Chocolat and gherkins...!!!

Being bears, we all love chocolate and the book / film "Chocolat" is a particular favourite - we watched it once again this afternoon while waiting in vain for the rain to stop. French breakfasts were very much to our taste - big bear friendly bowls of hot chocolate to slurp, with a nice bit of Nutella spread thickly on baguette to dunk. We liked the pain au chocolat too but found these too wiffy waffy for dipping. You can see Isaiah licking his lips as he contemplates the mouth watering selection of goodies - he's very lucky, he can eat what he likes and still stay very svelte unlike his minders!

However, on further perusal, he discovered a bowl of gherkins! Now bears like gherkins but not for breakfast surely? Very odd! it took Isaiah so much by surprise that he didn't realise he was endangering his bearhood by sitting on a knife and he nearly got caught by the waiter and had to dive back to the safety of his minder's table tout de suite before being discovered drooling over the buffet. Anyway, the bears tucked in as they knew they were off on a big adventure later that morning, about which more will follow.

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Bank Holiday blues

As Norfolk Branch and Midlands Branch are both off having a bit of an adventure, Suffolk Branch are feeling at a bit of a loose end this weekend, especially as the weather is being typically Bank Holiday - ish. We've put our bear BBQ on hold and have decided to cheer ourselves up by reminiscing about our recent holiday in northern France. Here you can see us resting our weary paws and catching a few rays after scrambling up a big sandy cliff from which point we waved at our bear friends across La Manche.

Then in a spirit of entente cordiale, we decided to try the local fare and as we were at the seaside, it had to be moules mariniere. We were amazed at the 101 different ways to cook them and quite fancied the curry and beer varieties but in the end we thought we'd start with the traditional way. Kiwi fell in the pot moments after the photo was taken - you can see he's looking a bit off balance - and had to be rescued by Isaiah but after that escapade we slurped away and found them quite tasty! But we drew the line at the oysters our minder opted for - well we wouldn't want to choke on a pearl would we? Watch out for odd petit dejeuner choices later in the week. A bientot!

Hello from Us and and Goodbye from Them!

Hi folks, Chelmer and Rocco here, safely back home now, after a most amazing holiday. We hope our blogs conveyed to you how much we were enjoying ourselves and all the amazing new experiences we had.

We've simply got to go back to Germany (for certain female furry reasons) and we can't wait to have another gliding trip and to see Hunnybunny again, so we have asked our camp leaders, Birgit & Wade, if we can stay again, when we are next due for a holiday. We're pleased to report that they have said yes!

Meanwhile Eddie, George & Yorkie and busily packing for their next adventure, so we're returned just in time to say goodbye to them and to enjoy a pint of Wherry with them before they go.


One of the things they are packing is the new Bears Unlimited flag (this might give you a clue about the nature of the adventure they are about to embark on). In the photo you can see the flag flying and you will be seeing a lot more of it in the next few blogs from the Norfolk branch, although you might have to wait a while for them.

We are all very proud of our flag and wish to thank Aunty G for a fantastic design and production job.

While you wait for news of Eddie, George & Yorkie's big adventure, if you're lucky you might just hear from the Suffolk branch about their latest travels.

Lots of love, all at Bears Unlimited xxx

My visit to Frankfurt by Rocco

Hi gang!
 
I thought I'd better write today as Chelmer seems incapable. He's been on the internet all day, I think checking flights to Frankfurt. He's been really badly smitten by Teddy De Baer, who we met at the weekend. She's about 7 years older than us but even I have to admit that she wears her age well. She was quite good company too. She ate and drank a bit too much for my liking and I'm sure she is harbouring some dark secret. She was very moody at times - a fact which Chelmer was oblivious to. You should have seen him. He carried her bag all day, found seats for her, bought her nearly a pound of Haribos - and she was lapping it all up. I tell you if they'd been my only company I'd have screamed!

As it was, Katrin, who we were staying with, and who is Birgit's sister, was absolutely wonderful. She was charming, funny, very good looking for a non-bear, and although at times somewhat embarrassed about being seen with us two prize specimen of the bear world, you could almost forget that she was human. Oh yes, and she was an excellent cook!

