favorite teddy or doll

[eleanor2]

when you were young did you have a favorite teddy or doll.or did your children.i searched high and low to get my daughter a tiny tears.they just wern't about in the shops near me at the time.i bought her a bath baby. knit all clothes and croched a blanket.when i go daughters there she is in all her glory in grandsons bedroom.she's dragged about a bit .but as good as new. a few years back i saw a teddy at my friends house.made of silky like fur.12" high with a baby in its arms.there was just something so appealing about it. it was £15 from mothercare.i went to get myself one.my first teddy. the thing is out of all grandsons teddies they love mine.he has to go to bed with one or other grandsons.even tho they have lots to choose from.i will keep this teddy for ever just because i go in at night tuck in grandson and their he is snuggled up to ted,

[Redstart]

Oh yes eleanor2. I still have the teddy bear I was given for Christmas 1950 - I can't remember life without him. When I'd been naughty and sent to bed early he consoled me, when I was ill he comforted me and although I ignored him a bit when I went off to London to study, when I went back to Yorkshire there he was in my mother's cupoard, waiting for me. So I took him home. And he's here in Switzerland. He was one of the first things we unpacked when we moved here - my husband insisted. And though he's rather old and venerable these days, we always sit him on the pile of Christmas presents on Christmas Eve and he guards them during the night.

Of course, our birth presents to our newly born grandchildren just had to be teddy bears; so we bought them a limited edition Steiff bear each (they are so sweet!). And we were told they can be played with indoors, if anything it will add to their value later. Our grandson cuddles his in bed at night. It was on a high shelf and at the age of two he reached for it, rather than his cheaper teddy bears - another teddy bear lover growing up!

So is my teddy bear special?

He's part of the family!

[Sandra]

My best beloved bear was given to me when I was 3, in 1952. I think he was a Triang bear, but I'm not sure. He is still handsome despite 1 broken eye. I have a photograph of me and Ted, taken that same year, and he looks so huge beside me that it's hard to see him so thin now. When he was poorly, and had to go to the doll's hospital, his surgeon told me he was probably made before the last war, a diagnosis made by studying his physical attributes. Ted never really recovered from his operation, although his growl began to work again, and now he lives on the spare blankets in the top of the linen cupboard. He is wrapped in one of my Grandmother's linen pillowcases, and has the company of a younger bear. When I went through a particularly difficult year in 2000, I would get him out for the occasional cuddle. His smell was (and is) so reassuring. I had been morbid enough to ask that he be buried with me in the course of time, but then I read a note by an undertaker, who said this is one of the most difficult requests to grant, and that perhaps teddies ought to be allowed to outlive their owners. Yes, there are few things so loving in life as one's best beloved bear.

[sunflower]

My one and only teddy bear was made by my Gran from the fabric she made my fur coat. He was gorgeous, rich warm brown with beady eyes and plastic nostrils, which, other children used to point out that he looked funny! I also still have my Panda bear given as a birth present in Canada. He had a wind up music box inside him that played a lullaby which, when my twins were babies sent them to sleep. Recently, I went up into the loft to retrieve my dolls and cuddly toys. I seemed to have a need to have them close by. In the bag I also found my dearest little dog given to me by Mom just before she died. I also have a family of quite large rag eskimo/Inuit dolls. Mother, Father, Grandmother and, baby in a sling. Beautifully made from genuine fabrics, furs and cords plaited into belts. They were made by Inuits in the TB hospital in Ontario where my Dad was treated for his condition. Lovely and important to keep some of our childhood posessions is'nt it?

[Oola]

I have a whole chest of old teddies and toys, which I just can't bear (ha ha!) to throw away. I wasn't a very girly girl, I had one Sindy doll who I enjoyed dressing up, but inevitably I pulled her head off when I got bored of plaiting her hair. Hmmm...now I think about it it is a bit odd.

My sister had one particular fave teddy called Edward. At night my Dad used to come and do 'Edward Shows' for us, making the bear do stupid dances and saying silly things. We used to howl with laughter. My sister dropped Edward in a puddle one day, and despite my mum's best efforts he never managed to get a completely clean bottom again. So now he has a slightly murky stained backside, poor Edward!

[Katelb]

I am a bit like you Oola,I have hoarded all my dolls and teddies,and my daughter's come to that!.My favourite is a bear given for me before I was born in 1939 by my great great aunt whom I never met,he has been through thick and thin with me and I am sure that out of considerable collection,one of them will become a favourite with small person when it arrives!!!My Mum dressed a couple of my dolls for me and they are still resplendent in the same clothes.My Mum also made me a black Sambo doll out of good old fashioned black stockings and I still have him too but I gues it would cause a riot if anyone found him in the collection!!!

[eleanor2]

rrrrrrrrrrrrr i have really enjoyed sharing with you all about your teddies and dolls.they tell a really emotional story in our walk of life.i have just remembered a second hand furry rabbit.dad bought him home.it was snowing he said he had found the rabbit shivering in the snow.he gave him my youngest sister to look after.we all loved flopsy i think because we thought he had no mum and dad. he is worn out but well treasured by sister to this day.

