Merrythought Day
Sunday 12th August 2018
11am – 4pm
We will be holding our annual Merrythought Day on Sunday the 12th of August. Sarah Holmes, the managing director and great-granddaughter of the founder, will be here to meet you and sign your bears.
Merrythought will make two special limited editions – a Cheeky (limited edition of 25) and a bear (limited edition of 35) available for this day.
We will also have other new Witney Exclusive Cheeky and Punkie bears available.
Meet some of the new Witney Exclusives for 2018!
Please email teddy@witneybears.co.uk or telephone 01993 706616 if you would like to come!
Our 2017 Cheeky and Punkie Witney Exclusives
Teddy Bears of Witney
is now on Pinterest …
Click on the link above to see our new Pinterest page!
A surprise to us all …
… Alfonzo has been the heart of our shop for more than a quarter of a century, and so the news I am about to give you comes with the deepest emotion.
After our 2017 catalogue went to print I was given an opportunity to offer him a new home.
This was a very difficult decision for me. Teddy Bears of Witney is integral to my life and will, I hope, continue to be so for many years to come. It has been a great honour to be Alfonzo’s guardian and one of the greatest pleasures of my life but, following a serious health scare three years ago and with my 70th birthday well behind me, I decided that the time was now right for him to be enjoyed elsewhere.
As many of you will know, Alfonzo belonged to Princess Xenia of Russia. Her mother was Princess Marie of Denmark and Greece. So there is a connection to his new home … in Denmark. There, in Billund, he will be the star attraction a short walk from Legoland at the Teddy Bear Art Museum, which will open in autumn 2017.
I like to think that Alfonzo has been well cared for here and it is important for me that he will continue to be so. The owners of the museum are sensitive and appreciative, and I know that he will be cherished there and bring joy to many thousands of people for generations to come.
While Alfonzo is soon to depart, Bristol has arrived. Alfonzo belonged to a Russian princess; Bristol’s past is somewhat more mundane – old, battered and found in a bag at Bristol Airport. The history of these two bears could hardly be more different yet in each is the echo of a similar charm – one defined by love, loss and time.
Bristol has brought great pleasure to all of us here in Witney.
I am lucky enough still to be moved by such a wonderful discovery as Bristol, just as I am when a customer honours us by visiting the shop – whether on a special birthday or just because they feel like it. If I am fortunate to continue for a while yet with all the wonderful experiences and travels the bears allow me to enjoy, I will be very blessed.
Warmly,
Ian Pout
Teddy Bears of Witney is on Facebook – please like our page to receive up to date news about the shop, events and most importantly new bears!
New Vintage section added to website
Teddy Bears of Witney always has a large selection of quality vintage bears and animals available in the shop and for the first time we are pleased to show a small selection of these on our new website! You will find them under Vintage Bears and Animals on our On Line Store.
Please check back regularly for new items added and do get in touch if you are looking for a particular piece as we are always happy to help you find what you are looking for.
Our full range of vintage pieces can of course be viewed at the shop where you will receive a warm welcome.
