With the 31st October fast approaching, it’s time to get creepy with this month’s competition and our Halloween Theme!

For your chance to win two Halloween Teddy Bears, all you need to do is upload a blog with a spooky theme: This could be your teddy bear in a Halloween costume, a spooky poem, a scary story…. or anything else you can think of to fit our theme.

You can upload as many entries for the competition as you want (in fact, the more the better) and we’ll pick a winner at the end of October. If your teddy bear is not currently a member of The Bear Club don’t worry, just sign up now to take part.

Click Here for full competition rules & regulations

September’s Bear Buddies Competition Winner

Congratulations to Adre for winning last month’s competition with this photo of his bear buddy Cheli.

His prize, Matthias Breiter’s wonderful book, ‘Bears – A Year in the Life’, is on its way.

TBC Launches Tag ‘n’ Tell

February will see the launch of Tag ‘n’ Tell, a community release programme from The Bear Club.

Giving Old Bears a New Lease of Life

Starting in February, the TBC Team will begin to release groups of teddy bears in different towns around the world – each one with pre-registered TBC membership and wearing a Tag ‘n’ Tell label containing details of how to start blogging on The Bear Club.

Where Do These Teddies Come From?

The Bear Club has already started collecting unwanted teddy bears – via donations, charity shops, jumble sales, car boot sales, etc – ready for release.

Where Will These ‘Releases’ Take Place?

Groups of teddy bears will be released in all sorts of places – on park benches, in cafes, train stations, town centres – and in countries all around the world. Bears will also be sent to children’s hospitals, community projects and charities. The first series of releases from mid February will take place in the UK (Derbyshire, West Midlands & Cornwall), Taiwan and the Dominican Republic (keep an eye on News & Events for further details).

If I find a Tag ‘n’ Tell Teddy, What Do I Do?

Attached to every teddy bear you’ll find an identity label which contains instructions of what to do next and how to add your first blog on The Bear Club. Your new teddy is pre-registered as a member on TBC and even has a profile photo already on. Just log in with the username and password provided and start blogging. Oh, and yes…. the teddy bear is now yours to keep forever (if you choose).  If you decide to just ‘foster’ the bear for a while, we can email you a Re-Release Label when you’re ready to put him back in to the wild.

Do You Have Any Unwanted Teddy Bears?

If you have unwanted teddy bears to send us to tag and release, then please contact us at tagntell@googlemail.com

Want to Tag ‘n’ Tell & Release Some Bears Yourself?

You can buy TBC Tag ‘n’ Tell Identity Labels by Clicking Here so you can start releasing teddies yourself.

Was This Campaign Inspired by the Message of Hope from Secretary of State for Teddy Bears Tat?

Yes. Lets give old bears a new lease of life.

Season’s Greetings from all of us here at The Bear Club.

We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas holiday filled with love, laughter and a great big bucket full of silliness.

Don’t forget to let us know what you’ve been up to – we can’t wait to see those blogs.

Lots of love.  Fred Bear & the TBC Team x

Add a Link to The Bear Club on Your Website

Want to add a banner or text link to The Bear Club on your own website?  It’s really easy to do – just choose one of the options below.



Option 1 – Add a Banner (468×72)

(i)

(ii)

Either copy and save one of the images above and add it to your site, linking it to www.thebearclub.co.uk, or email us at thebearclub@googlemail.com for the code to put in to your HTML editor.


Option 2 – Add a Text Link

Just add a simple text link on your website pointing to www.thebearclub.co.uk or email us at thebearclub@googlemail.com for the code to put in to your HTML editor.  Example text:

The Bear Club – the website that brings your teddy bear to life via its very own blogs. Add photos of your teddy bear and share its stories and adventures with other teddy bear members. The site is also packed with other features, such as competitions, wild bear conservation, videos and games.



