Tally Ho!

Sorry George & Yorkie, but you've got another bear trying to slip a quick one in before your next adventure gets under way.

Some of us had such a good time this weekend on a Bears Unlimited outing to our local racecourse, that I wanted to tell you about it.

I, is of course, me, Patrick. Being Irish I have horseracing in my blood and, as well as my Guinness, I do like a small (and controlled of course) flutter on the horses.

It was our smallest racecourse that we attended, that at Fakenham. Small racecourse it might be, but what a big day out it was. The chaps and I haven't enjoyed ourselves so much since we were in Ireland.

I spent a lot of time studying all the notes and form in my racecard, trying not to get distracted by the legs of the racecourses walking past. There was lots of useful and very interesting information to digest.

But for me, having a bear's instinct for a winning horse, the best way to pick the right horse to back, was to get up close and personal and engage them in a bit of eye contact as they came past (when I wasn't posing for the camera, that was).

I found I had a special fondnesss for the Irish horses, and there were plenty of them. But at the end of the day, I couldn't help but be influenced by the jockey's colours. What great combinations some of them had come up with!

So did I go home richer or poorer. Well I made just enough to pay for my pint of Norfolk's finest ale, Woodforde's Wherry, and that was good enough for me.

We'll hope to make a visit to the races a regular feature in the B.U. diary, but, until next time, I'm contenting myself with pulling a Dick Francis novel off the B.U. bookshelves.

Lots of love, Patrick and all at Bears Unlimited xxx

The End is Nigh

So, here is our last post from Ireland. I hope you aren't relieved by this news, and have enjoyed reading. 

Before we left, we managed to complete the 1000 piece jigsaw we were doing in the evenings. It was an orchard scene with cider making in progress. The shapes weren't conventional jigsaw ones, and there were all sorts of curves and nearly, but not quite straight lines, so that just building the edge was quite challenging - and that's usually the easy bit.  

We'd spent many a happy hour constructing it, and then of course it takes only a minute or two to dismantle. That's why we always like to take a picture of the finished item, for our B.U. records.

We had an early morning sailing from Rosslare back to Fishguard so we had to say our fond farewells to Sli Na Mara a day early.

There were more fond farewells, particularly from me, to my beloved Ireland, as our ship pulled out of harbour the next day.

My B.U. travelling companions told me that I'd given them a marvellous insight into my country and that cheered me up a bit, as did the fact that I was already a day closer to my next visit - whenever that may be (soon I hope).

It's timely that I should finish now, as there is a new Bears Unlimited adventure coming very soon. The next lot of travellers are back from their travels with tales and pictures aplenty.

Lots of love, Patrick, George, Yorkie, Ungi, Rosa and Gilbert xxx

Celebrating the Prodigal's Return

We were all very happy when our minder returned and we were all together again. We went out for a special meal to celebrate. We'd picked somewhere that we'd heard was good, and are pleased to report it was much more than good, it was stunning.

So where is the place to go if you ever find yourself near the Cork/Kerry border? The place to go is Josie's restuarant which is at Lakeview House, in a remote spot overlooking the delightful Glanmore Lake.

We had a warm welcome as we arrived and were taken to a cosy table right by the window so we could look out over the gardens, lake and mountains.

One of our minders started with seafood chowder and when the bowl came it looked lovely, and was big enough for Yorkie to swim in. It tasted as good as it looked, and Yorkie even abandoned his usual pirana devouring approach to food, and decided to savour it, so as to make it last as long as it could.

In between courses we had a chance to look out the window and admire the view ...

... it was very special. It was just a shame we were there just after the longest day so didn't get a chance to see the sun setting over the mountains, but there again, as it was so light, we could enjoy the view for the whole of our meal.

The main course was a lovely piece of salmon with beautifully cooked potatoes and vegetables. As salmon is one of a bear's favourite foods, what more can we say ... other than the Eves pudding we had was desert was also most spendid.

However good the meal was, it was even better to have our minder back. Mind you, if we are every back in the area - which we hope to be - Josie's will be one of the first places we head to.

