What to Buy Greenbelt Fans

We hope you've enjoyed finding out about our Christmas presents and got lots of inspiration for present buying. As so much time has now passed since Christmas, we're going to make this the last of the 'What to Buy A Bear' series, even though there were plenty more presents we could tell you about!

The rest of the chaps say they never have any problems working out what to buy me (Gio) and my best friend Bris. This is because we are such ardent fans of the Greenbelt Arts Festival, and going there, over the August Bank Holiday is normally the highlight of our year (last year was a bit of an exception, since, as you all know, I had the amazing opportunity to lead George and Yorkie on pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, straight after Greenbelt). Anyway, back to Greenbelt, there are so many wonderful speakers and performers that we have a list of their books and music that we'd like, longer than our arm. And the Greenbelt shop also provides great present ideas.


This Christmas's presents were spot on. Firstly we got one of Amy Wadge's CDs, called 'No Sudden Moves'. Amy is a very talented singer/songwriter and we love everything she writes and sings. It's just a pity she lives in Wales so doesn't get over to the East of England to perform too often. It's worth going to Wales to hear her though!

On the book front, we received 'Eternal Echoes' written by a Greenbelt favourite, the poet and philosoher, John O'Donohue. Very sadly he died suddenly 2 years ago, so we won't have the experience of hearing him speak at Greenbelt again. However, he lives on through his amazing writing. He was an incredible wordsmith and we know exactly what a writer in the Guardian meant, when he referred to his 'dazzling vocabularly'. You would have to read some of it to see what we mean, perhaps that's not such a bad idea!

We shall treasure both these gifts for years to come, but we're also already looking forward to Greenbelt 2010 with the promise of lots of new experiences.

Lots of love, Gio & Bris xxx

What to Buy a Mechanic Bear

Hi Blue Bear here, (just in case you haven’t met me before, I’m not blue because its cold, I’m always blue, which I think is a fantastic colour to be, as does my (also blue) friend Marcus).

As those who know me are aware, I look after the Bears Unlimited fleet of Bearmobiles, and am very keen on trying to reduce the collective Bears Unlimited carbon footprint.

So for Christmas this year, the chaps gave me the perfect gift: something to help the larger of our two Bearmobiles to reduce its carbon foot print, by improving its MPG (or KPL is you are metric). What they gave me was a Broquet® fuel catalyst.


After I got it, I had to inspect it first, and then read carefully all about it, and how to install it in the Bearmobile.


The Broquet® was developed years ago to make fighter aeroplanes run better, and now they are put in cars. Apparently it will produce a cleaner, more efficient engine, and should improve our fuel economy by 7% to 12% and also reduce emissions. Its sounds fantastic, so without further ado, I got my jack out, jacked up the car, and crawled underneath to install it.


The Broquet® has now been installed and hopefully we will soon see the results!

Happy, but green motoring

Lots of love Blue Bear xxx

What to Buy a Chef Bear

I bet you're all sitting there thinking you know exactly what I got for Christmas. After all, can there be a more logical present for a chef than a recipe book? As it happens, this year I didn't get any recipe books. This probably has something to do with the fact that the kitchen cupboards are already overflowing with recipe books, and if I spent any more time reading recipe books, then hungry bears would never get fed (there is quite a constant demand for home cooked meals at the Bear Cave).

I was lucky to receive some wonderful presents but one that particularly took my fancy was the pair of pickle jars that you see me with in my photo ...


These were speciality chilli pickles made by Cottage Delight Speciality Foods. One was a hot chilli pickle, and I got very excited when I read it was an 'intensely hot pickle' as I simply adore hot and spicy food. It certainly goes very well with my curries, and the rest of the chaps have been kind enough to say that as it is my present from them, I shouldn't give too much away. The other pickle was delightfully named 'Chillililli' - what a great name! As it is not really the salad season, I have been enjoying it with my lunchtime sandwiches.

Although I love cooking, it is a special treat to be able to sit down and enjoy fine food, like this, that others have prepared.

Lots of love, Oakley (Head Chef) xxx

What to Buy a Bear: Part 8

Hello from Bears Unlimited action bear Chelmer, and my brother Curly.

I, Chelmer, am a bit of a dare devil, and a sedate lifestyle is not for me. I will try any activity at least once, and the scarier and more dangerous the better: bungee jumper is my middle name. I am also the Bears Unlimited personal trainer and it is my job to make sure all my B.U. friends stay in great shape.