[Crocus]

Hi, I also still have most of my dolls I was given as a little girl. One particular doll I adore. My mom had made her the most beautiful clothes, jammies, a coat, skirts and tops, a party dress, a gown, pants with a waistcoat, etc. She pinned all these clothes onto christmas paper, and then rolled it up. Christmas morning I received this doll dressed in her party dress, knickers and socks and white shoes. In the bottom of the box this rolled up christmas paper was neatly placed underneath her. I cried and cried for joy because it was such a surprise! I still have all the clothes as well. About 45 years now. I also still have my little teddy bear and my husband has his teddybear as well. All my dolls and both our teddies sit in the pink pram I had as a child, all neatly dressed in our bedroom! Am I sentimental? Yes, very.:)

[sheddie]

Hi all say ah! I didn't have many toys when I was young, especially new ones, but my dad bought me a bride doll dressed in all her gown and veil with earrings and shoes.She is still in her original box, she was too beautiful and precious to play with.I also have my precious teddy bear my mum bought me one christmas before she got so ill and it has an engraved tag around it's neck, saying this bear is forever, mumX Also my daughter's favourite cuddly toy was a pink elephant she named Mumfy, he could even eat toast that was put on the end of his trunk. Now how could that happen? xIt's a mystery X

[eleanor2]

could any of you bare(bear) to sell your teddy. i have seen some on flog it sell thiers. i actually never had my own teddy or doll. we had a toy corner with family toys.so i think you are all so lucky having such precious teddies.i do love my bear i bought. we call it mother bear.

[sunflower]

While I was getting ready for work(wed) a lady had a toy china dinner service from her childhood she was thinking of selling. It had everything! including serving bowls, gravy boat.etc I had to go so did'nt watch the rest of the programme, but it was suggested she might get fifty quid for it! I do'nt understand people. You could'nt even pay a domestic bill with that money, and I'm sure people regret selling their precious stuff later.

[Crocus]

No Eleanor, never!~Won't sell my teddy or hubby's.

[eleanor2]

at first crocus i thought you said you wont sell your hubby....i suppose its a bit like the things our children make at school. i have my daughters flop pot full of lavender and my sons pottery bird.they mean more to me than my portmierion vase... there must be something about teddies tho cus the little uns always pick teedy to keep them company in bed.

[Crocus]

Hi eleanor, well you know, it did cross my mind to sell the old hubs, but at what price??!! Can't ask to little, can't ask to much! Any suggestions as to how much hubbys get sold for? Aah, poor thing! Love him to much, you s
ee, that's why I still hold on to him! But I will keep it in mind though?!?!?!?!?!
:eek::rolleyes:

[eleanor2]

crocus lets face it he's your living teddy bear.

[Crocus]

You are so right eleanor, you are so right.

[sheddie]

But are you having dreams of old whiskers? Now be honest!

[Katelb]

Sheddie,has the fish and chip man got whiskers? if not, perhaps he's a better bet than the farmer,and you did say he was wifeless didn't you?!!

[jazzactivist]

I wasn't really a teddie girl, although I did have a large, lopsided panda stuffed with straw that my nan won for me at a rifle range at a fair. He was so big that I could sleep on him when I was three! My favourite doll was a Tressy doll that had a button in her stomach and when it was pushed her hair grew if you yanked it quite hard. She came complete with tiny hair rollers and brushes and clips. When I got her for Christmas my grandad had made a miniature wardrobe complete with dovetail joints and a brass rail with tiny clothes hangers, and my nanna had knitted a range of clothes. I was absolutely thrilled with it all, but my mother was very upset as my nanna (dad's mum) had knitted Tressy's wedding dress in cream wool with 'pearls', whereas my cousin had the same Christmas present and her Tressy wedding dress was pure white with 'diamons'. My mum thought that my nanna was using the doll to make a comment about her as she had her first child before she was married! I played with Tressy for years, making hundreds of doll's outfits on a child's Singer sewing machine, and typing stories for her to act in on my Petite typewriter. Eventually her ponytail got thinner and thinner form overuse. Did anyone else have these toys?

[Crocus]

Hi Jazzactivist, I always admired those child's Singer sewing machines - to be quite frank, I forgot all about their existence, but when you mentioned it, it kind of jumped back into mind! One of my childhood friends had a doll that could stand and she talked as well. I was to scared to touch this doll. What if she'd fall over and break, or something!

[eleanor2]

jazz your dol and clothes sounds fabulouse.a home made wardrobe to. i dont know about you but i wouldn't mind a gift like that now.

[Crocus]

Yes, won't mind either- the ever present child in us eh? Good thing though. We've got to be able to 'be a child' once in a while, because we have to bring up the little ones. If we cannot be like children sometimes, how are we to understand what goes on in the mind of our kids? .

[sheddie]

Crocus I always try to be adult and katelb the farmer has the whiskers, the fish and chip man is quite a hunk, I don't know how he's stayed single so long - I could always introduce you.

[eleanor2]

i want no fighting over the fish and chip man please.i went into grandsons room yesterday and there was my ted that he had fell asleep with every night. i picked him up.smoothed him down and went and sat him on other grandsons bed.who will be coming today.other grandson has felt a bit jealous of little un staying here 2 weeks. i have got a feeling. he will go straight to his room and see if daughters stuff is still in there.he will see ted waiting for him.

[sheddie]

Katelb, I'm getting the distinct feeling it's not the cod and chips you're interested in but have you read about Ely?

[eleanor2]

now ladies there will be plenty of partners at the barn dance.

[Crocus]

Hmmmmmmm .............who organised the 'plenty of partners'?!