Whose Flag?

Well, we think Gilbert deserves a pat on the back for entertaining us all with some excellent stories and pictures from our adventures in France. Well done Gilbert we've all enjoyed a great read!

Having come to an end of his pictures and prose, Gilbert has now handed the Blogger reigns back to Yorkie and myself as he knows how eager we are to start telling you all about our latest adventure.

Last month's adventure took us further afield than we've been for a long time, so it was especially exciting. We had to go on three planes to get to our final destination! This was one of the reasons that we had a reduced travelling squad of Yorkie and myself only - sadly, there was room for small bears only.


We wonder how many of our readers will recognise the flag of the country we travelled to, which we're exhibiting in our (at home) photo. We're very proud of our flag, not only because it is interestingly different to most countries' usual rectangles, but because we got it for free! Yes, we were doing some Christmas shopping in the capital of the country we visited, and, as it is the custom to barter (yes we were outside Europe), we asked for this flag in lieu of a discount, and got it.

We know a lot of our readers know where we went but, for those who don't, keep guessing, and we'll be back with the answer and some travellers' tales very soon.

Lots of love George & Yorkie xxx

A Strange Looking Shuttle

As our French adventures took place in September, nearly 2 months ago now, you'll probably have forgotten all about the excitement which was inevitably going to affect our journey home.

If you think back to the beginning, you'll recall us happily starting our holiday with a trip on Le Shuttle. Remember this picture ...?


We had every expectation that this was how we would also return home, so does our next picture look a little bit strange to you?


The eagle eyed amonst you should have spotted that there's a whopping great ferry at the back of our picture.

There is a simple explanation. We were due to return home the weekend of the recent lorry fire in the tunnel. We had been warned in advance by our friendly camp reps that the Tunnel was most definitely closed, so we would have to go to the ferry port at Calais and swap our Eurotunnel ticket for a ferry crossing.

We commend all parties for a well organised operation and it was a pain free experience (although sadly we did have to cut our wine buying shopping expedition short!).

We actually like travelling by Ferry especially when it's a fine sunny day as you can see it was.


It was lovely to feel the breeze on my fur and to be able to say a longer goodbye to my homeland.

Lots of love Gilbert & all at Bears Unlimited xxx

A Colossal Crater

Our tour round the battlefield sites and war graves of the Somme region, took us right to the location of the front line, and also to the small hamlet of La Boiselle, famous for being the home of the simply enormous Lochnagar crater.


The crater was blown as the result of a massive underground explosion, early on the morning of 1st July 1916, to mark the start of the Somme offensive. Two charges of explosive totalling a whopping 54,000 lbs created this crater, which originally measured 300 ft across and 90 ft deep. As you look at it, it is not hard to imagine that debris from the explosion flew some 4,000 ft in the air.

The sad thing about this colossal explosion, magnificent though it was, was that it happened in not quite the right place and, as a result, did no harm the German defences.

Fortunately for visitors such as ourselves, the land containing the crater was privately bought in 1978 to prevent it being filled in and built upon by local farmers. It is now one of the most visited war time sites and a ceremony takes place on 1st July each year at the big wooden cross, to commemorate the start of the Somme offensive.


As I posed for this picture at the edge of the crater in order to give a sense of scale, two visitors mistakenly took me for a commemorative tribute to the war time dead, that some-one had left behind, instead of flowers. Those same people looked a bit surprised when I was reclaimed by my minder and secreted well away in a rucksack. While this was a very interesting place to visit, I had no intention of being left behind!

Lots of love Gilbert and friends xxx

Remembering ...

Our visit to the museum complete, we left Albert and headed into the surrounding countryside to visit some of the war graves and battlefield sites.

Of particular interest to us was the Thiepval memorial to the missing of the Somme.


This imposing piece of architecture bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme area before 20 March 1918, and have no known grave.

72,000 sounds a lot, and believe us, as you stand under the roof of the memorial, close enough to read the names, you find there are so, so many, that the tragic loss of life really hits home anew. And then when you think about all the thousands of Commonwealth war graves, for known soldiers, which are in addition to all these thousands of names, the reality becomes so horrifying that you begin to wonder if you will ever smile again.