My brother Curly has the same genes as me, so usually comes with me on my adventures, but, he is a bit more sensible than me, and keeps his feet on the ground more of the time. As such he is a great foil for me as he makes sure we always stay safe.


One of our favourite presents from our B.U. friends was the great book you see us with in our photo. It is called Learning to Breathe and, it isn't a guide to personal training as it sounds, but a book about mountaineering, written by incredible mountaineer Andy Cave, a climbing contemporary of Joe Simpson of Touching the Void fame.

We love reading books by people who, we have to admit it, are even more adventurous than ourselves. Mountaineers are a breed apart, and we really admire their daring, courage and sense of adventure. Andy Cave's book is particularly interesting as it tells how he went from working underground as a miner, to successful mountaineer. What a change of lifestyle!

Lots of love, Chelmer & Curly xxx

What to Buy a Bear: Part 7

Bonjour mes amis, Gilbert ici. Vous savez que je suis un ours francais, mais je suis tres content habiter en Angleterre avec Bears Unlimited.

But perhaps I should write in English, as I now live in England. Although I have now been here for a couple of years, I have retained quite a few of my innate French characteristics. The most visible of these, is my chic and groomed appearance. I cannot help but be debonnaire and well turned out, with not a hair our of place, at all times.

Now I don't want you to think I am inferring anything untoward about English bears. They have huge personalities and are very generous and lovable, and they certainly don't smell! They probably even have more cuddle appeal than me. However, the differences are such that no-one would ever mistake me for an English bear.

See what I mean ...


This picture also shows one of my favourite Christmas presents from the chaps. Toiletries are the perfect present for me, as you will have worked out by now. This soap that you see me with is rather special as it is bear shaped and contains oatmeal, so is perfect for both exfoliating and conditioning my fur.

Merci beaucoup mes amis ours, c'est un cadeau tres agreable.

Lots of love Gilbert xxx

What to Buy a Bear: Part 6

Dear readers, you might have remembered that I, Eddie, got a mention at the end of the last post. This was because I reported that the chocolate and biscuits helped to keep me warm when I went out on my daily visit to see my seals. For those that don't already know, I am the chief boating bear, and I like nothing better than to be out on the water in a boat of any description, although I am especially fond of canal boats, and my seal boat, which I keep at Morston, from where I run seal trips to Blakeney Point.

There are no prizes for guessing that my presents from the gang were largely water related, although they do like to give me some surprise presents as well.


Here I am with a selection of the nautical reading material I was thrilled to receive for Christmas. I felt thoroughly spoilt when I opened the latest editions of both of my favourite boating magasines: Waterways World and Canal Boat. I was even more excited when I opened a book called Narrowboat Dreams. Just looking at the title, and knowing how often I dream of narrow boats, I immediately felt a great affinity with the author, and knew I was really going to enjoy this book.

For those who have wondered, the snow and ice didn't keep me away from my seal boat. I was out every day, although I did check that my distress flares were not past their best before date, just in case. I am, however, appreciating the extra few degrees of warmth since mid week. It made no difference to my seals though, as their layer of blubber keeps them warm whatever the weather.

Lots of love Eddie xxx

What to Buy Other Furries: Part 5

There was of course, one other thing which greatly contributed to the enjoyment of the Slumdog Millionaire viewing; that was Dessie and Black Doggy sharing some of the edible presents - biscuits and chocolates - they received for Christmas, with the rest of us.

The biscuits were, in fact, no ordinary chocolate biscuits, they were M & S seriously chocolately biscuits, which are rather special.


Fortunately, us bears don't tend to put on weight if we eat too many biscuits and chocolates, unlike our minders. This makes them ideal presents for us, as we get all the pleasure of the delicious taste, with no lasting calorie effects. Perhaps one of the reasons, is that there are so many of us, by the time they are shared round, we don't get to eat that many each.

This was why the other present, the Clebrations tin, was such a good one. There were enough chocolates in that tin for several rounds of the bear cave. Eddie said that when he later went out into the cold to visit his seals, he was kept a lot warmer by usual by all the chocolates and biscuits he had eaten, so it is true that they are good for you.

Lots of love, all at Bears Unlimited xxx