Forces charity is on a bear hunt

Poppyscotland is putting together an exhibition for next year and is on the lookout for stuffed toys, including a special teddy bear, that were produced at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh last century.

A spokesman said: “We are calling on the country to search high and low for items that were produced in Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in the 1930s and 1940s, a time when it was not just poppies that were hand-made by the team of veterans.

“A number of other items were made there, too, including soft toys, wooden toys, lamps, platedrying racks, cork table mats, egg trays, footstools, napkin rings, fire screens and leather purses.

“We are particularly keen to find a teddy bear made at the factory between the 1930s and 1940s, along with Beatrix Potter rabbits, hedgehogs and wooden toys.”

The elusive bear has Haig Fund stamps on its metal buttons.

The spokesman said: “The teddy bear is a significant item for telling the story of the range of craftsmanship and production that the factory has done over the decades.

“It is also important for making links with younger visitors and showing an unexpected side to the story of the factory.”

The exhibition will tour the country in a truck next year.

Anyone who wants to donate can contact movingpoppy@poppyscotland.org.uk or telephone 0141 338 6580.