Anyway, our interest in Thiepval was that we were looking for one particular name, that of a young man from a neighbouring village to us. Amongst all those thousands of names, we found it, one F W Eke, from the small Norfolk village of Hindolveston.


Earlier today, since today is Remembrance Sunday, we remembered Mr Eke again, this time at the Hindolveston war memorial. As we gathered for the act of remembrance and two minutes silence, we again saw his name carved into a memorial, this time one much closer to the home he was never to see again.


And as we remembered the fallen this morning, we learnt one very interesting fact about Mr Eke. The house where he lived in Hindolveston, was the very house where some very good friends of ours now live. We hadn't known this previously, as the house is no longer called by the name mentioned in the war graves registers.


So today, Remembrance Sunday was particularly poignant for us as we gave thanks for the heroic acts of so many young men and one young man in particular.

Lots of love, all at Bears Unlimited xxx

Trench Life

Suitably refreshed, in more ways than one, we walked the short distance to the entrance of the Somme 1916 Museum.


Once Chelmer spotted the field gun outside the museum and quickly moved into firing position (what's it they say about boys and their toys?) I began to wonder whether we would actually get inside the Museum.

Fortunately everyone wanted to look inside, so we were in a couple of minutes later. The geography of the museum is very interesting as well as the life-like displays. Having bought your ticket, you immediately descend underground, giving a feel of going into the trenches. This is because the museum occupies what was originally the crypt below the basilica, used as aircraft shelters in the Second World War.

We were all quite quiet as we became absorbed in the realistic scenes of trench life which really gave us a feel for what everyday life was like in the trenches during the 1916 offensive. Not only did the alcove displays use genuine uniforms, props and weaponry, there were also some rather horrifying sound effects as we got to experience what a barrage of overhead shelling would have been like.


Afterwards, as we sat outside admiring the wonderful museum mural, we found our tongues again and unanimously agreed that a trench was not a bear friendly place, not that they were man friendly either. We counted our blessings that we live in a free and peaceful society, thanks to the sacrifices made by so many, all those years ago.

Lots of love Gilbert and Bears Unlimited travellers xxx

Our Poppyfields Tour

While we were happily experiencing the Somme Bay and environs, as a fine holiday destination, we were, nonetheless, conscious that the area had a special historical significance that was as far removed from holidays as you can get.

I'm sure you hardly need reminding that the Somme area was the scene of some of the worst trench warfare of WW1. We thought it only proper that we pay our respects and so we arranged to spend a day visiting battlefield sites and war graves.

We started our tour in the lovely town of Albert.


After a longish drive it was lovely to sit in the fresh air in a lovely little square in front of the Basilica. We enjoyed cans of Orangina while the water fountains rose and fell just over our shoulders.

Albert was the main town behind the lines for the Allies during WW1 and the golden virgin on top of the Basilica was one of the most famous icons of the war for the British. I therefore thought that it would be fitting for us to call in to the Basilica on our way to the Battle of the Somme museum.


The building looked so fine now that it was hard to believe it had sustained as much wartime damage as it had.

Lots of love Gilbert and all at Bears Unlimited xxx

The White Cliffs (not) of Dover

Our fine day's promenading put us in the mood for more walking, so we decided to explore the lofty heights of the white cliffs of Ault.


We'll forgive anyone who looks at this picture and thinks we'd done a quick hop back to Dover, as we agree the cliffs do look rather familiar.

All our cycling had improved our fitness, so we had no difficulties climbing up to this viewpoint. On the way we saw a red squirrel which was rather special.


We thought this cliff top anchor wasn't in quite the right place to be useful, but when we tried to move it, we discovered it was stuck fast. What a waste we thought, although it did add a pleasant nautical feel to the scene.

A few yards on, Chelmer spotted something that he thought might help us free the anchor so we could return it to a boat which might be able to use it ...


... yes, his bright idea is that we could use this ancient farm equipment to plow up the land surrounding the anchor, and so release it from its earthy bed.

Fortunately Chelmer is easily distracted, and he was so happy posing for photos, that by the time we'd finished photographing him being a 'laboureur de la terre' as the sign states, he had forgotten all about his earlier idea and was happy to finish the walk.

Lots of love Gilbert and friends xxx