New Horizons for three Cuddlies - and getting ready to meet the Press

Good afternoon Everyone!

Cy Bear here once again, after a busy week for Isobel - organising the Press At Home for introducing our New Hedgehog Toys, and getting Cuddlies ready for their new lives.

There are three Cuddlies almost ready for their respective journeys to their Forever Homes.  Panda Bear Puppet, one of the new Baby Hedgehogs and our original Mommy Hedgehog.

I thought you'd like to see the special photograph of or new Hedgehog Family, only listed yesterday evening, and specifically going to be used in our Press offering if any TV stations turn up. (Apparently, white backgrounds don't look good on television, hence this special background for our Hogs!) Four have been invited (from BBC East Midlands and BBC Midlands and the two stations operating in the same areas from Central Indpendent Television. (Isobel was one of the first employees of Anglia Television, the station based in Norwich, Norfolk before it even came On Air in 1959, so she is really hoping they will send someone!).




Several local newspapers have also been invited to send representatives, St Tiggywinkles - although unable to attend themselves - have sent publicity literature for our guests to take away and read.  West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue is being kept informed of what we hope will happen - we knew MsJL wouldn't be able to attend (because that's why we're helping to raise funds for her - she doesn't have time to do it properly for herself!).  So, now all Isobel has to do is cross her fingers and hope that SOMEONE does turn up.

Meanwhile, two of the new baby hedgehogs have been adopted - and Isobel is busy making them so they can be dispatched early this week - one is destined to go to Fayetteville,  North Carolina (accompanied by  Panda Hand Puppet).  The other is going to New York State - to be the beginning a Hedgehog Collection by one of Isobel's Team Friends.  This one does not have to be at its Forever Home in time for Christmas, but we're doing our best to see that it is.  

Me performing my usual farewell duties to those headed for North Carolina

These two Cuddlies, together with our original Mommy Hedgehog, were purchased by MrsNA - another of Isobel's team friends.  MrsNA wants the Cuddlies to become Forever Friends of her three grandchildren;  the other one lives near her in Bonsall, California.  Mommy will be leaving at the same time as the other two Cuddlies - but there will be the entire American Continent between them.  It will be interesting too for us to see which side gets their parcel first!  It all depends, I am told, on the number of aeroplanes departing the UK headed for the United States of America.  I'll let you know - if we find out!! 

Isobel is wrapping up the Cuddlies headed to the eastern side (North Carolina) with Christmas paper, as well as our usual packing materials (chemical free tissue paper and bubblewrap) while Mommy will just get the tissue and bubblewrap.  There will also be a message - which MrsNA has given Isobel - contained in a Christmas card.  (This is a service offered by www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES - and adds another USD 5.00 to the overall cost of any Cuddly).

Here's Mommy Hedgehog and I just before she gets prepared for her journey to Bonsall, California. We presume that she will be opened in front of Grandma on Christmas Day - or shortly thereafter.

I'll end this week's bulletin with a photograph of our three travellers, sitting with me, while Isobel gets herself prepared for the wrapping ceremonies!

Do hope everyone is keeping well, getting ready for the Christmas festivities.  Next week will be the last post before Isobel moves to High Wycombe for her Christmas with Philippa.  We're hoping that while she is there, and the weather permits, that she will be able to actually visit StTiggywinkles.  (If that happens, there will certainly be a post or two about that establishment  - she's away for 2 Sundays).

Have a good week everyone!  Your Friend, Cy Bear.

Time to introduce the New Coldham Cuddlies Hedgehog Toys

Hello Everyone.   Cy Bear here again - this time to introduce the new 2015 versions of our Hedgehog Toys.  The principal photographs of all three Toys have been provided  by  Mr. Phil Else, a graphic designer who has had close ties with people working in local wildlife sanctuaries.  He offered to help Isobel early in our campaign to try to save the UK Hedgehog population from extinction.  In doing so, naturally we are also hoping to try to boost the success of our Toy Shop (www.etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES)!   
The signs are hopeful - the week has ended with talks going on between Isobel and a prospective Buyer (of two Baby Hedgehogs - she's waiting to see what the new one's look like - as well as our Panda Hand Puppet).  With luck, I'll be able to tell you more next week ... watch this space, please!

Black and White Plush Panda - Puppet/ https: //www.etsy.com/listing/91356474/ 

Now for the new Hedgehogs in our portfolio!

Here is the new Mommy Hedgehog/  https://www.etsy.com/listing/258324692/

Meet Daddy Hedgehog - 2015 version /https://www.etsy.com/listing/258224065/

This  is our new Baby Hedgehog/ https://www.etsy.com/listing/258319512/.

The other four photos in each listing were taken earlier in the whole Hedgehog campaign by Isobel in Clare and Alan's garden.  It was a lovely sunny, autumnal day when that happened, but - as I'm told can often happen at that time of the year (we're now definitely in Winter today!) there was a brisk breeze and some of the pictures show the "prickly" fabric wafting in the wind!!  At least it gives the impression of being authentic!

With the arrival of the photographs, Isobel can now organise the official press launch of the new Toys - which has been arranged for Monday 7th December.  It's going to be an Open House sort of affair, rather than a formal Press Conference - for a variety of reasons.  Thanks to Ms Claire Lilley, the Proprietor of "The Artful Buttoner" (where lots of Cuddlies are already on display), we've been allocated her lecture area (she holds teaching sessions for crafters, "knit and natter" sessions for others and so on) between 1400-1600 on that day. While the area is a lot bigger than our home, it's not THAT big, and Isobel feels it will be much more informal and welcoming to do it this way.  The lighting there is much better too - so we hope it will be better for visitors to take pictures for themselves.