I can recommend the skyscraper festival to all of you. We enjoyed lots of rides, spectacular architecture, great weather, jaw dropping stunts and brilliant music. The atmosphere was very peaceful and Germans seem a very inclusive nation. They even had a bear band! This liberal attitude and lack of prejudice really surprised me very pleasantly.


Ok. I'm just off to do the washing up as Wade has gone to Tai Chi and Birgit is flaked out on the sofa, looking brain dead.
 
Speak to you soon,
Rocco

My visit to Frankfurt by Chelmer

Hello you lot,
 
We were completely and utterly gone when we arrived back here from the fantastic skyscraper festival in Frankfurt last night!!! We got up at 3 am on Saturday morning and by midday we had met Teddy De Baer. Nobody had told us that Teddy was a girl!!!!!!!!!! And, you've probably guessed this already, but Rocco is in love! Being the more mature, I let him believe that she was interested in him, when really she only had eyes for me. But I played it cool. However, I know she was looking at me when I abseiled from various towers, bungee jumped without screaming and did a 200 m zipwire off the second highest tower without twitching. She daintily fed me little morsels when we were having lunch 30 m up in the air suspended from a crane, and I'm sure you can also tell that we are far closer from the enclosed photo, although I made sure that Rocco didn't feel too left out. However, at that particular moment he was engrossed in the strawberries, being the pig that he is.


Teddy and I have exchanged addresses and I'm sure I'm going to see her again. I wished you could have met her. She smelt lovely and had the most interesting and varied personality. We discussed architecture, relationships, and many other things, but the best thing was that we shared a tremendous sense of fun. She went on nearly as many attractions as I did and on some we went together. We raced each other up a tower on a bicycle ( I let her win) and we did a bungee jump where we were tied into a sack together, winched up about 50 m and then dropped without warning. My assured presence meant that she hardly squealed! By the time the amazing fireworks started we were really very close and she dropped her head onto my shoulder to get an easier view.
Anyway, it's nearly dinner time now and I want to send off a quick email to her before I eat. I'm sure she's been waiting for it all day.
 
With much love,
Chelmer

Chelmer & Rocco's Fifth Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hello,

Today we spent learning a few important German phrases, as we'll be spending the weekend in Frankfurt. We've been told that we will be meeting Teddy de Baer, so numero uno in our repertoire is 'drei Wherry Bier bitte'. We've also mastered 'wo sind die Schrebergaerten?' and 'zum Flughafen bitte'. Speak to you lot on Sunday!

Lots of love,
Chelmer and Rocco

Chelmer & Rocco's Fourth Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hi you guys,

It was sooooo nice to see you at Badminton tonight. You really made the atmosphere special! Thanks!! Didn't realise just how much we'd missed you.
So, you already know what we did, but here's the evidence. As you can see, we took our umpiring seriously. We had to. The players were getting so uppety at times......We thought Jeremy was particularly gazelle like and his tiger surfaced on several occasions. Roarrrrrrrrr.

By the way, we forgot to tell you: we might not be coming home again. It's so lovely here - and there are far too many where you are. What do you think?

Chelmer and Rocco

P.S. Badminton is a doddle. As you can see it took us hardly five minutes to get the hang of it.


P.P.S. A very fine looking crowd you are


P.P.P.S. We're not asleep, we're concentrating on the lines!

Chelmer & Rocco's Third Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hi Guys,

Wow, what a day! We set off at 7 o'clock after a bowl of rice crispies and some fennel tea (not very butch) and after an hour's ride in a rickety, old Nissan Micra, we thought that was it. That flying was easy. However, we soon found out, there is a lot more to it, as you will see.

Wade said Wednesdays is the retired gents day, but he reliably informed us that he is neither retired nor a gentleman! He never did explain how come he manages to fly on a Wednesday. A mystery.

Miss you lots, tally ho and chocs away,

Here is the record of our day!



The crew! Rachel's bacon sarnies were delicious and just what we needed for breakfast.


We had to carry out a d.i. (daily inspection). Here we are checking out the instruments



The parachute was too big for me

....and Rocco

We also had to check out the weight restrictions. Despite Wade being in there as well (of course), we didn't go over the limit.

We had to practice using the controls, synchronising rudder peddals and stick together. I needed help with the rudders! But it was ok.

Rocco was even more challenged in this area! On account of his height, not lack of brain. He WAS taking it all in.

We tried different seating positions with safety always uppermost in our minds.

