Teddy bears.

I have one that my first Gs gave me for my birthday,and one that my father gave me,and another one that i don`t remember who gave it to me.
All in my bedroom.

I think this is a fun fad thing that has caught on, following the kidnapped gnomes fad.
Teddies going on holiday, being photographed on suit cases, at bars, at tourist sites etc.
I guess some people get more carried away with it than others.

But just enjoyable novel fun, no need to stop it or grow up.

I have a small cuddly - it's the mascot of a group I am in. So while mine doesn't go everywhere with me there have been a few photos taken - beach, having a drink in an otherwise empty pub etc. ?

My DH was a paramedic, on the first serious RTC he attended he found a little teddy around 4” tall that had been thrown from a vehicle. He carried the teddy (no name) in his uniform pocket as a talisman until he retired, he said that since it had survived the carnage it would keep him safe. It has since been in every vehicle we have owned and went on our camper van excursions round Australia and New Zealand

Check out Ted Coningsby on YouTube. He’s a bear that goes round RAF stations and flies with the pilots.

Not Teddy related, but it reminds me of something that happened in the days before social media. We had a staff training day and the boss made us sit through a naff training film called 'Who moved the cheese?' (about adapting to change).
The DVD came with a plastic model of the cheese and the boss kept it on his desk.
Every so often the cheese would disappear and be taken away to distant places by members of staff and have its photo taken on location. The photos would be pinned on the staff noticeboard, with the heading 'Where is the cheese now?' It gave us all a laugh!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-593758-es-stash.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202205/medium-265334-old-ted.jpg

Introducing my Old Ted and DH's personal collection of Teds. My Ted travelled with me every time my Naval dad and mum moved on draft - 7 times in all. OT was crucial to my survival. He has only a very few tufts of fur left, replacement buttons for eyes, bits of old stockings for pads and is clearly threadbare. DH's stash were rescued from various charity shops, by him. There were more but they succumbed to the attentions of our Cocker. You may have to stand on your heads to see the photos as pics always seem to turn themselves upside down when I upload them!

grandtanteJE65

I have my teddies and some of my dolls as well.

I would not dream of parting with them, but I do realise that some people think it is a little odd of a grown-up to have kept these toys.

I very much doubt that many of the grown-ups who still have one or more teddy or doll regards them as surrogate children - I assuredly do not, nor have I ever regarded my cats as surrogate children.

I KNOW it is make-believe when I think my teddies and dolls still have the characters I assigned to them when I was a child, just as I know that Santa Claus is not real. That does not stop me giving my grandson presents from Santa. I will stop when the day comes where he no longer believes in Santa Claus so I don't embarass him.

The doll and bear family live in MY room - my study-cum-sewing-room, as I am happy to show them to those who like me have a teddy or two, but certainly do not want to inflict them on people who find it odd that I didn't "throw them out when you grew up"

Well, I didn't and an old and battered toy monkey is proof that DH didn't either - that monkey spend years travelling with DH long after they were "both grown-up".

Some grown men play with train-sets or toy soliders, others build model boats and ships, so why should grown women not play with dolls or dolls' houses if they want to?

We are not forcing you to join us.

The OP did not say, or imply, that people who collect Teddy bears or hang onto childhood toys are behaving strangely. I would think most people have probably got a stuffed toy, doll or toy car somewhere about the house from their childhood.

She was questioning those who treat the bears as if they are people, bringing them to weddings and restaurants, and out shopping with them and seating them at the dinner table etc

I went through a phase of making proper old fashioned jointed teddies for the grandchildren and others. Each bear has it’s own character. The one I may for myself is a “Banksy” bear ie not cute, dark green fur, yellow eyes, a really bad green urly toupee, and is dressed in a tee shirt from Dismal Land. O and he has a tattoo saying “ do we ever”. He’s called Herbie and was a roadie for a 1970s drug fuelled rock band. I think I must have been on something myself when I made him! A bit of fun.

My grand daughter has just taken care of my childhood bear with instructions that he must always stay in the family.

I have my teddies and some of my dolls as well.

I would not dream of parting with them, but I do realise that some people think it is a little odd of a grown-up to have kept these toys.

I very much doubt that many of the grown-ups who still have one or more teddy or doll regards them as surrogate children - I assuredly do not, nor have I ever regarded my cats as surrogate children.

I KNOW it is make-believe when I think my teddies and dolls still have the characters I assigned to them when I was a child, just as I know that Santa Claus is not real. That does not stop me giving my grandson presents from Santa. I will stop when the day comes where he no longer believes in Santa Claus so I don't embarass him.

