This month, the wonderful blogs filled with warm memories of our childhood teddies have returned! This series has to be one of our favourites – It is so fun to hear each other’s stories and take a look back on our memories together. It can be tough, narrowing down to one favourite teddy bear. And even harder, picking only a few stories to tell! Some of us have been through decades with our bears, been to university together, seen different countries with our bears and much more.  This week, Sian has got a story or two to tell about her beloved Mr. Monk… Take a ready to hear about where the two went together and what the pair are up to now.

Names:

Sian and Monkey (Or ‘Mr. Monk’ if we were feeling fancy).

First Play Date:

20th April 1999 – my 6th birthday when my grandad took me to the zoo to see the monkeys.

A little bit about your best friend…

Growing up, I was obsessed with animals. Every year, I would ask for a new one and would spend hours creating them a new home. All in my room there was an arctic section, a safari section, a rainforest, and a slightly out of place lava-filled volcano as I wasn’t entirely sure what a dragon’s native habitat was.

When I turned 6, my grandparents took me to Longleat Safari Park to see the real animals. At the park, you can actually drive through the monkey enclosure, and watch as they leap over the car and slide down the windscreens. I was reportedly wary at first, unsure of whether we were actually in danger. However, I cheered up pretty quickly when one of the younger monkeys sat happily on the car bonnet. AND hitched a ride around the enclosure with us.

After we’d been around the entire park, I was allowed one birthday gift from the shop… Of course, I headed straight to the section with the monkeys. I had my eyes set upon the ones with the sticky paws that hang off things. After picking up Monkey, I unstuck his paws, before placing them around my neck like a necklace, and that was that: he came home with us.

Whilst I loved all the toys in my room, the monkey took pride of place. He would hang off the lampshade, and even mysteriously found himself tangled round my backpack strap when I went back to school. He stuck with me even as my room was transformed into a Harry Potter-themed room as I got a bit older. Where Monkey transitioned from his rainforest home to the protector of the castle.

As we grew older…

Rather than being donated to family members or charity with some of the other beloved toys, he stuck by my side. Monkey came to University with me (though my housemates didn’t need to know that!). And, eventually moved out of my parent’s home with me. He is still in my room to this day; a little worn and missing a few patches of fur these days, but still very much a welcomed sense of nostalgia… And a cherished memory of a perfect day with my grandparents.

To read about Roshan and Snowie in their travels to Panama, click here. Or to read about Katie and Eeyore’s family fun and adventures, click here.