Bears on Trains

We went to visit Grizzly's grandcubs last weekend.  We always enjoy seeing the grandcubs, who are very kind and love small bears, and we like playing with their Star Wars toys and building things with their Lego, but we don't usually enjoy the journey to and from their house.  

Polar and Grizzly take it in turns to drive their little car along some nasty, busy roads full of fast cars and big lorries called the M6, M40 and M25, while we sit in our bear basket on the back seat with our paws over our eyes, hoping we will arrive safely. 

This time, however, instead of going in the little red car, we caught the train.  Polar found a rucksack we could sit in, on top of her camera bag, so we could see where we were going.  Grizzly ordered a taxi to the station and we arrived in plenty of time.  This meant Hanley and I could show Endon the little garden on the middle platform while we waited for our train.

A group of local people look after the gardens and have made them very pretty and a good place for small bears to play and explore.  The sun was out and the daffodils were starting to flower, so it felt a lot like spring.

'Come along, bears!' Polar called, when the signal changed for our train.  'We don't want to leave you behind!'

We jumped back into our rucksack and Polar carried us onto the train.  Polar and Grizzly found a table seat and Grizzly put his bag underneath ours, so we had good views out of the window.

Soon, we reached Stoke-on-Trent station, then we were out into the countryside.  As we travelled south, I could show the other bears the canals I had travelled along on my way to Stoke-on-Trent.  When we got to a place called Milton Keynes, we had to get off the first train and wait for another one.

'This will take us further into London, then divert around the city centre and down to Croydon,' Grizzly explained.  'When we get there, we catch another train and then a bus.'

I was worried about all these changes of transport.  'Don't leave us behind anywhere!' I said to Polar.

'Don't worry, little Sonning,' she said.  'You bears are very important to us and you're travelling with my camera - I never go anywhere without that!'

Hanley Bear liked the next part of the journey because we could see Wembley Stadium.

'I wonder if I'll ever go there, to watch Stoke in the Cup Final?' he said to us.  Endon and I said we were sure he would, either next year or the year after, but we don't really know.

Then Polar showed us the Grand Union Canal branch that goes to Little Venice and Paddington, best known to us for it's famous bear.  We would definitely like to go there on board Uppie one day.  Polar said she and Grizzly went six years ago, before they had us bears in the crew, and had a marvellous time at the Cavalcade Festival.

Soon after that, the train crossed a bridge over the Thames.  Little Endon thought this was very exciting indeed.  We caught our last train at Croydon, as planned, and our bus arrived just after we got to Horsham station.  

'We'll be at the cubs' house soon,' I told the other bears.  

'I hope they will be really pleased to see us and let us play with all their brilliant toys,' said Hanley.  'I want to fly the X-wing again!'


'I hope they will let us have tea and naps first,' I replied.  It had been a very interesting journey and much nicer than driving along the horrible motorways, but I was still quite tired.

The human cubs had lots of adventures planned for us and wanted to play straight away, but luckily it was nearly dinner time when we arrived, so we got to have a little rest before the fun started.