Polar's Secret Gardens

Polar and Grizzly took us to Trentham Gardens yesterday. 

'You deserve a day out for being good bears this week and helping us to make marmalade last weekend,' said Polar.  'It would have taken ages to chop up all those lemons and limes without help from you bears.'

Our marmalade is on sale in Polar's office.  The money raised from selling it is to buy plants for a little courtyard garden at the back of the office, which Polar has been tidying up so her friends can sit out in it at lunchtime.  No-one except the workers there know about it, so they call it the Secret Garden.  It is surrounded by buildings and very shady, so lots of plants won't grow there. 

It also got very messy, because lots of pigeons started nesting around it, so Polar made a plastic-bottle peregrine falcon to try to scare them away.  There are real peregrine falcons on a tall building near Polar's office, which she can hear screeching when the windows are open during the summer.

Polar has taken in some ferns and other spare plants from our garden that like shade, but wanted inspiration to help her choose other plants.

'Why don't we look in the woodland meadows at Trentham and see what they grow under the trees?' I suggested.  We love it there, as it is very pretty, even in winter, and there are lots of things for small bears to do.

'That's a great idea, Sonning!' said Polar.

Before we went into the woods around the lake, Polar and Grizzly let us play.  We climbed the big terracotta flowerpots in the Italian Garden to see if the tulips were coming through, then we sat on a nice bench to enjoy the view.

'Look at all those daffodils!' said Endon, pointing across the gardens.  'We could play hide and seek in them!'

We had lots of fun hiding and seeking, then got back in our bear bag.  Polar and Grizzly took a new path behind the show gardens.

'That one is called the Secret Garden,' she told us.  'It was originally built at the Tatton Park Flower Show by students from Reaseheath College - including me!'

'Is it like the Secret Garden at work?' I asked.

'It has an ivy-covered wall, but the flowerbeds are all in the sunshine here,' Polar answered.  'We need to see what will grow in the shade.'

We carried on up to some pasture, where there were lots of panda-coloured sheep and baby lambs.

'They look like little woolly bears!' said Hanley.

We left the lambs to play and headed back towards the lake, along a path we hadn't been down before.  When the magnolia trees have grown more it will be really beautiful in the spring, when they flower.  There was a carpet of white daffodils nearby, whose flowers were almost ready to open.

'Some of those would look brilliant in those old ceramic sinks in your work garden,' said Hanley.  Polar agreed, and made a note to plant some, with hostas and ferns.

'What about a stumpery?'  I suggested.  'We could come to work with you and go climbing when you have meetings or quiet work to do.'

'I think the pigeons might perch on stumpery logs,' Polar replied. 

'And they would poo on them,' said Hanley.  'Errgh!'

We decided not to have a stumpery in the Secret Garden, but thought some wood anemones, violets and primroses would be nice.  'I've got some spare snowdrops and Tina says she has spare white bluebells in her garden,' Polar told us.  'So we should have plenty of flowers next year.'

We were confused by white bluebells but, by that stage, we were almost at the café.  Grizzly bought a choc-ice for us all to share while we watched the reeds, where a pair of great-crested grebes had made a nest. 

'Can we come here again soon?' asked Endon, as we walked back to the car park.

'Of course you can, bears,' said Polar.  We all cheered.

Hello from Hanley!

Ay up, everyone!  

I'm Sonning's pal Hanley and he's very kindly said I can write a piece for his blog about what it's like being a lucky mascot football bear for a team who aren't being very lucky.

I started going to Stoke City games with our human guardian Grizzly after Polar made me a red and white striped sock jumper, scarf and hat.  At first, we won lots of games and I thought it was because I was there and I was a lucky bear.  Here I am with Grizzly and his friend, Mr Steve, and holding Grizzly's season ticket.

But then we started losing, even when I cheered like mad for The Potters and sang 'Delilah' with the human fans.  In case I was an unlucky bear, Grizzly stopped taking me to the games, so I pestered Polar to put the radio on at home so I could listen to what was happening.  I missed watching the game but at least I was home in the dry.

We kept losing and, at the end of last season, we got relegated from the Premiership.  I was a very sad small bear and sure it was my fault for not being lucky enough.  Sonning eventually persuaded me that it wasn't my fault, gave me a sticky bun to cheer me up and talked Grizzly into taking me to games at the start of the new season.  If I am very lucky, I get an oatcake from Mrs Kay's famous Oatcake Boat.

We started well but, after a little while, it was clear we weren't going to get promoted back to the Premiership this season.  Luckily, Grizzly doesn't blame me for this and I still go to all the home games, rain or shine, to cheer for my team.

Last weekend, Polar and Grizzly's son George came too.  Polar said I could watch from the other end of the ground for a change.  Her camera bag was a good place to shelter from the cold wind.

We were playing Nottingham Forest.  Polar and George were in seats very near the away fans, who were very noisy and rude to us, so I went 'Booooo!' to them.  

It can be hard for a small bear to see what's happening so Polar held me up so I had a better view.  Even so, I missed our first goal as everyone around me stood up during the attack but Polar, who is very tall, had trouble wriggling out of the small seat she was in.

Luckily, I could see the goal on the big screen at the other end of the ground.  If I looked very hard, I could see Grizzly and his friends too.  

We scored another goal in the second half, at Grizzly's end of the pitch, so we won two nil.  I cheered and cheered and went 'Booo!' to the Notts Forest fans again as we were leaving.  None of them had lucky bears so it was no wonder they had lost.

