Hugglets, a salute

For 30 years, Glenn and Irene Jackman, organisers of our much loved 'Hugglets Festivals', have painstakingly created this fabulous guide to teddy bear businesses, both in the UK and around the world. The Guide not only offers a valuable resource to anyone with an interest in collecting, selling or creating teddy bears, it is also a fascinating history of teddy bear artistry throughout the past three decades.

  

Having my bear 'Chester' featured on the cover of the Guide back in 2014, was one of my proudest moments, so I know first-hand how excited lovely Dawn Jellis-Jones of 'The Old Post Office Bears' will be to have had her super antique style bear, gracing this 30th edition cover as it is such an honour in the teddy bear world! Huge congratulations to you Dawn!

Wonderful new bear artists have joined our ranks over the years, but sadly, some slipped quietly away. Someone much missed this year, is our lovely Sandra Hobbs, creator of the adorable 'Sally Anne Bears'. May you sleep tight Sandra ... you and your beautiful teddy bears, will be forever remembered.

This year, the Guide features a special mention for one of the loveliest bear makers in the business, Pamela Ann Howells. Pam is the longest standing UK bear artist, first working with the famous Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company back in the 1950's. She is celebrating 60 years of teddy bear making - an outstanding achievement!

Many thanks to Glenn and Irene Jackman, for giving us thirty years of Hugglets. We, your bear artists, salute you.

xxXxx

The UK Teddy Bear Guide's official publication is the 27th October 2016, but you can order a copy from the Hugglets website now, by visiting the link below:

 Hugglets Guide

:-)

Endless creativity?

There's nothing quite like parting with a hard earned advertising budget to focus your mind on the future.  I don't advertise in publications very often, so on the rare occasion I do, I might hear a little whisper in the back of my head begging the question: 'Are you sure you want to continue making your bears for another year Paula?'  I guess when you have been making bears for as long as I have (almost two decades!) it's not such a silly question all things considered ... after all, is there a never-ending source of creativity at a bearmaker's fingertips and should it be taken for granted?

This ad will appear in the next issue of 'The Teddy Bear' magazine

I don't think it hurts to question yourself from time to time and in my case, until that little voice in my head stops whispering and shouts a resoundingly clear 'it's time to hang up your stuffing stick Paula', I think it's probably safe to continue planning ahead for another year ... or two ... or ... ????  

My 'Chiltern Memory' bear, created by Pam Howells back in the 1990's

As I've mentioned before, my teddy bear heroine is the lovely, completely unassuming Pamela Howells, who first began work as a teddy bear designer at the 'Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company' way back in the mid 1950's. Pam continues to design her beautiful bears to this very day.  Over sixty years dedicated to teddy bear design is a truly inspirational record; how I'd love to learn Pam's secret to achieving such impressive creative longevity!

So, with that in mind, I've had a quiet chat with my little whisper once more and we've both decided the time has come for me ...

... to part with some of that aforementioned advertising budget again!

A bear maker by coincidence?

'The Ultimate Teddy Bear Book' and 'The Teddy Bear encyclopedia' by Pauline Cockrill

In hindsight, I can see my life has more often than not been driven by coincidence and oddly enough, my bear-making career has been no exception. I was quietly browsing through the shelves of my local bookshop one lunchtime in the early 1990's, when I felt compelled to open a particular book ... that book happened to be 'The Ultimate Teddy Bear Encyclopedia' written by Pauline Cockrill.

I have always loved teddy bears and my own childhood bear had discreetly settled into a comfy corner of my adult life, so when I flicked through that beautiful book and saw a very familiar bear looking back at me, my jaw fell open in surprise!  I had no idea then, that my special childhood bear had officially become what was known as a 'collectible' teddy bear!

Me and 'Big Ted' in 1964

And so my love affair with the 'Chiltern Hugmee' began.  It really was as simple as that.  I was so delighted to discover my 'Big Ted' in that book, I couldn't resist checking out all the references in the back pages to see what else I could find ... and there was a hidden gem tucked away - an address for 'The Petersfield Bear Museum' (founded in 1984 by Judy Sparrow) ... only a couple of hours drive from where I was living!

My 1940's Chiltern Hugmee 'Bobby Bear', with a copy of Judy Sparrow's 1993 'Teddy Bears' book.

I was utterly enchanted by the museum - it truly was a magical place and I didn't want my visit to end.  As I reluctantly stepped down into the museum shop on my way to the exit, a wonderful 1940's Chiltern Hugmee bear met my gaze and by a stroke of pure luck, he wasn't an exhibit, he was for sale!  Well, of course, after a chat with Judy and her husband he had to come home with me.  Somehow, I seem to have collected an entire hug of Chiltern Hugmees since then!

