Bears Beside the Seaside

At the beginning of October, we bears went on an adventure to the seaside, but not to play on the beach.  We were going to Blackpool for a special birthday surprise for one of our human friends called Mr Robert.

We got to know Mr Robert through our friends the Berkshire Bears, and they were coming on this adventure with us.  We were all staying in Southport for a couple of nights, which gave Hanley Bear and LBB (Little Brown Bear) chance to talk about football, and how disappointed they were with their teams so far this season.

On the way there, we stopped at the Martin Mere bird sanctuary and Endon went to look around with Polar and Grizzly.  I am going to ask him to do a separate post about that when he has the time.

It was very bright but breezy on our first morning in Southport, so we stayed safely in the Bear Bag while our humans had a walk into the town and along the promenade, but not all the way out onto the pier.  Maybe we'll do that on another visit?

Southport's town centre is very nice, with some very attractive Victorian buildings with nice shops in them - including one which was full of old-fashioned sweets in jars.  

Then it was time to go to Blackpool.  All of our Hug and the Berkshire Bears, and our human guardians, got into old Pam the micra, and Polar drove us up the coast, inland to Preston, then out to the coast again, with Mr Robert and some of his other relatives in the car behind us.  

There was a lot of traffic on the road into town, as Blackpool's football team had a home fixture.  Hanley and LBB wondered if we were going to the match, but Stella Bear told us we were going somewhere much nicer, which was why Polar had made her and the Berkshire Bears, Cinnamon and Anise, a posh gown each. 

"We're going to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom!" she said.

"Booo!" said Hanley.  "I don't want to see silly humans dancing and we can't dance, or the clumsy humans will tread on us!  I want to ride on the old trams and go to football!"  

"But we're having afternoon tea," answered Stella.  "With dainty little sandwiches, cakes and scones with jam and cream!"

Hanley decided the ballroom didn't sound too bad after all. In fact, he got quite excitable when he saw these tiles in the lobby, as he was sure they must have been made in Stoke-on-Trent, though Polar hasn't been able to find out for sure yet.

The ballroom was very grand indeed, with lots of humans doing ballroom dancing to music played on an organ.  We bears all sat together on a seat where we had a good view of the dancefloor, but an even better view of the little tea table.

We wondered if Polar and Grizzly would do any dancing, but Polar explained that it wasn't easy for them, because she is so much taller than Grizzly and has very big feet.

Luckily for us, when afternoon tea arrived there was plenty for humans and small bears to share, with sandwiches, cakes and scones with cream, which we all love.

"I think this scone is bigger than me!" cried Waverley Bear!

After tea, it was time for Mr Robert's special surprise.  He was going to play the famous Wurlitzer organ, that rises up out of the floor of the stage!  We thought he might be nervous, as there were still lots of people in the ballroom, but he was surprisingly calm and very happy, and played lots of different tunes for everyone.

After Mr Robert had finished playing, it was time to go back to Southport for dinner.  We were all very happy that Mr Robert's special day had been such a success, and we are very grateful to Mr Andrew (Mr Robert's brother) for inviting us and our humans to join in, and to our great pal Gecko (Deborah) for bringing the Berkshire Bears along too.

We had another little adventure on the way home, as we gave Mr Robert a lift back to his house, but that's another story for another day!