In need of a bear hug?
Ready, teddy, go! MARION McMULLEN looks back at some cute and cuddly toy stories
1981
Michael Bond, right with his famous creation, brought out A Bear Called Paddington in 1958 and introduced the world to the little bear with the battered suitcase and fondness for marmalade sandwiches.
The Paddington books have been translated into more than 40 languages and the author once said: “Paddington is to me very real. He’s a presence.”
1982
Britain’s Iron Lady had a soft spot when it came to teddy bears and Margaret Thatcher shared 10 Downing Street with two - Humphrey and Mrs Teddy.
They often received invitations to attend events all over the country but they were never parted from the prime minister for long. Humphrey was British-made and was already around 50 years old when he made himself at home at the famous London address.
1997
Comedian Gareth Hale posed with nurse Tracey Onley and the British Heart Foundation Bear after recovering from heart surgery at Birmingham City Hospital. Gareth and his comedy partner Norman Pace enjoyed television success throughout the 1980s and 1990s with their Hale And Pace show.
1966
Model Twiggy, above, was set to be a guest of honour at the Women of the Year luncheon at the Savoy Hotel in London, but instead the 17-year-old found herself confined to bed with her teddy bear at her home in Neasden. Her doctor ordered bed rest after she developed a nervous rash on her hands and feet.
1926 & 1989
Every little princess needs a royal teddy to cuddle. Left, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, was seen carrying a teddy bear shortly after the birth of her daughter Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II. And it seems teddy bears still bring a smile to the face of the Queen as she couldn’t resist the charm of this little chap, above, more than 60 years later
1954
You need the bear necessities when flying. Hollywood film star Ava Gardner made sure she had all her important essentials with her when she flew into London Airport and that included her favourite fluffy teddy bear... who, of course, received the VIP treatment.
1962
The teddy bears came too when Mount Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary took his family to India for a trek in the Himalayas.
The famous New Zealand-born mountain climber went on the hike with his first wife Louise, son Peter and daughters Sarah and Belinda.
1982
Actor Anthony Andrews appeared alongside Jeremy Irons in ITV’s Brideshead Revisited, but teddy bear “Aloysius” nearly upstaged everyone. The tiny bear was so famous he was insured for $20,000 and was based on a real teddy called Archie which belonged to poet John Betjeman – a friend of Brideshead author Evelyn Waugh from his days at Oxford University.
1970
Coronation Street regular Julie Goodyear took time off from pulling pints as barmaid Bet Lynch in the ITV soap to introduce us to her teddy Sammy.