We had to check the winch parachutes, although we weren't winching. This was part of our duties for the day.



Another part of our duties was to log the aircraft in and out, as well as use the radio to contact various aircraft. Roger, reading you 5!

Our glider

Before we flew we needed to check that the d.i. had been done and carried out in accordance with BGA regulations. It had - after all we'd done it!



Our seating positions next to the pilot. Wade, although being a very patient instructor, fiddled with the camera while we were in the air which almost led to a spin. He then decided it would be safer to leave us in our pockets. However, he was most obliging in banking the aircraft, so we could see the sky, and the other way we could see the ground. Scary!


After a hard day's gliding we imbibed the favourite club brew. There was no Wherry available, so we had a pint of Flowers instead, served by the very lovely Eddie.


Wade introduced us to the Chairman of Norfolk Gliding Club, Grum Ashworth, who was very proud to meet such fine upstanding members of the gliding community and shook our hands.

He presented us with our certificate!

Love

Chelmer and Rocco xxxxx

Chelmer & Rocco's Second Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hi Guys,

I'm afraid we had tears before midnight yesterday. Rocco wanted to sleep with the cat but we had to go to bed. He can be such a baby.....


We turned down the offer to go to work with mine hosts and I spent the day listening to various cds in their amazing music collection,


while Rocco immersed himself in 'The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire'. It was good.


See you soon,
Chelmer

P.S. I don't think they've got any Wherry! Can you believe it?

Chelmer & Rocco's First Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hi guys,

We've had a brilliant day! On the way to the allotment we met Hunneybun, the rabbit (what else). Isn't she cute? She's also pregnant, so she wasn't interested in us........Anyway, when we got to the allotment we a) did some weeding, b) planted some sweetcorn and c) shovelled some s*** (don't tell Ma and Pa we said that - it's manure to them). It was raining a bit and we got really muddy - it was great. Hope Auntie Birgit is going to get us clean again.......
And your day? I suppose you were playing scrabble again.

The rest of our pictures from today follow.


Lots of love,
Chelmer and Rocco

Chelmer & Rocco's BIG Adventure

As the reports of Eddie's canal boating holiday draw to an end, the latest excitement in the Bears Unlimited community is Chelmer and Rocco's spur of the moment holiday departure. 'Carpe Diem' is one of the Bears Unlimited mottos and so when the chance of a holiday came their way, Chelmer & Rocco had their bags packed before you could say Bear Robinson.

Since Chelmer is a bit of an adventure bear and adrenalin junkie, no ordinary holiday sunbathing by a pool would do for him. He and Rocco have left with Chelmer's drumming buddy, Wade and Rocco's guitar teacher, Birigit, for a multi-activity week. With a combination like that an interesting week is guaranteed and we do happen to know that they left with their Bearports (bear passports).

They've been gone less than 24 hours but their excitement is so great that we bears have already heard from them twice. They've promised to send us daily email postcards and we'll publish the first one shortly, but first a poem from Chelmer we received earlier. We never knew he had such talent as a poet, but we are all familiar with his droll sense of humour which is very evident in the following:

Hello Mudder, hello Fudder

Here we are at Camp Griem-Leada
and it's very entertaining
they say we'll have some fun when it stops raining.

Take us home, oh Mudder, Fadder
Take us home, we hate Griem-Leada
Don't leave us out on their allotment
where we will be all too despondent

No, I don't want to scare ya
but Rocco might have malaria
I remember your great dinnas
here we get nothing but spinach

Take us home, we promise we will not make a noise
or mess the house with other bears
oh please don't make us stay
we've been here one whole day!

Dearest Fudder, darling Mudder
how's our precious littles brudda
Let us come home, if you miss us
I would even let you kiss us.

Wait a minute, it's stopped raining
bears are planting, bears are gliding
playing badders, yes that's better,
Mudder, Fudder, kindly disregard this letter.

What a wind up merchant Chelmer is!!

Lots of love the Bears Unlimited gang xxx

Missed the Boat!

You know I'd frequently heard my minders and other humans talking about 'missing the boat', but I never really knew what it meant until the other day - after all bears are so sharp and on the ball that such things don't happen to them.

Anyway, there I was on my towpath travels, realising what a good view of Erik I got from the path.


What a fine boat I thought to myself and how lucky I am to be Captain for the week.

