Paddy, Chippy and Big Growly Bear: Companions from Childhood

            This week the Flickr Friday theme is "childhood memories', and I am spoiled for choice as I still have a great number of items from my childhood including books, porcelain figures and 1:12 miniatures which I had when I was a child and still have to this day.

However I couldn't go past these three precious companions from my childhood.  For those who follow my photostream, you will immediately recognise Paddy, and may also have met Chippy, but this is the debut for Big Growly Bear.  He is extra special because like my other two companions, he is a precious part of my childhood, yet he was also a part of my Mother's and my Grandmother's childhood.

Growly Bear, the big yellow mohair bear with a somewhat stern face, was bought for my Grandmother from Hamley's Toy Shop in London in 1922.  He is covered in mohair and has amber glass eyes, has reticulated arms, legs and a head, and was named Growly Bear because he used to growl when you turned him upside down.  He was still growling when my Mother was a child.  My Uncle, born three years after my Mother, christened him The Big One, because he was the biggest teddy bear in the nursery.  When he came to me as a child, I amalgamated the two names and called him, Big Growly Bear.

My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago).  He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes.  The collar of his Macintosh is made of the same felt.  He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his Macintosh.  

He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years.  He is a very precious member of my small family.

Chippy the monkey came to live with me when I was four.  His name is derived from his innards, which are broken chips of hazelnut shells.  He was made in America some time in the mid Twentieth Century.  He features beautiful brown glass eyes, a felt face, hands and feet.  He was given to me by one of my Grandfather's friends who worked in a small high street toy shop which sold a mixture of new, vintage and antique toys.  Chippy was vintage at the time, and had been well loved prior, so with a few holes, some worn plush and patches, he was too worn to be sold, but my family friend knew that my gentle nature and respect for my toys meant he could find a new home with me for a long time.  All these decades later, she was proven right, for he still lives with me; a bit more loved, a bit more worn and with a few more patches.  He also has some red chalk marks on his right hand which I remember putting on him by accident when I was six!  He wanted to draw a rose on my chalkboard and I helped him do it!

Taken on: May 20, 2020

Tags:

Paddington

Paddington Bear

Paddy

teddy

teddy bear

bear

soft toy

vintage

toy

vintage teddy

vintage teddy bear

vintage toy

hand made

softie

plush

cute

cuddly

soft

mohair bear

Hamleys bear

Hamleys mohair bear

Big Growly Bear

Growly Bear

childhood

childhood memories

childhood companions

antique teddy bear

antique mohair bear

Hamley's Toy Shop

Hamley's Toy Store

wallpaper

child's wallpaper

nursery wallpaper

nursery

old

antique

worn

Chippy Monkey

monkey

Chippy

collectible

collectibles

antique teddy

antique monkey

vintage monkey

Flickr Friday

Souvenirs d'enfance

Memórias de infância

童年记忆

Kindheitserinnerungen

Recuerdos de la infancia « less

Sets appears in: • Collectables • Photos During the Time of Pandemic

Groups appears in: • Softies • + Toys ( 玩具,おもちゃ ) more » • Teddy bears - Teddys • Peluches • Toys Toys Toys • toys on holiday • Not real Animals • Plush Love • Toy Art • Little Friends Around the World • + Plushies ( 毛绒玩具,ぬいぐるみ ) • Handmade Teddies - Artist & Heirloom Bears • I'm Cute • TOYS TAKE OVER • Toysaholic Anonymous • Toy Photography (Any Toys) • All Toys • ***Cuddly Toys*** • Toy Stories • CUTE THINGS EVERYTHING CUTE!! • teddy group !!! • The Secret Life of the Material-Animals • Teddy Bears & Everything Stuffed • Toy & cartoonfigures • Amici Peluche ! • ♠ Teddy •Bears! ♠ • Teddy Bear Club • Stuffed animals in the big world • PLUSH COLLECTION • Toys you snaped • 1-2-3 Teddybear • " SIMPLY STUFFED " ( All Toys and stuffies ) • .·:*¨*:·.Nostalgia.·:*¨*:·. • The Toy Shoppe • Teddy Bears and Friends • !TOY COLLECTORS! (Post 1 or more and Comment 1 + more) • Vintage Plush • *Music To My Eyes*~L1 w/7 Levels ~Active Sweeper ! ~ P1 A5 ~ • Toy with us! • teddybears • Teddy Bears for Hugs • **Heart Awards** (P.1 Award 5) Open - Sweeper present • ! F l i c k r | S t y l e ! • Stuffed Animals • Toys in Close-up • My toy lives, and is my best friend too! • !!!but my Bear's a special Bear!!! • T IS FOR TOY • I LOVE MY TOYS • Teddy Lovers • 1,000,000 teddy bears • Teddy Bear Tuesdays • Teddy Bears Picnic • Toys collections ALL OVER THE WORLD! • Toys Photography • "Django's-Uschi's" - Grand --Puppen-Dolls /Bären/Bear's • Stuffed Companions • Toys Aren't Just For Kids :) • Bear Necessity's & Favorite Stuffies • Teddy Bear's Picnic • Share the Teddy Bear • Webshots Community - Toy Friends • " Teddy Bears ❤ Friends International " • The Bears' Flickr. • Toys in the World • WE LOVE TEDDY BEARS • Nice as it gets Level 1 post 1 award 5 « less

Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/2.8, 1/5 sec, 6.2mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.2 sec (1/5)
Focal Length:	6.2mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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