Lots of love, Patrick and co xxx

How Green is Derreen

Shortly after our trip to Bere island, one of our minders had to return to England for 24 hours for a pre arranged appointment. We therefore decided we would make a really great effort to give our remaining minder a good time.

There was one attraction right on our doorstep that we had ignored so far, and decided that now was the time to put that right. And so, we all went off to the Derreen gardens, on the edge of Lauragh, for a good look round.

The gardens gave us ninety acres of woodland glade to explore. The setting was a sheltered inlet amidst the splendid setting of wild and majestic mountains, and you can see just how stunning the location was, from our next picture.

The view from the gardens was quite different  to the reverse view of the gardens looking inland from the shore. The overall impression was that of a subtropical jungle of luxuriant vegetation. You would hardly have known you were in Ireland - would you have guessed from the following shot showing some of the spectacular tree ferns? ...



There wasn't much flowering when we were there, but there was plenty of plant variety to keep us interested. We followed paths meandering through groves of bamboo, towering eucalyptus, rhodedendrons and a variety of conifers, as well as the tree ferns, until they would emerge at a grassy lawn, a shoreside boathouse, a seat with a view or some other interesting feature.

In one rather jungly area we met another otter. Remember us telling you recently about the one we'd spied swimming from the cottage? This one didn't look as if he was about to go swimming, in fact he didn't look as if he'd been anywhere for a while ...

... then, as we got close for our photo, we realised it wasn't an otter at all, just an otter shaped piece of moss covered wood.

What a striking resemblance though! What do you think?

Lots of love, Patrick and furry friends xxx

We Feel at Home

There isn't actually a lot to do on Bere/Bear Island unless you like walking or cycling, which fortunately we do. This is actually a good thing, as it keeps the island quiet and unspoilt, just as we like it.

As you can see from our next picture, it was only a short hop from the ferry port to pick up both the Beara Way walking route and the Beara Way cycling route.

The walking route certaintly goes to town on this, its namesake island. There are 2 loops at either end of the island and we did the whole of the longer one at the east of the island. A very fine walk it was too.

Because the ferry has a long elevenses break, the crossing we took was a lunchtime one (it wouldn't have been a proper holiday if we'd had to get up early to catch an earlier crossing. This meant that we hadn't walked very far before we all started to think 'what's in my lunchbox?'

We found a lovely sunny spot, with a great view over the sea to the mainland, to check out what was in our lunchboxes. Personally I was a lot more excited about the sandwiches I found in my lunchbox than about the 2 small bears who had taken up residence inside. 

After lunch we made great progress on our island promenade and visited the lighthouse and climbed the first of several hills. We were always in sight of one of these Beara Way route markers so we could relax and enjoy the scenery without having to keep a nose stuck in a map. In case you're wondering, the minder's hand getting ready to catch me, was not due to me being unsteady because of lunchtime Guinness drinking, but because there was a brisk breeze blowing.

After some wild and hilly walking the path took us back to the harbour along a quiet country road. If you look back to our first picture, you'll see that the emblem of the Beara Peninsula (more than just Bere Island) is a fushia. it was the perfect choice, as everywhere we went, the hedgerows were full of fuschias and honeysuckle. Here I am admiring a typical roadside hedge of fushia, that would go on for what seemed like miles. It was rather lovely and gave us the impression of being somewhere very temperate, tropical even.

We had planned our walk round Bear(a) Island perfectly, so we had enough time for a glass of Murphy's before re-embarking on the ferry returning to Sli na Mara for a relaxing evening.

Lots of love Patrick and B.U. friends xxx

This Time it's for Real

It seems ages ago that we were telling you about looking across to Bear Island and anticipating our visit. I did say at the time that I was whetting the appetite of my friends with the view, and they would have to wait a while for the visit to take place.

However, I couldn't keep them waiting for ever, and I wouldn't be that cruel anyway. And so, as our first weekend in Ireland came round, it was back to Castletownbeare, not just to watch the ferry, but actually to get on it, as foot passengers of course - the bearmobile had the day off on the quayside.

