Small Bears around Cannock Chase

We are lucky bears, as our human guardians take us to all sorts of interesting places, even though we can't go out on our boat at the moment.

Sometimes we go to historic buildings, sometimes we go to pretty gardens, and sometimes we have walks in the countryside.  We have started looking at the different Staffordshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves you can visit, after seeing all the lovely snowdrops at Loynton Moss last month.

Recently, we read about a place called George's Hayes, where there are wild daffodils.  Hanley Bear thought it was very funny that the car park, further up the lane, was at a place called 'Piggott's Bottom'.

When he had stopped laughing, we showed Polar and Grizzly, and they agreed to take us there.

We started with a walk in the woods at Piggott's Bottom.  There were no daffodils in sight there, but we could see (and smell) the leaves of wild garlic, and we think there will be bluebells there too, in a month or so.

There were lots of thrush-like birds called redwings and fieldfares in the woods, although they flew away before we were close enough for Polar to take pictures.  The ground was very squidgy, so we stayed in the Bear Bag most of the time, although Polar let Endon do a little bit of climbing on a very interesting twisted tree.

Then we set off to see the daffodils.  We had a wonderful view from the lane, looking across the fields towards the valley of the River Trent.  Soon, we reached George's Hayes.

In the woods, it was still rather soggy under our paws, so we let Polar carry us between climbing trees rather than risk getting muddy.

We bears could smell unusual animal scents, which soon made sense when Polar showed us some deer prints in the mud. 

'We're on the edge of an area called Cannock Chase, where there are woods and heathlands, and lots of deer,' Grizzly explained.  'We might even see some here, if we're quiet.'

We didn't see any deer, because I don't think our human guardians were quiet enough, but we soon found ourselves surrounded by lovely little daffodils, with golden trumpets and pale lemon or white petals.

'We're going to stay on the path, so we don't squash the flowers,' said Polar.  'But you little bears can run around and explore.'

The daffodils didn't just look pretty - we bears were the perfect height to be able to smell their gentle fragrance.  However, I don't think Polar and Grizzly could, as they do not have bear noses.

We skipped about in the wood with all the little flowers twinkling like sunbeams around us, enjoying a lovely spring day.  Hanley and Endon both said this was even more proof that Staffordshire was the best place for a small bear to live - in the whole world!

When we had done plenty of running, climbing and exploring, we looked out for a tree stump next to the path, where we could wave to Polar and Grizzly, and get picked up to be carried back to the car.

When we got back to the lane, Polar lifted us up so we could see a windmill on the next hill.  Hanley Bear wanted to go to see it, but Polar said she didn't think it was open to the public.  Instead, we were driven across Cannock Chase, through lots of small towns and villages, then through some woods, to a National Trust house.

'We're going to have lunch at Shugborough Hall,' Polar told us.  'I don't think the house is open but you'll love exploring the gardens there.  Sonning might remember seeing it from the canal when we came home this way from our journey to the Thames.'

Shugborough used to be the home of Lord Lichfield, who was a cousin of The Queen and a famous photographer.  Polar was right about the house being closed, which was sad, as we thought there might be long banister-rails we could slide down inside.  There were special rare breed animals in the farm to see, but we were hungry small bears and we were pleased our first stop was the café for bangers and mash!

After that, Endon Bear found a very old car, which used to belong to Lord Lichfield's mum.  'Look at the number plate!' he called to us.  'E for Endon!'

Sadly, our hopes of exploring the gardens were spoiled by some heavy showers, although we could admire them from the shelter of our Bear Bag.  Polar showed us a monument which has a strange code on it, that no-one has been able to solve.  Hanley Bear decided he ought to try.   

'If it leads us to hidden treasure, we can put the money in our Paddington Fund!' he said.

While Hanley pondered his code, Polar and Grizzly carried us all across a narrow bridge for a view of the canal.  We were a little bit anxious looking out of our bag, as we could see that both the River Trent and the River Sow were very high.

'Maybe, when Uppie has been painted, we'll come through here on a nice day and stop to visit,' I said to the other bears.  'Then we can play in the gardens properly and explore the big house.'

'And find the treasure!' added Hanley. 

During a short break between showers, Polar let us out of our bag to climb on a tumble-down building that wasn't really a ruin - it had been built to look like one for decoration.  We bears all agreed that humans were sometimes very strange. 

We tucked back into our bag for the long walk back to the car but, when we arrived, Polar couldn't find her keys.  She checked her pockets, and our bear bag, and looked in her camera bag, but they were nowhere to be seen.  Grizzly had his, so he put us safely on the back seat while Polar strode off back towards the cafe, thinking that was the most likely place for the keys to have fallen out of her pocket.

But they were in her camera bag, which she had left with us and Grizzly,  A few minutes later, Grizzly double-checked and saw them, so he scuttled across to the entrance hut as fast as he could.  The driver of the little shuttle service drove him down to meet Polar with the keys - she walks so fast, she was already coming back - empty-handed - from the cafe!  

But there was another lady on the shuttle, who really had lost her keys, and Polar and Grizzly were able to give her a lift to her daughter's house, so everything worked out for the best in the end!