If you would like a reciprical link on our Friends of TBC page, please contact us at thebearclub@googlemail.com with:-

Your website name
Website description
URL

All we ask is that you place a link to our site first.

Hello Everyone!
Firstly, a huge welcome to our newest Members.  The quality of blogs coming in from the likes of Tat, Califia, Noel, Troy, Gogo, Ren, Katie, Dao, Beryl, Bella, Nigel (and many others) is just superb!  Combined with those from our more established members (you know who you are), we’re really starting to grow and get noticed by some very interesting quarters (more on that in a moment).  Thank you to each and every one of you for making this site so special - we can only get bigger and better )

So, what’s been happening at The Bear Club and what else is in the pipeline?  Lots, you’ll be pleased to hear!

New Features
The home page had a slight make-over recently and it was very exciting to see the Clan Leaders being brought to life with a little animation.  It certainly helps their individual characteristics to shine through.  The page navigation thumbnails also make it easier to get to those previously tucked away little gems.  There are more exciting little features being added to the site over the coming weeks, so keep your big brown bear eyes peeled.

Improved Forum
Our Message Board, the place for the people behind The Bear Club teddy bears to communicate, also benefited from some new features.  It’s now possible to add your own profile photo and avatars, as well as send messages directly to other members.  There are also more topics to discuss and additional smileys to send, so please get posting and tell us what’s on your mind :-))

TBC on the Radio
Goldie, one of our teddy bear reporters, was thrilled to be invited in to Radio Taiwan International earlier this week as word began to spread around Taiwan of his travels and reports from the area, a short video clip of which can be seen Here.  Darren, from The Bear Club Team, was equally thrilled to be interviewed by the station and was asked about TBC and the travels and adventures of Goldie.  Click Here and go to Monday’s schedule to listen to the interview in full.  The ball is definately starting to roll – don’t worry Harry, you’ll be on the Richard & Judy show before you know it!

TBC in Print
Talking of media appearances, the July issue of Teddy Bear Scene magazine (on sale from 12th June) will see a full-page feature on The Bear Club, so make sure you rush out to buy a copy (if you’re not already a subscriber).  The article, written by Sophie Douglas, covers all things TBC, from it’s conception and history to a run-down of the site’s features.  The Bear Club was approached by the magazine when they became aware of the buzz we were creating in the teddy bear world.

Post News to your Facebook & MySpace Pages
You can now add a summary of the latest News & Events entry to your other social networking sites and share them with friends.  Just click on the ‘Share’ icon on the home page and a small paragraph summary and thumbnail image will be added to whichever site you choose.  Help us to spread the TBC word!

May’s Competition – My Town
I can’t wait to see more of your ‘My Town’ entries!  Those already posted have been fantastic.  It’s so good to see teddy bears out and about in their local towns, strutting their stuff in public and letting the world know that we’ve come alive!  If you haven’t done one yet, just take your teddy in to your local town, village or city and take a pic of him (or her) in front of a local landmark.  Many thanks to Freddie & Boris for sponsoring one of the prizes.  For more information on the competition Click Here.

Basindo Fights Back
Following the results of April’s Clan League Table, Basindo remains optimistic that he can attract more new members and claw his way up from the bottom of the table.  I spoke to him recently and although he was initially quite upset, he was encouraged by the loyalty and kind messages from his current supporters.  The next instalment of ‘Tales From a Forgotten Room: The Bear Club Story’, in which Basindo takes the leading role, will definately improve his popularity!

Are My Predictions for 2008 Coming True?
My alter-ego Mystic Fred made some very bold predictions for 2008 – have any of them come true for you so far?  Pisces – have you managed to stop giggling inanely yet?  Remember Scorpios, be very wary of that stranger on roller-skates on the 25th of this month, there’ll be something very shifty about them!  If you have no idea what I’m going on about, take a look at my Horoscopes Page.  I have some new predictions for a particular celebrity, which I’ll share with you very soon.

