Top Gear Fan Club

We've just been watching Top Gear and haven't laughed so much for a long time. Did you see it? It was the episode where Jeremy, James & Hammond bought cars for $1000 in Miami and had to drive them across to New Orleans in a kind of alternative fly drive holiday with lots of adventures on the way. It was the sort of challenge that Bears Unlimited bears would love to do, so perhaps we should get in touch with the Top Gear producers and see if we can team up and do a special for them.

We were thinking about the type of vehicle we'd want to take on a Top Gear challenge. We're unanimous that it would have to be that British classic, the Land Rover. After posing with the Hindustani Ambassador on our Indian holiday, it seems a good time to redress the balance and appear, doing some topless modelling (only a bear can say that), on the bonnet of a Land Rover we came across recently.


We hung around for a bit to see if the owner turned up as we were going to ask if they'd sell it to us. Perhaps it was for the best that no-one turned up as we're very fond of the 2 bear mobiles we've got.

Anyway, back to Top Gear, we're very pleased to see 'The Hamster' back, aren't you?

Love from all at bears unlimited xxx

Chelmer saves the Day

Yesterday we told you that a lovely day out at Ikea nearly ended in disaster. Here's what happened.

We mentioned that there are lots of opportunities for making new friends of the furry kind at Ikea. Quite early on in our visit we met Croc the crocodile who was very friendly and not at all scary. It therefore, wasn't surprising, that when we found a pool of sharks, Rocco thought they would also be friendly. He climbed straight in, thinking a swim would be lovely and refreshing and that he might even get to ride on the back of a great white.

It didn't take him long to realise that he'd got it horribly wrong. The sharks were not friendly and they quickly circled him getting ready to move in for the kill. If it wasn't for the quick reactions of Chelmer we hate to think what might have happened. Our hero leapt onto the back of the shark and literally pulled Rocco out of the mouth of the shark just before he had had time to snap his jaws shut.


The shark was so surprised he froze for just enough time for Rocco and Chelmer to leap to safety.

We're going to write to the manager of Ikea suggesting he does a product recall on the sharks as they are not safe to be on sale.

Love from a very relieved bunch of Bears Unlimited bears xxx

Shopping the Swedish Way

On our way home from our Derbyshire adventures we were treated to one of our favourite shopping experiences: a trip to the Ikea store at Nottingham.

East Anglian readers will straight away appreciate why this is such a treat; it is because there are no Ikea stores in East Anglia (good job there are other things to recommend it).

We like Ikea as it is a very bear friendly store, even so there are certain features that we particularly like. We think it is great that they provide lots of computers to allow us catch up with our blog entries after being away for a few days.


We also like the bright and cheerful design of the bedrooms which makes us feel at home and we always appreciate the chance to make new friends, including in this picture our new friend Croc.


We'd also like to applaud Ikea, not only for the lovely Swedish meatballs served up in their restaurant, but also some of their wacky and innovative products. Our favourite from this recent trip were the inflatable animal cushions which we demonstrate to you in our final picture for today.


Our visit nearly ended in disaster, however, when Rocco nearly came a'cropper in the store. You'll have to read our next entry for the dramatic details!

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

Tiptoe Among the Snowdrops

As a rule, we're not too keen on this time of year and long for the clocks to change and spring to arrive. However, one of the good things about the winter is the appearance of one of our favourite flowers, the snowdrop.

We don't have to go very far to see some very fine specimens. They really cheer us up with their fine and delicate looks so we go and visit regularly.


Mind you we think they look even better in the snow and we're wondering what happened to the snow forecast for today. It's looks like we'll have to put the bear skis away for the time being.

Lots of love, the smaller members of Bears Unlimited xxx

Real Life Drama on the Box

When Bears Unlimited was first formed, we had branches in Suffolk, the Midlands and Hertfordshire. However, due to office relocations and transfer of personnel, the branch in Hertfordshire, slowly shrunk in size until the last member, TBB (Teddy Bear Bill), feeling lonely, decided to move on a semi-permanant basis to join new friends and former Hertfordshire Branch members at the Norfolk Branch. However, whenever he can, he still likes to pop back to visit his minders or invites them to come up to Norfolk to see him.

Recently one of his minders became a V.I.P. in hospital in Luton. As TBB had a bad cold which he didn't want to pass on, he asked me, Jimmy, being an ex Herts member, along with Noël and Chelmer, to head off to Luton to do some hospital visiting. As is the Bears Unlimited way, as well as cheering up our sick relative, we needed to undertake some essential quality control work. I asked Chelmer to lead, building on the experience he gained back in October last year visiting a Midland branch V.I.P.

Noel and I both have some expertise in electrical equipment so decided that the all important heart machines should be given a full check. Firstly we checked we could get a good trace from a healthy heart, then we decided take a full ECG, again this test proved entirely satisfactory. Just as well as we wouldn't settle for anything else!


On checking out the non medical equipment, we discovered that hidden in the television system was a bear sized keyboard connected to the Internet. Noël took command and sent back to all branches news of the sucessful quality control checks and news of our loved one's good progress and excellent care.


With a sucessful mission acomplished we all then headed of to the nearest Pizza Express for a scrumptious Sloppy Guiseppie and some of those lovely dough balls.

Love from me, Jimmy, and my fellow hospital inspectors xxx

Another Great Filling!

We rather like our new food theme, so will share with you another rather delicious sandwich filling that we enjoyed while walking in Dovedale on our recent holiday.


If you look at Yorkie's face in today's picture, you will see how much he rates butter bean in tomato sauce sandwiches. His nose is quivering with excitement and it looks as if he can't wait to get to the contents of that tin ('I couldn't', says Yorkie).

Like the dolmades, the butter beans we enjoyed that day came back from Greece in a tin but don't despair there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't make up your own batch at home. After all beans and tomato sauce are not exactly rare items.

Thinking about it, perhaps we should try a baked bean sandwich to see how that compares. It doesn't appeal quite as much but there must be similarities.

Hope to hear from you with your ideas soon.

Love George and the gang xxx

What's in Your Lunch Box?

As we had lots of days out on our Derbyshire trip we got through a lot of packed lunches. Now we don't know about you, but as regular sandwich eaters, we find it can be quite difficult to keep thinking up new and interesting fillings. At Bears Unlimited we are on a mission to dream up some new and inspirational fillings. If we get enough ideas we will publish a book to accompany the Friendly Planet Guide.

We got off to a flying start in Derbyshire with our dolmade sandwiches which we happily munched beside the High Peaks railway line. For the uninitiated dolmades are Greek vine leaves stuffed with rice and other nice things. They mght not look particularly appetising (we do realise what they look like in our photo) but they taste delicious.


There are just 2 drawbacks. Firstly, you either need to have a tinned supply brought back from a Greek holiday (as we do) or an ethnically diverse local supermarket. Secondly you need to have a Swiss Army knife, or similar, handy to flatten them, as being round there is a danger of them rolling out of your sandwich and getting lost. We should also say you need to be careful that oil from the tin doesn't get on your fur. Although it's probably good for it, it can be a bit messy.

Do write in if you've any ideas to share with us and we'll continue to share our own favourite suggestions. Better still send us a photo of you enjoying your sandwich and we'll publish it on the blog.

Lots of love, all at Bears Unlimited xxx