Some of my Chiltern Hugmee collection

I have also been privileged to get to know lovely Pam Howells, chief designer for the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company between 1957 and 1967.  Pam was kind enough to make one of her special 'Chiltern Memory' bears for me, back in the early 1990's.

My 'Chiltern Memory' bear, by Pam Howells.

Sadly, the Petersfield Bear Museum closed to the public several years ago, but many of the exhibits are featured in Judy's super book titled 'Teddy Bears', which was published in 1993 by Magna Books. (By the way, there are a few copies currently available on Amazon if you would like to purchase a copy!)

Teddy Bear Times magazine, Issue 10, published Autumn 1992

So how does a passion for teddy bears, turn a bear collector into a bear-maker?  Well, once a collector, always a collector, that goes without saying, but after discovering my first teddy bear encyclopedia and reading every single reference contained therein, I learned teddy bears were also published in their very own magazines and one of those magazines was on sale at a little teddy bear shop, only half an hour's drive away!

One thing, naturally led to another. The cover of the 1992 Autumn issue of 'Teddy Bear Times' magazine featured a lovely old bear reading a book and as an added bonus there was also an article about Chilterns, so I bought a copy, read it as soon as I arrived home and was thrilled to discover that not only were there vintage teddy bears in that magazine, there was a fascinating world of artist bears for me to explore too!

One of my first visits to a Hugglets' teddy bear show, in 1993

It wasn't long before I visited my first teddy bear fair in London, which led to another ... and a mohair teddy bear kit!

'Ivor', a mohair kit bear

My first mohair bear, made from a kit purchased at the 'Rochester Teddy Bear Fair' in the early 90's, was a little lopsided, but I didn't mind at all - I was simply delighted that after all my efforts, he did actually resemble a bona fide teddy bear!

It really doesn't seem possible two decades have passed.  Since 'Ivor', I am proud to have become a real bear maker, creating many, many teddy bears, now residing in collections all around the world.

So now you know the answer - that is how a bear collector becomes a bear maker.  The rest as they say, is history!

What exactly is an 'Artist Bear'?

I love finding time to meander through the annals of teddy bear history and to stroll along my personal teddy bear 'Memory Lane'.  Sunday afternoon was absolutely glorious, so I tucked myself under the sun parasol with a cool drink to hand and a stack of teddy bear publications to browse.

  Sadly, the 'Hugglets Teddy Bear Magazine' is no longer published.

The question 'What is an Artist Bear' has been hotly debated by 'teddy bear artists', for as long as I can remember - probably since the term was first coined in the US, back in the 1970's.  The topic still raises its controversial head with regular monotony some forty years later, with bear makers/designers/artists becoming hot under the collar as they staunchly defend their own interpretations.  In case you are curious, I am a bear 'artist' who much prefers to call herself a teddy bear 'designer' when pushed to define what I do, simply because this definition sits most comfortably with me, given that my drawing skills are on a par with those of the average four year old ...

So, after a rather magnificent heap of 'bruhaha' (a wonderful term I have recently coined from a bear artist friend!) among teddy bear 'artists' in response to a recently published magazine article on this subject, I had to smile when I opened a magazine binder yesterday and came across an old Hugglets magazine dating back to Summer 1993 ... eighteen long bear-making summers ago. Back then, I was still dreaming about launching myself into the magical world of teddy bear artistry as a bona fide 'bear artist', so on a hot summer's day yesterday, I must admit page 21, titled 'What is an Artist Bear,' made me smile. The first definition had been thoughtfully provided by the lovely lady who was kind enough to give me my first leg into the bear business way back in 1994 -  Michelle Chambers of the Rochester Teddy Bear Shop stated, "For a bear to come under the category of an Artist Bear, it should not be mass produced, but created in a cottage industry environment.  The bear artist is also someone who can turn bear making into a fine art, so that An Artist Bear is a bear with individuality and, most importantly, it has a unique style".

  1993 feature, 'What is an Artist Bear?'

Reading further on, Janet Clark of Teddystyle, a leading light in our world of teddy bear artistry, agreed by saying, "I don't even know that I'm an artist myself, that's up to other people to say .... a good bear maker can put a good face on a bear, but an artist can make that face come to life".  Maddie Janes, another well respected bear maker of that era, went on to say, "If you're a real teddy bear artist, you don't just have one pattern you keep making in different sizes ... you're making new patterns all the time and using new components."

A 'Chiltern Memory' created for me by Pam Howells in the early 90's

UK teddy bear royalty Pamela Ann Howells, chief designer for the Chiltern Toy Company for a decade from the 50's onwards and still creating today, fifty years later, under her own 'Bears that are Special' label, said: "There's just as much thought goes into the designing of a manufactured bear, even if it is mass produced in the end.  The term 'artist bear' is a new phrase really.  I've always considered myself to be a designer and maker.  I know a lot of people feel that a bear is their way of putting their art down, but I don't look at bears that way .... As long as the bear is nice when it's finished, I don't think it matters."

