19 October 2022

A recent patient, Bobble, had a reather tired look when he arrived at the Hospital, so drastic action was required to make him look and feel young again. Unusually, Bobble's owner asked me to make a photographic record of every stage of his treatment (but not to show her any of it until the end).

So, in addition to the usual Before and After photos, I have a detailed record of the procedures that many of my patients have undergone before him, and many more will probably undergo after him.

16 October

In the last few weeks, I have had a rather varied contingent of patients at Sasha’s Teddy Bear Hospital. They included a very old and much loved traditional Teddy called Ted as well as a young toy bear called Charlie, my very first Cheetah, and even a human of sorts - a Reborn Doll who needed an arm reattached.   

15 October

This incredibly cute Teddy was quite poorly when he came to the Hospital. His present owner bought him a few years earlier as she felt sorry for him: he had been sewn into a felt body cover, and his original ears had been placed inside too. These ears were most unusual, as each had a jingle bell in it! This gave me some idea of the Teddy's provenance, which was confirmed when I discovered a very old Merrythought label on his paw. So he was none other than Cheeky, a classic traditional bear that Merrythought made in the 1950s.

"Teddy looks incredible! You are marvellous and I am so glad I sent him to you," was the owner's reaction when she saw him restored.

27 August

Patients admitted to Sasha’s Teddy Bear Hospital often need some plumping up, so they can sit up properly. Many also come in rather off-colour - but usually this can be remedied by giving them a good bath. Here are some Teddy bears and dogs who successfully completed their courses of treatment this summer.   

15 August

Happy patients who made a full recovery and were discharged from Hospital over the last couple of weeks included 70-year-old Ted (for some reason this seems to be the most popular name among my patients), an Owl in his 50s, and a certain Mickey Mouse, who was 25 but looked much younger.

3 August

83-year-old Ted was admitted to Hospital with severe injuries to his face - and in a state of shock. He had been mauled by a dog - which was indeed quite shocking because the said dog had lived by his side for years and had previously never done him any harm. Fortunately for Ted, his lovely stitched nose and eyes were practically intact. He soon recovered from his shock, and was even able to give me some advice on how best to restore his classical features. I was very pleased with the outcome of the surgey I performed, and so were Ted and his grateful owner.

25 July

I am pleased to introduce a Teddy couple that I have made to order. These two lovebirds - sorry, lovebears - are called George Jr. and Eugenie Daisy. They were born within a week of each other, and have always been very close. First it was Genie, the older of the two, who looked after Georgie. He was a rather clumsy cub, so she taught him to ride a bicycle and made him nice honey-and-marmalade sandwiches. Later it was George Jr. who protected Eugenie from schoolbear bullies who mocked her for the unusual reddish tint of her skin. They always had a lot in common, and would talk for hours about their favourite books, songs and jams. When they grew up, they knew they wanted to spend even more time together, so they decided to get married.

6 July

My Hospital was featured on Sarah Walker's programme on BBC Radio Berkshire yesterday, and you can still listen to the programme by clicking the link. It was very nice talking to Sarah about the work that I love so much, and the worderful people who bring me their lovely Teddies for repairs!

5 July

Earlier this year, the most diverse family group of patients I have ever encountered arrived for treatment at my Hospital. They included five puffins (of three different species), a penguin, a hedgehog, and two young human twins, all of them suffering from a variety of holes in their beaks, feet and other parts of their anatomy.

All nine waited patiently (if you ever wondered where the word patient comes from, now you know) for their turn to be treated. When it came, they acquitted themselves very well on the operating table. No doubt the mutual support that they gave each other was a great help. Before being discharged, they all gathered in our dining room to celebrate their recovery - and looked very happy!