The plan is to invite local TV and print folk to come along, see the new Hedgehogs and how we plan to use them to help save the Hedgehogs in the UK (with the ten per cent of sales of every single Coldham Hedgehog - as well as the Family - being shared between St Tiggywinkles Hedgehog Hospital and West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue) and how we'd like to lend our support to the campaign to have The Hedgehog become the National UK Animal.  So, she's going to be busy again this week, isn't she!

Meanwhile, the first of our 2015 Hedgehog Families are on their way to Mobile, Alabama, U.S.A .  This is the picture of them sitting on Isobel's pillow prior to being parcelled up on Wednesday of this last week.

Naturally, as is the custom in the COLDHAMCUDDLIES world, as Mascot to the enterprise, I was present to supervise the occasion.

Trying to reassure the family 

and, hopefully, succeeding.

Before closing, we got an email from MsDS, who you may recall offered Colin the Koala the chance of a Forever Home.  In it, she said that he'd arrived safely (on Wednesday afternoon) and that he "is gorgeous".  She has promised to send us photographs of Colin with his Forever Friend, MsDS's son, who is getting him as a Christmas present.  Am so pleased that Colin's adventures have indeed come to a happy ending.

Until next week then.  Have a good one Everyone.

Your friend, Cy Bear.

Third Time - Lucky, for Colin, the Koala - together with more Hedgehog news

Hello again Everyone -

Cy Bear greeting you once more, although it only seems like yesterday that I was opening a post here a week ago.  Admittedly, Isobel is drafting this a day early, because she has other plans for publicising both the shops and the Hedgehogs on Sunday afternoon, when she would normally be doing the preparation for our weekly bulletin from the COLDHAMCUDDLIES ' world.

However, such good news to tell you.  On Tuesday morning, there was a notification on the Shop site that MsDS from Southend on Sea, Essex, UK  had ordered Colin, our Giant Koala - and when Isobel read the details we find that Colin is destined for her Christmas preparations. She wanted confirmation that we could get him there in time.  Needless to say, she was rapidly apprised that we could - and WOULD!

Colin Sitting in "The Artful Buttoner" on arrival

A telephone call was then rapidly made to MrsCL, Proprietor of "The Artful Buttoner" - where Colin has been staying since I wrote about him here (30/08/2015 and 06.09.2015) to ask her to get him ready to come home here.  On Friday morning, Isobel went to collect him - he just managed to fit into her shopping trolley, and he caused some interest apparently on the 'bus coming home - since his head was peering over the top of the shopping bag!

Later on Friday, he was prepared for his journey to Southend, his travel arrangements having been set up with the MyHermes courier service we'd used before.  (Isobel found it much easier this time around - having made most of the mistakes she could have done the previous occasion.)

Coincidentally, Isobel had just purchased a new, padded winter coat which she had picked up the day before.  It was wrapped up in a large plastic bag - which happily meant that Colin could be fitted in and tied up safely - with some "breathing" space to spare.  The paper work in front of Colin consists of his My Hermes delivery note attached to our usual Delivery Note/Invoice/Letter from Isobel that goes with every Coldham Cuddly that leaves us for their Forever Homes.  

The other document is an additional item.  Because Colin has had such a "complicated" life to date, he has some "history" that accompanies him.  This is a copy of the blog posts we did about him (see dates mentioned earlier) so that MsDS can read it - if she is interested.  Then he was ceremoniously (by that I mean "supervised" by Me) bundled into a large, tough plastic bag (normally used for refuse, but ideal for transporting Colin to Southend as it happens) and the courier's label (together with his travel details) was cellotaped on.

At shortly before nine-o'clock on Saturday morning, our normal courier man rang the front door bell, and off Colin went.  We've asked MsDS to let us have some pictures of Colin once he has been introduced to his new Friends (but ONLY if she feel comfortable with it appearing in a future blog)  - so there is unlikely to be anything substantial until after Christmas (except, of course, we can trace his journey on line - or so Isobel tells me) and MsDS did say she'd let us know when he arrived later this week.

Fingers crossed - Colin will have found his berth - FINALLY.  He deserves it!!

As for the Hedgehogs, they've increased in number and on Friday afternoon, Isobel found - again on her Activity Feed in the Shop Site - that a whole Hedgehog Family had been ordered (by the lady who put us in touch with the West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue (WMHR)  in Cheslin, Hay, Walsall, Staffs).  So, on Monday or Tuesday of next week, our first Family of Hedgehogs will be en route to Mobile, Alabama, USA.  They are going to be given as Christmas presents to MrsMM's 11 year old  Triplet cousins . (Also, it's the first part of our next installment of 10 per cents to be halved between WMHR and StTiggywinkles)

We've heard back from both  Ms. Joan Lockley of WMHR and Tiggywinkles Hospital that our initial donations have been received.  So that means, as of today (when the Membership package came from the latter establishment) - that Isobel (and therefore me, too!) are now members of the St Tiggywinkles, The Wildlife Hospital Trust.  To prove it - here is our Certificate of Membership.  (The Hedgehog in the centrepiece has his left paw in plaster or a bandage)

That's it for this week everyone.  Hope you all have a good one next week, and that it doesn't get too much colder or difficult for everyone to get around where you all live - because Winter has apparently arrived in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom.  There was a dusting of snow on the lawns surrounding our flat this morning, and some was still lingering when Isobel closed the curtains this afternoon.

See you all soon.  Your friend, Cy Bear.