Well, if it's good enough for Pam, it's certainly good enough for me!

The Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company  (can you spot my artist bear Chiltern Memory, among his manufactured friends?)

Manufactured 'Hugmees' 1930 - 1950

And so it seems to me, definitions don't really belong with teddy bears.  After all, a much-loved teddy will appeal to his owner for any number of reasons, least of which is likely to be whether he has been defined as 'art' or not.  In my view, it's best we bear 'crafters' climb down from our high horses and concentrate our energies on creating bears from the heart, taking care not to slip into the murky waters of the ego trap. 

I would like to give the last word to Gregory Gyllenship, one of our finest UK and international teddy bear artists ...

  Gregory, a modest man, defines himself as:
'A bloke who makes bears.'

Well said Gregory!

Nice weather for ducks!

The heavens opened when we reached Stratford on Saturday and as we strolled along the River Avon after unloading our car, we were every bit as wet as the ducks.  Not even torrential rain could dampen our mood though ... we were determined to make the most of our weekend away in Shakespeare's beautiful home town!

The Falcon Hotel

We've stayed in the Falcon Hotel previously, but not had the pleasure of staying in the original 16th Century part of the hotel, which is a very different experience from the modern end of the building.  This year our room had a lovely little lounge attached, which looked onto an archaelogical dig taking place at 'Nash's House' (Shakespeare's last residence) opposite.  There were Tudor beams galore, not to mention a wonderfully quirky floor, which tipped everything, bed included, towards the centre of the room - not necessarily the most comfortable night's sleep we've ever had, but atmospheric and great fun! And on Sunday morning the hotel's restaurant provided us with an excellent 'Full English' breakfast, which let's face it, is the perfect start to a busy show day!

Stuart checking out the Bard's monument in the pouring rain.

View towards Holy Trinity Church

We walked along the Riverbank in the direction of the Holy Trinity Church (where Shakespeare was christened) and from time to time the sun made a half hearted effort to shine through the clouds.

We even saw a rainbow, just as Stuart did his Mary Poppins routine!

The Holy Trinity Church across the Avon

It became clear the rain wasn't likely to ease for long enough for us to sit on the grass with a pint or two like we did last year, so we decided to take the sensible option and instead walked back through the town in search of a cosy pub!

The Guild Chapel and the Grammar School where Shakespeare was educated

Needless to say, I kept my little point 'n' shoot camera handy as we walked ... after all, there are so many picturesque sights in Stratford, it would have been a shame to miss an opportunity to snap away!  

And before long we spotted The 'Windmill Inn', which has been a designated public house for an impressive 400 years ... perfect!

"Oi, will you stop fiddling with that camera and let's get inside!"

We guzzled our beer and as the warmth of the pub gradually dried our soggy feet, decided we were hungry, so wandered towards the 14th Century 'Garrick Inn,' in search of further sustenance.

We enjoyed a tasty meal, topped off with Irish coffees in the Garrick.  All in all, a very pleasant way to spend an evening.

Sunday's 'Teddy Bear Artist Event show took place in the Civic Hall across the road from the magnficent Clock Tower.

The Clock Tower

Luckily for the exhibitors, the heavy rain didn't scare away our hardy collectors and this lovely show was a terrific success!  I spent the entire day chatting and finding new homes for my show bears. 

Having a natter with lovely Pam Howells

Eager collectors and yes, there's Gregory Gyllenship too!

I'm afraid not many of the show pics I took came out well enough to share here with you ... but don't let that stop you from visiting Stratford and the Teddy Bear Artist Event next year will you?!  I highly recommend a weekend in Stratford, whatever the weather!

'Felicity and her bun'

The icing on my Stratford cake was that my competition entry 'Felicity and her bun' won the 'Organiser's Award' at the show, which means I have been given a free stand at next year's show ... and of course, that gives me a great excuse for another weekend in lovely Stratford Upon Avon.  Now that's what I call a result!

A duck for Dad x

If you enjoyed reading this post, you might also enjoy the following:

http://allbear.blogspot.com/2008/06/summing-up-stratford-upon-avon.html

and

http://allbear.blogspot.com/2010/06/show-time-in-stratford.html

Chiltern Interlude

The Ho Ho Oh Bearz show bears (try saying that after a couple of sherries!) are coming together at last! There will be a select few available at the show and so far, things are going pretty well ... So, I'm sorry, but as I'm on a roll there's simply no time for chat today. Or, in the words of the White Rabbit in 'Alice in Wonderland,' "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" And we can't have that now, can we?!