I am looking forward to going to more games with Grizzly, or listening to away games with him in his railway workshop.  I have my paws and claws crossed that we will do better next season and get promoted back to the Premiership.  The manager needs to give the players oatcakes and marmalade for strength and energy.  That's what I would do!

Bears go back to Biddulph Grange

It is dull and rainy today but last week, when it was sunny and warm, Polar and Grizzly took us bears with them to visit the gardens at Biddulph Grange.  These are north of Stoke-on-Trent and are famous for having lots of smaller gardens within them, representing different countries.

There were lots of daffodils in bloom next to the car park.  As soon as we arrived, we ran across to see them.  Just seeing the cheerful yellow trumpets made us happy.  We skipped about between the daffodils until Polar and Grizzly called us away. 

'Come on bears!'  said Polar.  So we jumped back in our bear bag ready to be carried into the gardens.  One of the ladies who works there recognised us from our last visit and said hello to us!

Last time we visited, we explored the Italian gardens, 'Egypt' and 'China', but we didn't see the whole site.  This time, Polar carried us around the lake and through a tunnel.  We thought we were going to China again, but instead we found ourselves among tall conifer trees.

'Can we do some climbing?' asked Endon, looking up at the trees and sniffing their nice, fresh smell.'

'Only if you're good bears and don't climb too high,' Polar replied, so we were sensible bears and didn't climb  too much higher than Polar could reach, so she could catch us easily if we had to jump down.  There were pretty little green birds called siskins in some of the trees, eating seeds from the pine cones, but they flew away before we could climb close to them.

After plenty of time climbing, we got back in the bear bag and Polar carried us up a long, straight path between more conifers to a far corner of the gardens where there is a huge stone urn, taller than Grizzly or Polar.

Behind the urn is a secret path that leads through the woods, and here there are adventure play things for human cubs, like balance beams, bridges and a see-saw.  We tried to make the see-saw work but, even with all three of us at one end, it did not move.

'Never mind, bears,' said Grizzly.  'You can do some more climbing or jumping between the tree stumps.'

There were no human cubs about, because it was a school day, so we could play on everything we wanted to.  We climbed and jumped and ran and balanced along ropes and poles.  Sometimes it was nice to just sit in the sunshine.

After a little while, we heard the chimes of a church clock.  We counted them.  There were twelve.

'It's nearly lunchtime, bears!' Grizzly called.  'Which way do you want to go back to the café?' 

'Through China please,' I said. 

The smaller bears both agreed.  Polar lifted us into our bag and carried us through the stumpery and down the steps to China.  Because it was soon after Chinese New Year, there were bright red lanterns everywhere.

We sat on the patio in the sunshine to enjoy our lunch.  Polar got a very tasty cheese scone with chutney, which we helped her to eat, then we left via the shop.

We all went 'boo!' when we saw the title of this book for sale, but Polar says it's a famous book by a very nice man, written to help human cubs learn to read, and no bears get hurt in it.

'Can we come here again?' asked Endon, who had really enjoyed climbing in the fir trees.

'Definitely bears,' Polar said. 

We all cheered and sang happy bear songs all the way home.

In Our Garden

It has been unusually sunny and mild here recently, and Polar and Grizzly's garden is looking very spring-like.  Last weekend, after helping our human guardians to do some tidying up in the borders, we enjoyed playing in the sunshine.

The snowdrops were still in flower and there were big clumps of cream and pink hellebores all around the lawn, looking very pretty.  Polar told us to be careful around them, as they have leaves with sharp edges.

Because it has been dry, we were able to run about on the lawn.  Last year, all this was covered in snow!

'We've cut the main trunk of the hazel tree back, to let more light into the greenhouse,' Polar told us.  'We've left a stump that should make a good climbing post for you bears.'

'Let's go and see!' cheered little Endon, who loves climbing things.

He hopped down the path and was soon scrambling up the post.  

'This is brilliant!' he called.  'Climb up and see for yourselves!'

Hanley and I don't climb as well as Endon.  The main trunk of the hazel stump was quite straight and I found it quite tricky to get a good grip.

 'Come on, pal!' said Hanley Bear, offering me his paw.  'And don't look down!'

With Hanley's help, I got up to a point where there was the remnant of another branch.  I felt very pleased with myself and looked down to see how far up I had climbed.  However, I shouldn't have done that, as it was quite a long way down, without any branches to catch if I slipped and it made me feel very dizzy.  Little Endon saw Polar was working in the vegetable patch and called her over to lift me down. 

'Poor little Sonning,' she said, carrying me up to the patio and sitting me next to some lovely crocuses.  'You're quite shaky, aren't you?  Sit here in the sunshine and calm yourself down.'

The smaller bears carried on climbing for a little while, until, suddenly, they heard a buzzard's mewing call high above them.

'Run, Endon, run!' shouted Hanley, and both small bears slid down the tree and ran up the path towards the house, before trying to hide in a tub of yellow crocuses.  I ducked down behind the pots next to me.

'What's wrong now, bears?' asked Grizzly, who was bringing a cup of tea out for Polar, when he saw us all cowering.

'There's a big, scary buzzard overhead,' I whispered.  'We're afraid it will swoop down and catch us!'

Grizzly reassured us that the buzzard wouldn't come into the garden and, even if it did, it wouldn't catch us, but we kept a sharp eye on the sky in case it came back.  I think we will enjoy playing in the garden a lot more when the leaves are on the trees and buzzards won't be able to see us running about.