The Bear Club Takes Off
It’s always very difficult for a new website to get noticed, but thanks to the quality of blogs being posted and the hard work of our team behind the scenes, the number of people now visiting the site is increasing rapidly, with hundreds checking us out each day!  This will soon be thousands and then who knows…. maybe even tens of thousands…millions…billions…. trillions….. oh my….I need to calm down!

So folks, keep those blogs coming – you’re making a lot of people smile )

Take care.  Love Fred x

For a chance to win a TBC Mug & Mouse Mat all you have to do is tell us about your teddy bear’s Home Town.

We want to get you and your teddy bear out of the house. Actually, to be more precise, we want to embarrass you by getting you out of the house and in to your home town to take photos with half the neighbourhood looking at you. Go on, we dare ya…..it’ll be great fun!

If you’re teddy bear is not currently a member of The Bear Club don’t worry, just sign up now to take part.

All you have to do is:

Take a photo of your teddy bear in your home town (in front of a local landmark for example)

Tell us about your home town and the photo in your blog (why you like it or why you chose that particular landmark for example)

Remember…. the photo must be taken outside.

At the end of May we’ll read through all of your blogs and choose the best ‘My Town’ post. The winner will recieve a TBC Clan Mug of their choice (sponsored by Freddie & Boris) and a TBC Mouse Mat.

Competition Rules & Regulations

This competition is open to all members of The Bear Club, with the exception of employees of the The Bear Club Ltd and their families or anyone else connected with this competition.

Entries must be posted by the closing date of midinight on 31st May 2008. The Bear Club accepts no responsibility for any entries that are incomplete, illegible or fail to reach the The Bear Club by the closing date for any reason.

Members may post as many ‘My Town’ entries to their blogs as they want.

To enter the competition just post the relevant content to your blog.

Winner will be selected by The Bear Club managers. The decision of The Bear Club as to the winner will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Details of prizes are stated in the competition information and are subject to change up to and including the final entry date. No cash alternative will be offered to prizes.

The winner will be notified by e-mail within one week of the closing date and receive their prize soon afterwards.

Competition winners will be displayed on www.thebearclub.co.uk website.

By entering the free competition each entrant agrees to be bound by these rules.

New! Clan League Table A new monthly feature on The Bear Club – find out which Clan Leaders have the most teddy bear members with our League Table.

Still way out in front, with 31% of all members, is the Kinamon Clan. Only 4% of teddy bears in The Bear Club have chosen to join the Basindo Clan! Surely he’s not that ugly! Poor Basindo…. and if you read his profile (and ‘Tales From a Forgotten Room: The Bear Club Story’) you’ll see that he has so many lovely qualities.

Which Clan are you in?

Choosing which Clan your teddy bear should belong to is a key part of joining The Bear Club. It’s a decision which shouldn’t be taken lightly. After all, by reading each of the Clan Leader Profiles and making your choice, you are reflecting the characteristics of your own teddy. Once a member of a particular Clan, your teddy bear will share a common bond with other like-minded members for the rest of his life. Be proud of the Clan you join!

Read more about TBC Clans | Read The Bear Club Story | Buy Clan Merchandise

It’ll be interesting to see if things change much by the end of May. Watch this space….

TeddyBears Sweden is the wonderful and unique online business of Swedish artist Jennie Sandahl.

Here Jennie tells us a little about her work and the creative process behind some of The Bear Club team’s favourite teddies…
Making teddy bears is a hobby that I discovered in the autumn of 2005 and since then I’ve been trying to learn everything about this creative craft. I have gotten so much positive feedback from people around the world and I’m so happy that people have opened their hearts and homes for my bears!

To make teddy bears is a rewarding hobby where you get to use your fantasies to create a whole new personality, because every new bear you make is unique, even if you use the same pattern or the same fabric.
It’s great to see the result of the work you put in when the resulting teddy bear is produced, so it’s always with a sting in your heart that you give away your bears for adoption.

