Isobel is planning to create some posters showing some of the rest of us and, obviously, we'll be telling you all about those as they come and go.

Now we've got to end this post as Isobel must get on and finish stuffing the second replacement Baby White Rabbit and complete sewing and stuffing the replacement Panda Bear.  The Panda Bear destined for Saudi Arabia left Heytesbury for his new home this morning.

Golden Teddy - sideways on

Goodnight from both Isobel and Cy Bear!