Gilbert feels the cold a bit - and boat trips are usually rather windy affairs - so he used a minder's rucksack as a sleeping bag and reserved us some seats in the cabin, while the rest of us took a short stroll round the deck (it wasn't very big) before seeking a vantage point on the life ring. Don't get me wrong, this didn't indicate that we were worried about the crossing, just that it was dry place to sit. In any event, with a boat name of Sancta Maria, what harm could come to us?

As the car deck filled with the two cars we were taking (there was possibly room for 4) we were amused to notice shop assistants from the nearby supermarket coming on board with bags of shopping, which they deposited on the car deck, as you see below. We found this a quite novel alternative to the more usual Tescos home delivery.

We spent longer waiting to set sail, than we did sailing. In just a matter of minutes we were putting into the harbour at Beara island. Perhaps the interesting fact that, during WW1, the passage of water we were crossing was so full of anchored battleships, that it is said it was possible to cross from mainland to island on boat decks without getting your feet wet, indicates to you that the distance wasn't that far.

We look forward to showing you the delights of the island next time.

Lots of love Patrick and friends xxx

It's Got an Exotic Name

My friends and fellow travellers were rather surprised at the lack of public footpaths in Ireland. They struggled with the fact that they could see wonderful mountains just waiting to be climbed, but couldn't just get out there and climb them, as most of the land is private. This is of course very different to what they're used to in England.

I was keen to show them, that there are ways of enjoying a good walk in Ireland and so, I took them to a really special place, Gleninchaquin Park.

This is an award winning farm and park which offers a variety of different way marked walks through some truly breath taking scenery. True there is a modest admission charge, but for that you get car parking, toilets, a tea room, a friendly welcome and a choice of well planned and maintained walks to suit just about everyone. And the cost was no more than the National Trust charge for car parking at a local beauty spot near to our Norfolk home.

And there is more to the walks than simply lovely scenery. There is a lot of interesting local history. One of the first stops on the yellow trail that we did, was to see a farm restoration project. What we went to see was an old crofter's dwelling from the 18th century. There was an information board telling us lots of interesting information about how people managed to scrape a living from the land (have you spotted us amongst the greenery?)

It told us that in the 18th century there were over 100 people living in the valley, in houses just like the one we are about to show you. Now only 2 people live there; we think this is rather sad.

Having read about the house, we went to see it. The entrance was perfect for us vertically challenged bears, but our minders found it quite low. It was a very simple dwelling with just one room and we think it would have been quite cold most of the year. No doubt sharing it with animals would have helped keep the occupiers warm though.

We've loads more to tell you about our walk, so we'll be back soon.

Lots of love Patrick and friends xxx

Not Nessie, but Who Else?

I'm not the most I.T. literate of Bears, but fortunately I have my contacts, and know just the right member of Bears Unlimited to help me show you what my was revealed by my patient wildlife watch. I hope you enjoy the following film clip.

I'm sure you'll agree that it's rather special, as it's footage of that rather elusive creature, the sea otter. Sorry we couldn't show you more but we were all so transfixed by this beautiful and magical sight, that we forgot to do any filming, and then, when we thought about it and grabbed the camera, it was only to discover that the batteries had run out. By the time we were back in business, dusk was well and truly upon us, so you'll probably just have to take our word that the moving shape is a sea otter.

It was one of the highlights of our holiday and we counted ourselves very priviledged bears to have been granted these special few moments. 

Lots of love Patrick and fellow nature lovers xxx

La Tour de Ireland: a Tough Stage

But the guys and Rosa were going to be kept in suspense a bit longer, as there was a bit more sight seeing to do before we worked up to Bear/Bere Island - I'd deliberately designed this trip for the mid point in our stay.

So first of all, it was back on the bikes. What a glorious ride we had, but I did get quite a few black look from the chaps, at the start as it was extremely steep: as I've said before I'm not very good at reading the contour lines on a map. There was certainly a lot of pushing that day, as we quite simply ran out of gears, and then ended up having to jump off quickly before we went too far backwards. It was quite like trying to cycle up a Lake District fell, until we got to the top and it all flattened off. There was even a convenient rock on which to take a rest.

