Paddy, the Irish Bear

Paddy the Irish Bear is a character who has been in our collection for a long time, but we didn't know very much about him, until our friend Ernie got in touch, with some excellent photographs and background information.

Ernie tells us that Paddy was purchased in 1981, and his bear is number 321 of a limited issue of 400.   Paddy is made in a dark green fur fabric, stands 14" tall, and wears a red scarf with a green Shamrock emblem sewn on.   Ernie suggests, (and we agree), that with a Limited Edition issue of only 400 bears world wide, he must be a rare bear!

We would like to point out that although our Paddy IS green, the picture we took does not show his colour correctly.   The colour shown in Ernie's two pictures is an accurate rendition of the true colour of this handsome bear

Here is our Paddy - his scarf has lost its green shamrock emblem
Picture courtesy of Ernie B - Note the shamrock emblem on the scarf
Picture courtesy of Ernie B

News

21st September 2023

 

Important Announcement

 

My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021, after 8 weeks in hospital. I was by her side, when she slipped away from me peacefully, with no pain or suffering.

 

Chris had been struggling with a slow decline in health, associated with a progressive, untreatable, and ultimately terminal lung disease, and finally succumbed to her old adversary, Pneumonia.

 

We had been friends for 55 years, together as a couple for 50 years, and married just a month short of 48 years, when she died.   

 

This website was Chris's idea, and I did all the technical stuff, to make it work.   After news of Chris's passing reached her close friends in the doll collecting world, I was deeply touched and gratified to hear their tributes to my dear wife, and I must thank them all for their kindness and support.   Ultimately, it was her doll friends that gave me the courage to continue with the website.

 

In the months before her eventual hospitalisation, Chris had outlined a number of additions and changes she wanted to make to the website, and it is my intention to honour those wishes, and to implement the changes we had considered, over the coming weeks and months.

 

I must apologise to all those who have written to us via the website, only to have your emails go unanswered.   Unfortunately, the email system had been hacked aroung the time Chris was going into hospital, and many emails must have been lost, as a result.

 

As you might imagine, I felt completely broken by Chris's loss, and it is only now, almost 22 months after her passing, that I have felt strong enough to even look at the website again.   

 

My aim is to continue with the website, and to implement Chris's aims for her many new ideas as soon as I can.   In the meantime, I have hopefully got the email system sorted out, and I will attempt to answer any enquiries as soon as I can, and to send replies with the same high degree of accuracy that a reply from Chris would have had.

 

From now on, I will be flying solo, whilst my co-pilot and guide will be soaring much higher, (though she is always in my heart, and in my thoughts).

 

My thanks to all our website visitors for your continued support

 

Dave (also known as Arthur), and Chris, (my lost love, Guinevere)

 

Christine Poulten

25th December 1949 - 8th December 2021