A Journey to Hampshire

We bears haven't been on many adventures away from home this year, due to the nasty virus, so you can imagine how excited we were when Polar told us we were going to Hampshire for a little holiday.

'We're self-catering, so we'll have room for your bear basket,' she said.  This meant we had a very comfortable journey. avoiding the motorways, down through Shropshire and the Cotswolds, before joining the A34 road at Oxford. 

We had been invited to have tea in the garden by some dear friends, so had anxious ears when we saw big storm clouds gathering!  We were really looking forward to seeing our Berkshire Bear friends, and had made little pots of jam as presents for them all.

 Luckily, the sun came out and we could all sit in the garden together.  The humans had to do something called social distancing, but bears don't have to do this, so we could share hugs.

After an exciting time chatting to our friends, it was time to get back onto the A34.  Leaving the driving and navigating to our human guardians, we settled down for naps.

We woke up when the engine stopped.  We looked out and saw that we were parked outside a funny little shed on wheels.  Polar explained that it was a modern version of a shepherd's hut, and was where we would be staying for the next four nights.

Inside, there were seats and a table, a smart little kitchen that Polar said was more modern than ours at home, and a little shower room and WC through one of the doors at the far end.  We bears loved it, although we thought our humans might be uncomfortable sleeping on the floor.

After tea, we wondered what to do, as their was no television or radio and Polar couldn't get any internet on her phone.  It was too rainy to go for a walk.

Then I remembered that I had packed my Finding Day story book, Once Upon a Time in the North in our basket, so Polar read to us about Mr Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison the Armoured Bear.  After that, we bears played the Peril of the Pole game in the back of the book against Grizzly, and Grizzly won.

'I'll win when we play tomorrow,' said Hanley.  'I have worked out a winning strategy!'

'We'll have to see what happens,' said Polar, tucking us into our basket.  Then she folded the table up onto the wall, moved the cushions off the seats and pulled a cord, and a bed and mattress folded down for her and Grizzly.  There were pillows and a duvet in the cupboard, so soon our human guardians were almost as cosy as small bears in a basket!  Which was just as well, since we had some busy and exciting days ahead.