The views were magnificent and, unlike the Lake District, we had it all to ourselves. What's more, there was a great downhill, which lasted several miles, and took us all the way to our lunch stop, and some easier afternoon cycling, taking in the tourist town of Kenmare.

That evening, after our meal, I resumed my usual dusk wildllife watch from the window, over the sea ...

... I was looking for something very special and, would you believe it, that night my luck was in.

You'll have to wait for the next post to find out what I saw.

Lots of love Patrick & friends xxx

Our Own Island

As we drove out of Eyeries we didn't turn left to go home. Instead we turned right and headed for the principal town of the Beara Peninsula, that of Castletownbere. While we wanted to replenish supplies in the local supermarket and take the measure of this town, famed for its fishing industry, our main reason for visiting was to research what was, for us, an essential day out: a visit to an island named after us - none other than Bere Island.

As you can see from our first picture we soon found the ferry that would take us across and we noted down the times of the sailings so we'd know when to come back. As we were there in season, there were plenty of crossings every day.

We then got back into the bearmobile and drove round to a viewpoint for our first proper look at the island. This was quite an important occasion so we were all present and, as you can see, while the smaller bears were off exploring, the more sedate members of our travelling party gathered on the roof of the bearmobile to take in the sight and compare first impressions.

It was only 2km away so we could see lots of detail and it looked a very fine island and worthy of a full day out to explore it. There's nothing like a bit of anticipation is there? I think I had successfully whetted the appetites of my friends.

Lots of love Patrick and fellow leprechaun bears xxx

Bearing Along the Beara Way

I decided that, as George & Yorkie had done such a good job of leading us to that wonderful church, I should take the rest of the day off from my responsibilities as chief guide, and let them plan the rest of the day out.

I take my hat off to them, they did a really fine job. They led us on a walk from the church, out to the coast. It was a fine circular walk taking in several miles of coast. Once again we were walking along the Beara Way which would be a great path to do as a long distance walk as it takes in some lovely scenery and places.

Sorry our picture's a bit dark, but it turned out rather a cloudy day, although fortunately not a cold one. It did make for quite a atmosphere though, and, hopefully, it gives you the impression of the empty Irish coastline and lots of space. We passed a bay full of discarded scallop shells and helped our male minder collect an armful, as he thought it would be rather nice to use them for the baptisms he does. 

Not much further along, we stopped to admire a piece of maritime artwork that really took our fancy. A few simple items from the beach had been turned into something rather wonderful - a mermaid, or was it a mer man?

I was really enjoying playing tourist, rather than guide, and the day wasn't over yet.

Lots of love Patrick, George, Yorkie & Co xxx

Wheels Roll Again

We had enjoyed our cycle so much, that the next day we all decided that we'd like to do more. Again we cycled from our cottage, but this time in the opposite direction. We were pleased to find it was rather flatter, but no less interesting.

As we turned inland we found a lovely quiet road leading to a beautiful lake. At the far end we found the stream which runs into it and it was a lovely spot for a paddle and a spot of rest and relaxation.  The water was crystal clear and not as cold as you might think, considering it had come down from the mountains.

As we came into the village of Lauragh we found a wonderful 'feature' outside the local bar. It looked like a petrol pump, but it purported to dispense Murphys rather than fuel. It seemed too good to be true, so we went for a closer inspection. Can you see us?

Unfortunately the nozzle at the end of the hose was locked down so sadly there were no free samples. We weren't too upset though as we do prefer Guinness to Murphy's. And, before long, we weren't upset at all, when we returned to a quiet coast road and found a perfectly located bar at the Kilmakilloge Harbour. We passed it twice, the first time we pedalled past without stopping, but on the return journey ... well, it would have been impolite not to stop would it not?

As you can see it was a Guinness with a view and it didn't stay in the glass long, but there again, cycling is hard and thirsty work.

Lots of love, Patrick and the Guinness drinkers xxx

A Corker of a Cork Stone Circle

I needn't have worried. Our first full day at Sli Na Mara dawned bright and sunny and everyone was eager to get exploring. As we'd spent so long in the Bearmobile the previous 2 days, we decided to explore under our own steam and give the Bearmobile a well earned rest.

