Nisbet Nutmeg Bears

(Part of the "Nisbet Childhood Classics" range)

Nisbet Nutmeg Bears were, (together with the London Gold Bears), the very first bears produced by Peggy Nisbet Ltd, and were introduced in 1977.

There were six members of this family, and the majority of them were in production from 1977 to 1983, after which time, we can no longer find them listed in any catalogues, and must assume that they went out of production.   The table below carries all the key facts for these bears :

Number Size Introduced Discontinued Notes
5000 10 inch  1977 / re-issued 1989 1990 / 1991  
5001 12 inch 1977 / re-issued 1989 1990 / 1991  
5002 16 inch 1977 / re-issued 1989  1990 / 1991  
5003 20 inch 1977 / re-issued 1989  1990 / 1991  
5009   5 inch 1979 1979 / 1980   
5010* 10 inch 1986 only 1987  Limited Edition
*This Limited Edition Nutmeg bear had a red bag with "Happy Anniversary" written on it, to celebrate Nisbet's 10th anniversary of bearmaking

 

Feb 15 2014 update :

Prompted by a question from Christine S, we researched these bears a bit further, and discovered that from 1981 onwards, these bears were issued with white bibs, rather than the multi-coloured ribbon bows.   We are indebted to Christine for supplying a picture of her son's (5002) 16" Nutmeg Bear, who was bought for her son's birth - and is a much loved family member, as every teddy should be - (Arthur still misses his "Woppit", whose hair never did grow back from a crewcut back in 1955!)   (And now Arthur's bald, too, so he knows how cold it must have been for poor Woppit!)

Chris's lovely picture of her bear is now included on this page - (See image below) - Thank you, Chris!

Picture supplied by Chris S, showing her son's Nutmeg bear, purchased in 1981
Image taken from the Silver Jubilee Reference Book 1977
Image taken from the House of Nisbet Catalogue 1986

Illustration (above) showing the 10th Anniversary Limited Edition London Gold and Nutmeg Bears

News

21st September 2023

 

Important Announcement

 

My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021after 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