How my bears get their names is a process that goes on during making. It’s easy to have a sketch on paper or a picture in your head of what you want your bear to look like, but more often than not your bear turns out to be the opposite. So you never know before hand what personality your bear will get.

I was born as a “pottering person”. For those who don’t know what that is, well, a “pottering person”…

…would rather stay home on a friday night, trying to come up with ten new ways to use an old sweater.

…collects cans, plastic things, wooden bits, string, metal corks…. just incase they’ll be needed in a future project.

…cuts a sheet in to pieces and makes a doggy bed, two pot-holders, a teddybear, a bag and uses the rest of the sheet to weave a carpet.

See more of Jennie’s work at TeddyBears Sweden

The amazing teddy bear Goldie reports for The Bear Club from the traditional Taiwanese village of Wulai, just south of Taipei city. He rides in a cablecar, does a daring rope swing, and has a rather rude encounter…

Loui, The Bear Club teddy bear reporter, sends his latest funny video from Rome, Italy.

Want to know what the stars hold for you in 2008?
Let our very own Mystic Fred guide you through the year, in his own inimicable style (in other words, it barely makes sense)….

Capricorn | 22nd December – 20th January

Life’s journeys aren’t carved in stone. We’re not set on one road or controlled by fate’s dark fingers. We don’t have to stay on the same track all the way to a predetermined destination, blindly accepting everything that life throws at us along the way. At least this will be your explanation anyway, as Mars enters in to your opposite sign of Cancer and you’re caught reversing up a one-way street to get a second look at a funny looking pigeon with a goggly eye.

Talking of journeys, 2008 will be a year of self-discovery for you, brought on in the summer when, after a particularly expensive haircut, your loving pet fails to recognise you and refuses to let you in to the house, and threatens to change the locks. Shortly afterwards you’ll start attending a Yoga class. Not since you were at nursery will you have been part of a social circle where breaking wind so freely is not only tolerated, but encouraged.

Aquarius | 21st January – 18th February

With Neptune’s ongoing influence in your chart this year, one side of you is resisting love and romance, while the other wants to dive right in and cover your loved one in lard. Dealing with feelings doesn’t come easily to you though. While many people are able to express their emotions openly and comfortably, you tend to respond to intimacy by spinning round in circles and shouting “weeeeeeeeee……..”. A program of cognitive behavioural therapy may be a good start to the year.

When Uranus enters in to your sign around Easter, a sense of balance and harmony will be restored to your being, an especially welcome occurance, since each of your legs have been trying to walk in different directions since the start of the year, making it impossible to get the right bus home.

To view your own horoscope visit www.thebearclub.co.uk

The Nervous & Shy one.

A good listener (probably because they are very nosey); tell this anxious bear your problems and it will happily do the worrying for you!

Loves gossip, trivia, watching soaps and reality TV, but will shy away from meeting new people or going into new situations.

Tends to be very arty and creative, and loves to paint and write poetry (often on the themes of life, love and security blankets). Also likes to ponder the secrets of the universe and has been known to formulate some fascinating theories on time and space (and the distance travelled from the bed-side cabinet to the dirty laundry basket!).

Will eat anything, though suffers from bad digestion – so be warned!

Kinamon is related to the Black Bear

 

IT’s almost time for me to go to Australia and I haven’t started packing yet. It’s quite ironic since I/m the one who wanted so badly to leave Taiwan, especially with this horrible winter, my fur couldn’t take no more of this freezing condition. I wanted to hibernate but been busy working. However this week, I havent worked that many hours, since I dont have to work in the mornings no more, but somehow I dont know what I have been doing the last couple of days. Mmmmm, althought I have been visiting some of my bear families, well the extended ones and saying me goodbyes and sorting things out and really “cleaning” my room. I still have some much stuff, well I’m also deciding to whom should leave my precious items. So far so good, and because I have been so busy “packing” I haven’t really given the thought of leaving. It hasnt really hit me yet that I am leaving for good, and not for a few weeks but for a long year and might not even come back again. I have tried to ignore this reality but it is starting to hit me as the days approaches. I have been trying to keep my mind in blank, so I dont have to focus on this. Oh me bear friends, I will be missing you all but hopefully I can still get in touch with you all throught my blog, I will be posting pictures of me doing great things cause I shouldnt be sad about leaving, because I will be seeing my bear friends in the future again, so no farewell parties for this grouchy bear cause someday I might see you again. Take this as a long hibernation, till you wake you my friends.