The doll and bear family live in MY room - my study-cum-sewing-room, as I am happy to show them to those who like me have a teddy or two, but certainly do not want to inflict them on people who find it odd that I didn't "throw them out when you grew up"

Well, I didn't and an old and battered toy monkey is proof that DH didn't either - that monkey spend years travelling with DH long after they were "both grown-up".

Some grown men play with train-sets or toy soliders, others build model boats and ships, so why should grown women not play with dolls or dolls' houses if they want to?

We are not forcing you to join us.

Teddy Bears do nothing for me and to think of adults taking them out with them is absurd. Time they grew up! I once won one at a charity raffle and I turned it down and told them to re-raffle it. The main prize was a car! Now that would have thrilled me, but a teddy bear! No way!

I have some bears from my childhood, one sits in the spare bedroom and his growl/burp still works. I wont part with him. I also have another which a moth managed to get at in his ear. I also have a teddy rabbit that my Mum had when she was 3, so that must be nearly 85 years old.
I'm not sure I would take any teddy out with me, but whatever takes ones fancy. It does no-one any harm.

Sorry for typos in earlier post - teach me to read through before posting!!

My childhood Teddy never survived. He was played with by my younger siblings and eventually fell to bits. When I grew up I got a couple of teddies of my own and still have them along with my son’s childhood teddies. I’ve also made a few, the latest made from a very ancient cashmere jumper that was no longer wearable, unfortunately he looks more like a rat, I really ought to remake his head and shorten his arms which are more like a monkey’s. I did use a pattern by the way so blaming that.

I love my teddy bears but they sit in my bedroom. I certainly don't think they are part of the family. Most of them are gifts.

i inherited my mother’s teddy bears and plates with teddy bear motifs. I have my sons 72 year old teddy. Whenever I travelled in Europe I bought a teddy bear in each country and have ten. Have a bear from Barbados and two from Los Angeles. My son sends me flowers for Mother’s Day accompanied by a bear and I have ten of those. Teddies everywhere.
Many years ago there was a cat food called Arthur and one got a stuffed cat by saving labels from the cans. So I also have Arthur.
Also have my bisque headed life size ninety two year old baby doll given to me when I was seven which survived the Blitz when we were bombed during the war.

Georgesgran

I believe Grayson Perry takes his teddy, Alan Measles, with him on motor bike rides.

He does and he endlessly reproduces Alan in his art, sometimes with very creepy results.

Maggiemaybe you've reminded me of a dear, old ( even when I was little!) Teddy I had as a child.
Your description of yours sounds just as I remember mine; am sure somewhere there's a b&w photo of him .
If I still had him, he too would enjoy an place of honour for sure.

I have teddy bears but I don't take them shopping!

It reminds me of Mr. Bean and his teddy.

I met a serious 60ish chap when on holiday before the 1st lockdown. He had two very tiny dolls and a very small teddy bear he took everywhere. I saw the little girl doll didn’t have knickers and knitted her some, the hotel providing needle and thread to sew them up. He was very serious. The hotel was very serious about finding the right coloured thread and other holiday makers all seemed seriously pleased for the doll and it’s owner. I dread to think what might have been done or said if everyone involved hadn’t been mature enough to understand that the dolls owner was just slightly eccentric and not just slightly mad.
p.s. That doll was 1 inch tall. It’s knickers were knitted on 2 plastic sticks used to hold slices of lime, lemon etc in drinks.
Oh, and only a Prince with the reputation the teddy bear collector has, would instruct and expect his poorly paid servants to rearrange his teddies every day in the order he had decided on.

Still love the teddy my parents gave me when I was six. He sits on the landing on an old straw-seated chair. Two years ago DD replaced the pads on his paws which were leaking stuffing. He used to growl when tipped upside down but has been silent for many years now so I can't ask him what he thinks about people collecting teddies. A harmless hobby - though I did feel a bit squeamish about Prince A with a teddy.

My childhood teddy is in a box in the loft, now I'm feeling guilty. I used to get some as Valentine's gifts, etc and they would normally end up in the charity shop. All my dogs have had there own teddies, all taken to their beds at night.

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst cadets who belinged to the parachute club had a Teddy Bear who wore his Army fatigues and had a parachute. At the annual para club party, the Teddy Bear's Picnic, Teddy also paeachuted in to the DZ, the padty venue. With the changes at Sandhurst I don't know if this still ocvurs!

My teddy lives in a box along with that of my son. I make sure their faces are above everything else so that they can breathe. Oh well.