We had taken our bicycles with us, and I planned a route that would allow us to cycle from the cottage and explore the coast to the west of us, using quiet roads and the route of the Beara cycle way (I should have said that we were of course staying on the Beara Peninsula - could there be a more apt place for a bear to stay?) 

Our first stop was just a few minutes ride down the road and was the Ardgroom stone circle. There are a lot of stone circles in this part of Ireland, and this was one well worth showing off.

There were 2 particularly tall stones marking the entrance to the circle and, George & Yorkie being avid climbers, couldn't resist the challenge of racing to the top. Gilbert was happy to have a bit of minder assistance. We had some great views of the Kenmare Bay from the top.

I had a slightly worrying moment when I realised the guys, and Rosa, expected me to be an authority on stone circles and deliver a lecture. I was just wondering if I could bluff my way through, when I spotted a welcome sight: an information board. We all went over to find out all there was to know about the Ardgroom stone circle. The raised metal text had a satisying feel under my paw. I think I could learn to read Braille quite easily.

The circle was reached by a footpath which wasn't cycleable. On our way back to the bikes we found a beautiful irish cow guarding the stile. Can you see us on the top of the stile? We like Irish stiles as they are very substantial and easy to spot in their green and yellow livery. They do take a bit of climbing though so are good for keeping fit.

Next stop after the stone circle was the sea and the surprisingly undulating path beside it.

Keep a look out for the next instalment coming soon.

Lots of love Patrick and friends xxx

We Find Paradise

Actually reaching our cottage, once we were nearly there and had turned off the main road, was quite an adventure. We had to take a 2km narrow track which went steeply up, and then steeply down, and it even involved crossing a causeway, with rocky beach on either side.


Eventually we saw a lovely house ahead and wondered if it would be 'Sli Na Mara' our accommodation for the fortnight. We hoped so. As we reached it and slowed, a friendly looking couple came out and asked our minders if they were who they are. We realised then that we had hit the jackpot and this idyllic spot was to be home for the next 2 weeks.

Our hosts Peddear and Kitty helped us settle in quickly and gave us a really warm welcome. In no time at all we were sitting outside in the sun taking in the beautiful surrounds.


This was the view from the bench just outside our garden. As you can see we were just a stone's throw from the sea and had a path from the garden leading straight down to the beach. As were were on a peninsula, within a bigger peninsula, the open sea was someway away, but this coastal inlet was peaceful and beautiful. What you can't see in our picture was the huge mountains, rising just a few hundred metres from the far side of this inlet.

Our next photo, looking at our accommodation from the 'main' road (which was pretty quiet by English standards) shows how idyllic our setting was.


We couldn't have asked for a finer setting and for as charming hosts (they lived at the other end of the property). We also had lots of fine canine and feline company as Peddear and Kitty provided a home to 5 dogs, 11 cats and, while we were there, were looking after 3 border collie pups who were sooooooo..... cute.

It was so delightful that I knew it was going to be tempting to stay put and not venture too far afield. I would have to think of some great outings to compete - the challenge was on!

Lots of love Patrick and friends xxx

We're On Our Way

Hi readers, and top of the evening to you, from myself Patrick. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long, but us Irish, like to take our time over things, and I always feel that a post is best composed over a leisurely pint of Guinness.

I think I organised a good holiday for the chaps and Rosa, and they certainly seem to have enjoyed themselves. I'm confident that when the new chapter for the Friendly Planet Guide is published, it will say nice things about my homeland.

I think I'll start from the time of us setting paw in Ireland.


This was us watching our ferry docking at Rosslare at 6.30 a.m. - we were intrigued by the man reversing it into our birth from the outdoor control panel you can just see at the side of the boat. As it was mid June, you can see it was sunny with blue skies, even at that ungodly hour.

