Founders strips to exhibit teddies

For the first time Founders Heritage Park is going to strip its permanent displays in the windmill to make way for a temporary exhibition of antique teddy bears.

The exhibition will run from 22 September to 28 October and to celebrate their first temporary exhibition in the windmill, Founders is offering half price entry for the school holidays and free entry for Nelsonians bringing a paying guest.

Two local collectors Kate Forbes and Rosemary Gundry have loaned the teddy bears to Founders for the exhibition as a way of sharing their passion for things old and cuddly. Some of their bears date back to the early 1900s and may evoke memories for those who use to visit Bossley’s and KD Woods in Nelson where some of the bears were purchased. More than 60 bears will be on display.

Kate Forbes, an experienced and knowledgeable collector, has been collecting bears for twenty five years. Ms Forbes says she limits what she buys now to only the rare and the unusual.

Ms Gundry has been collecting teddy bears for the past decade and is at a stage where she is now thinning down her collection.

Park Coordinator Elspeth McEachern said there will be lots of fun activities at Founders for the school holiday including Jigger rides, the antique teddy exhibition, a Teddy Bear Village Safari and Ted’s Talk.

“On the Teddy Bear Village Safari we send families off around the Park with a task to complete and they will then go in a draw to win a Gift Voucher sponsored by Crackerjack”, she said.

“Our holiday finale is Ted’s talk where everyone is invited to bring their bear and tell their special story. We will have a famous bear involved in British politics and a bear that sailed 47,000 nautical miles around the world”.

Ms McEachern says it is not just Donald Campbell, who broke the world speed record with his bear “Mr Woppit” in 1959 who has a bear story to tell.

Ted’s talk will be held at Founders Granary on Saturday 6 October at 2pm.