Seeing a bridge approaching that would give me an even better aerial view, I hurried onto it and waved to Erik and my minder who was on the helm, as Erik glided through beneath me.


As I clambered down and rejoined the towpath I suddenly understood what 'missing the boat' meant. I could see Erik further down the canal, chugging along at a pace faster than my little legs could propel me. How soon would it be before those on board missed me I wondered.

My panic was only momentary though as my quick thinking bear brain realised that I was carrying a walkie talkie so I radio'd through to let the crew on board know that I had fallen behind. Erik, like all canal boats loses direction in reverse so they weren't able to come back for me, but did slow down a lot to give me a chance to catch up and get back on board at the next bridge.

Once back aboard everyone let me know that they had all been keeping an eye on me and would not have left me, they were just winding me up and making me think I'd been left behind.

They're all such good friends I was able to share the joke and have a laugh with them.

Lots of love Eddie xxx

Towpath Travels

It's quite hard for me to drag myself away from my boat and take to dry land as I love boating so much (have I told you that before?) but I occasionally do so, as I have learnt that there are lots of things to see on the towpath that require a closer look. Also, it is always good to get some exercise, so I don't have to worry too much about putting on weight as result of all the beer and pub meals.


I know that I walked over 3 miles the other day as I passed 3 of these mile markers. They date back quite a few years as they were placed by the Grand Junction Canal Company which was one of the companies that built the Grand Junction Canal back in the late 1700s. The canal only changed it name to the Grand Union Canal in 1929. (Sorry but I specialise in canal trivia, perhaps I should apply for Mastermind).

Talking of history, while walking under the many canal bridges I kept my eyes open for grooves worn into the iron strips which protected the bridges from wear from the tow ropes of the horse drawn barges. Here I am inspecting some of the grooves I found.


I find it incredible to think how many horses and barges must have passed along the route I was now walking to have worn such deep grooves. I would love it if this aspect of the past could be brought back to life.

More about my towpath travels in my next blog.

Lots of love Eddie xxx

Work & Play on a Narrow Boating Day

I can't say it often enough, crewing a narrow boat is great fun. There is always a job to be done, but boating jobs definitely aren't 'chores'. Being part of the overall boating experience which I enjoy so much, I love them all.

When it's a hot day one of the jobs I particularly enjoy is the daily filling of the water tank from one of the British Waterways water points. Here I am waiting by the tap ready to switch it off when the tank starts to overflow before the hose snakes out and showers everyone.


When it's hot though, sometimes I leave the tap on and we have a bit of a waterfight until we've all cooled off, as sadly the canals aren't clean enough to swim in.

As for other boating jobs, I'm a dab hand at turning the stern greaser and clearing any rubbish from round the propellor. I also oversee the mooring arrangments making sure the boat won't drift off while we're in the pub.

Talking of the pub, there does come a time when a boater's work is done and at that point it's time to retire to the pub. Visiting one of the many canalside pubs is always enjoyable and something we look forward to. Although the cooking facilities on board are good we often feel we've earned a meal out. Here are Chelmer & Spike studying the menu and making the difficult decision of what to choose.


Still the way, we look at it, the longer we spend studying the menu the longer we have to sample the local ales.

Lots of love, Eddie & the crew of Erik xxx

That Sinking Feeling

As Eddie said the other day, the lock gates are a little too big for some of us smaller bears to manage. Sometimes we add our paws worth of help to the other bears' efforts, but often we stay on board to make cups of tea for the locking crew and to perform some vital boat in the lock checks. For instance we check that the front of the boat doesn't get flooded when the gate paddles are opened and, at the back, we check that the stern doesn't get caught on the rear cill as the lock empties causing it to go into a nose dive.


There were two lock flights on our trip that we particularly enjoyed: the famous Foxton locks with their double staircase and the Watford flight, also a staircase. The Watford locks were particularly deep ones. We sat at the back of the boat to give an idea of scale and you have to agree it was a very deep lock. It felt like we were descending into Hades and even though it was a hot day it got very cold.


The other advantage of having some paws free as we go through the locks, is that we can fulfil the role of crew photographers. We hope you like this photo we took of Eddie and Erik at one of the Watford locks and also the one below of Erik emerging from one of the Foxton staircases.


Lots of love George, Yorkie & all the crew xxx