As we'd had a cabin, we'd managed to get a good 3 hours sleep on this short crossing from Fishguard, so we were all raring to go, even if it did take us an hour to get off, after the main doors failed to open. We had quite a long journey over to the Cork/Kerry border ahead of us, but I'd planned an interesting route with lots of stops, including the first important one, for breakfast.

Later I took the chaps to Gougane Barra which is a simply heavenly spot and one of my favourite places in Ireland. Normally it's a very peaceful spot, but on this occasion ... no sooner had we arrived, than a Porsche drivers' rally turned up.


They quickly parked by the lake in a long line and turned off their engines. We all enjoyed inspecting these fine cars until Rosa called us to lunch.


We sat right at the water's edge and, after eating, cooled our paws in the water and did a spot of sunbathing. It was the perfect antidote to long hours in the bearmobile.

Felling refreshed, we did a bit of exploring. We walked in the forest park, then went to look at the delightful church which was built at the end of the 1800s on an island near the site of a former monastery.


Round the back, we found these interesting structures which we thought must be hermit cells dating back to the time of the former monastery. There was a very peaceful atmosphere and there can be few more scenic spots to meditate.

But we didn't linger, as I knew we were only about 90 minutes drive from our final destination, and we were all very keen to see it.

Lots of love Patrick and my travelling posse xxx

Where Next?

Well what can we say, what a true gent Eddie is to round off his tales of the Broads so promptly, so we can get on with telling you all about our latest adventure and the new chapter for the Friendly Planet Guide.

While Yorkie and I were there, as you were expect, the travelling party was rather larger than is usual for an overseas adventure.


This picture from the grounds of our holiday cottage, shows that we were joined by Ungi, Patrick, Gilbert and Rosa. In fact we will be taking a bit of a back seat once we have introduced this adventure and looking to Patrick to lead for us, for reasons which will soon become obvious.

The reason so many of us could partake in this adventure was because, we travelled by bearmobile and ferry, not by plane, so there were few luggage restrictions.

Clearly we haven't travelled too far, but where have we been? Does the following picture help?


If the Guinness doesn't give it away, the bright pub colours should. Yes, we've been consorting with leprechauns and enjoying a true Irish failte.

And the reason Patrick will be taking a prominent reporting role is that he is of course Irish, which many of you will know, even if the shamrock on his right paw is being rather obscured by Yorkie.

Patrick was the best and most genial guide you could wish for, so we hope you enjoy the posts which he will be putting together for you.

Back soon,

Lots of love, George, Yorkie and the Irish travellers

Flying High Over London

Although it was a fine, sunny evening for our boat trip, there was quite a cool wind blowing, so by the time we disembarked, our fur was standing on end with the cold. We went into the former County Hall to warm up prior to our London Eye flight and found a warm radiator to sit on. We soon had toasty bottoms and warm paws.


We were very lucky to get a pod almost to ourselves. As a result there was lots of room and we could move round to test out the various views. As we started to rise we found it very funny seeing legs in the sky above us.

We didn't have to get very high to start enjoying some wonderful dusk views over London.


Not surprisingly, while the rest of us were identifying famous buildings, Eddie was paying more attention to the river traffic.

As we rose even higher London really started to open up beneath us. We pointed out the Queen's back garden to Patrick and then we all waved madly in case H.M. was enjoying an evening stroll in the garden with her corgis.


Our next picture shows us reaching dizzying heights. It's a good job bears have a good head for heights.


It was actually getting quite dark at this point, but a burst of camera flash makes it seem quite the opposite.

We've only one criticism of a London Eye flight and that is that it's over all too soon.

Lots of love, George, Yorkie, Eddie, Patrick, Chelmer & Rocco xxx

This Must Be the Place to Be!

It seemed that hardly had I been formally welcomed to Bears Unlimited, than I was taking part in the next ceremony to welcome two even newer members. I didn't mind though as I think that Bears Unlimited is such a great organisation, that I want as many bears as can, to share in it and experience the welcome that was so readily extended to me when I tentatively stepped through the door on our return from Ireland.


