Miss Fry gave me A.A. Milne's book 'Winnie the Pooh' and wrote inside it "To Esmé, because she loves Teddy". Until I started at infant school, I always had my favourite Teddy under my arm. I remember being amazed that one person lived in such a huge house.. Manor Cottage next door is a well-thought-of Care Home, and it is believed that most of the servants lived there. The buildings are from the 15th century and are listed.
I wondered where the name 'Teddy' came from. A.A. Milne first called his bear 'Edward' or 'Teddy' for short. He changed that name to 'Winnie' after a bear in London Zoo called 'Winnipeg', and so his book became 'Winnie the Pooh'.
Theodore Roosevelt loved bears so much that, on a shooting trip, he refused to shoot one! Did you know that Giles Brandreth and his wife have opened a Teddy Bears Museum? I wonder how many of you reading this still have your teddy-bear? The last present that Ron, my husband, bought me in France, comes wherever I am in my flat.. That was from the year 2000. The bear is very big, white, and is called 'Cuddles'.
Enjoy September!
Esmé