Tales from the Great Teddy Bear Hunt

It has struck me recently how many creative and talented colleagues and friends I have and I wanted to showcase some of their creations and stories for you.

I first met Vicky when she became my neighbour many years ago and she has always been imaginative and able to create things of beauty from very limited resources. She utilised these skills in creating an entertaining ongoing tale during the great Teddy Bear Hunt.

For those outside of New Zealand, the great Teddy Bear Hunt was an initiative started to keep children (and adults) amused when they walked around the neighbourhood during lockdown. People were encouraged to put teddy bears in their windows that could be seen from the street. Huge numbers of New Zealanders participated – even the Prime Minister – and there were all sorts of activities put out around them such as counting the numbers of different coloured bears etc.

I put some teddy bears in my windows and even went as far as moving them around from time to time, including in a side window to entertain the little girls next door. But Vicky went far beyond this and created an ongoing story with her teddy bears that kept her neighbourhood entertained (and involved). Time certainly went faster than what we were experiencing in lockdown but Vicky created a love story that we could all relate to, whatever our situation.

Unfortunately I don’t live in the same close neighbourhood as Vicky any more so I had to enjoy the tale via photos (some of which are from preparation prior to them making it to the window). You can enjoy the story too. It is amazing what, with a little creativity, you can put together with the limited supplies you have to hand.