So here I am, trying to look like an old hand, welcoming, not one, but two, new members of Bears Unlimited. On my left - the right as you look at the picture - is Giovanni (Gio for short) who you will have already met briefly if you read our Easter Sunday post. Gio's t-shirt reveals that he is a member of the Society of St Francis, and he has come to us straight from Hillfield Friary in Dorset. He left there with a friend of my minders who looks after a neighbouring group of parishes to ours and spent some time at Hillfield as part of his recent sabbatical. Gio is called Giovanni, as Giovanni was the middle name of St. Francis, the founder of the monastical order which bears his name.

While Gio is a very religious bear, he came to join us as he wanted to have a rather more adventurous life than he felt he would have had, had he stayed at Hillfield. We've already told him he's come to just the right place for adventure, especially as he is very keen to see more of the world. Gio's t-shirt also has the Latin words 'Pax and bonum' - peace and goodwill - we think - and that certainly sums up his character. He is, not surprisingly, spending a lot of time with Bris, who is our main church bear.

The other bear, who you will not have met before is Pedro. He has travelled even further than Gio to join us, as he has travelled all the way from Spain. Do you remember Dilly, the very cute dog who stayed with us towards the end of last year and who introduced Gilbert to us as a thank you for looking after her while her minders were on holiday in France? Well Dilly came to stay again recently, while her minders were on holiday in Spain, and Pedro came back with them. Pedro also has a special t-shirt, but his reads 'friends always'. What a great sentiment - it really should be the motto of Bears Unlimited as it sums up all that we are about.

It might seem strange that we only have comings at B.U. and no goings, but if you spent any time with us, you'd soon understand why no-one ever wants to leave.

Lots of love Patrick & all my friends at Bears Unlimited xxx

P.S. I was very pleased to find that the B.U. company colour (the green of the bear flag) matches the emerald green of my homeland (and ribbon & shamrock) so closely.

Back to Blighty with a Piece of Ireland

With that last post, our wonderful Irish holiday came to an end. We hope you've enjoyed sharing our adventures, as much as we've enjoyed the reminiscing. The Northern Ireland chapter of the Friendly Planet Guide will certainly be packed with lots of ideas of places to visit and loads of local information.

But, as you know, we brought a little bit of Ireland back with us, in the form of the very lovable and charming Patrick. Following the Bears Unlimited tradition he was welcomed into our ranks, in the presence of the company flag, by the previous newest member of B.U., on this occasion, Gilbert.


As we've been blogging about Ireland for so long, this photograph is now quite old. Please rest assured that as a mark of his permanent position with us, Patrick has now had his Emerald Buddy manufacturers tag removed. As he is rightly, very proud of his Irish heritage, he has kept the tag safely as his Irish passport.

Patrick has settled in very well and says he is very happy living in Norfolk, although he does hope to return to Ireland for visits and holidays whenever he can.


Gardening bear Tommy, did his bit to make Patrick feel welcome by showing him round the garden to see all the spring flowers which were flourishing as a result of his green paws.


Lots of love, all at Bears Unlimited xxx

Happy St Patrick's Day

Top of the evening to all my friends and a very happy St. Patrick's Day to you. Today is a big day for all Irish folk, but especially for those who, like me, are named after the great Saint.

When I asked the guys yesterday if they celebrated St Patrick's day, they said not usually, but my arrival among them had changed everything and, as they now appreciate how many good things come out of Ireland (including me), they agreed they we had good reason to celebrate and have a party.


And so we are now relaxing by the fire and enjoying some good craic aided by a few glasses of Guinness and some party food. It's making me a bit nostalgic for my homeland, but I don't regret coming to live in Norfolk one bit, as I'm now at the heart of the Bears Unlimited family and been made to feel very welcome.

I'm enjoying helping George & Yorkie with the posts about our Irish holiday though as it reminds me of the great country that Ireland is. As everyone enjoyed their Irish holiday so much I'm sure I won't have any difficulties persuading them to visit again soon.

Anyway, we do expect to be returning to the tale of our Giant's Causeway adventures for our next post. Apologies to anyone who is being kept in suspense, waiting to see the less well known sights of the Causeway.

Lots of love, Patrick and all my Bears Unlimited friends xxx