Chiltern Hugmees 1930's - 1950's (plus 'Barty' a 1990's Chiltern Memory created by Pam Howells .. top back right)

Here's a brief Chiltern interlude for you to enjoy instead! Gorgeous eh?

Pouting and pining ...

What a nightmare day! I was suppposed to have a new gas fire fitted today, but when the fitters arrived they decided they couldn't do the job, so I have been frozen all morning (no heating because the gas had to be turned off) and I still don't have a new fire. Such is life! On a slightly more positive note, they did manage to install the new hob and oven before they shrugged their shoulders and left, so at least I should be able to cook our Christmas turkey without cursing too much. I inherited the old oven when I moved in earlier this year and it's strange attitude towards temperature control has driven me barmy ever since.

Don't you just hate it when things don't go to plan? I'm feeling pretty grouchy right now (can you tell?!) Today has been such a waste of a day and it's put me behind with the bear I'm working on, which is guaranteed to make me grumpy. Grrrrr!

To elimate my grrrrrr, I've taken a deep breath, turned the heating back on and made myself a mug of hot chocolate. I think I'm starting to thaw a little now! My daughter decorated our Christmas tree yesterday evening and the smell of pine is wafting right through the house; it's very therapeutic! I think before I start work on my sewing, I'm going to take my mug of chocolate, snuggle in an armchair and just inhale a little Christmas tree magic for a few minutes ... *sighs*

Oh, I almost forgot! The Blog Land taggers nabbed me! Jenny Johnson of Three O'Clock Bears (please pop over to her blog ... I've just listed it in my blog links .. you'll love her work!) has invited me to play, so I have to reveal five little known facts about myself before I go ... okay, let me think ... I'll keep them bear related ...

1. Lovely Frank Webster (Charnwood Bears) once told me, many years ago, to pay careful attention to my noses ... excellent advice and one of the keys to my bear making progression!

2. Dear Sue Schoen of Bocs Teganau fame (sadly no longer making bears) once accidentally threw a large glass of red wine over my cream trouser suit at an awards event, I made the mistake of trying to wash the wine out and promptly shrank my trousers. A week later a parcel arrived at my house - inside was an adorable little bear made by Sue, aptly named 'Oops, sorry I shrank your trousers!'

3. Years ago, Pam Howells (designer for the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company) made a fabulous 'Chiltern Memory' for me, to add to my collection of vintage Chiltern bears. These days he watches over the proceedings in the All Bear workroom from the top of on the cupboard.
 

4. The first bear I was bought as an adult was called 'Sebastian' a handsome black limited edition teddy bear, created by the 'Little Folk' company, based in Devon. I found Sebastian in a magical little shop in Saint Ives, whilst on holiday in Cornwall with my family about fifteen years ago. These days Sebastian stands proudly next to Pam's 'Barty', my Chiltern Memory, making sure I work hard!

5. If I had to choose a completely new style of bear to work on as a challenge, I'd have to try either a little bear, or an old looking, shabby kind of bear (or even a little shabby looking bear!) I don't feel confident with either of those styles and would love to conquer them one day!

Right, time to think about who to tag next ... !

Ringing the changes.

The 'UK Teddy Bear Guide 2008' has just been published. Mine dropped through the letterbox this morning and I've been flicking through eagerly ever since! It's a really useful book, full to bursting with contacts and gorgeous pics, so if you haven't already ordered a copy, why not pop along to www.hugglets.co.uk and order yours today?!

Each year I receive the Teddy Bear Guide, it makes me realise just how many of my own years have been spent creating teddy bears. It's somewhere in the region of thirteen so far, so as you can guess, I've seen many comings and goings over that time.

This year I am saddened to flick through the current list of bear artists only to find that some of our most esteemed UK makers are no longer advertising their work, presumably because they have moved on to pastures new after so many long years creating their beautiful bears, as in the case of Janet Clark whose unique work I was talking about with you, in an earlier post.

'Morpheus' by Sandra Wickenden (smaller bear by Mac Pholen)
In particular this year, I noticed Frank Webster, Sandra Wickenden and Sue Schoen have quietly withdrawn from the Guide. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the inspiration and generous support, including freely given hugs, shared with me throughout my own years as a bear maker.

On a more uplifting note, it is a pleasure to see many more recently established bear artists advertising wonderful bears and a relief to find Pam Howells in those hallowed pages, just where she should be, after so many decades of sharing her delightful bear craft. In fact, if ever there was to be a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' created for our UK bear industry, it would surely have to be Pam's by undisputable right.

One thing's for sure, it's always worth purchasing a copy of the 'UK Teddy Bear Guide' to keep bang up to-date with the latest goings on in the bear world! Thanks for another great Guide Hugglets!