The animation in this video is great! the toys are tenorikuma bears, and they are only 4cm high. if you want to find out more about them, then visit www.tenorikuma.com

Someone told us about this book recently – Village of Satan, by Margaret Bingley - and we just couldn’t resist showing you the cover!

We’re not sure whether this is knee-tremblingling terrifying or bed-wettingly hilarious! Take a good look at those eyes….. we haven’t seen the likes since Goldie’s last long-haul flight!

For those of you who are interested, it was published in 1990 by Guild Publishing and there are plenty of used copies available on www.abebooks.co.uk

Have you read or seen any good bear related books? Let us know at books@thebearclub.co.uk

Whether surreal (like this one) or not to be missed, we’d like to hear about them!

We should point out, this isn’t for the feint of heart, the young or the more literary minded of our members…

Teddy Bear Jokes

Campaigns to bear-proof all garbage containers in wild areas have been difficult because, as one biologist put it, “There is a considerable overlap between the intelligence levels of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists.”

In light of rising human/grizzly bear encounters, the Montana Department of Fish and Game recently cautioned hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and to keep alert of bears while in the field:

“We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle the bears. We also recommend outdoorsmen carry pepper spray with them in case of a confrontation with a bear.”

The department further advised people to watch for fresh signs of bear activity:

“Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear excrement. Black bear excrement is typically smaller, and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear excrement is larger, has little bells in it, and smells like pepper.”

A man was hiking in the woods one day when a bear chased him up a really tall tree. The bear started to climb the tree, so the man climbed higher. The bear climbed down and went away. So the hiker started to climb down the tree.

Suddenly, the bear returned and brought an even bigger bear with him. The two bears climbed up the tree, the bigger bear going even higher than the first. But the guy climbed higher still, so the bears couldn’t reach him. Eventually, the bears climbed down and went away.

Naturally quite relieved, the hiker started down the tree again.

But once again, the two bears returned. And this time the guy knew he was in big trouble: each bear was carrying a beaver.

Two hikers were out in the woods when all of a sudden, a bear started chasing them. They climbed a tree, but the bear started climbing up the tree after them. The first hiker got his sneakers out of his knapsack and starts putting them on.

The second hiker said, “What are you doing?”

The first responded, “I figure when the bear gets close to us, we’ll have to jump down and make a run for it.”

The second said, “Are you crazy? You can’t outrun a bear!”

The first guy replied, “I don’t have to outrun the bear; I just have to outrun you!”

A bear walks into a bar, sits down, and orders a beer. The bartender, amazed that this bear can actually talk, silently gives him a beer.

“Thanks,” the bear says. “What do I owe you?”

The bartender stops and thinks for a moment. Even though this bear is smart, he thinks, he probably hasn’t been in many bars. So the bartender says, “That’ll be ten dollars.” The bear forks over the money and starts drinking his beer.

After a few minutes, the bartender gives in to his curiosity and walks back over to the bear.

“You know, we don’t get many bears in this bar.”

The bear looks up from his beer and says, “Well, at ten bucks a beer, I’m not surprised.”

www.thebearclub.co.uk

Goldie, the Teddy reporter reporting from Boracay in the Philippines for thebearclub

Surprise and delight your significant other with a TBC Teddy. Or maybe you’d prefer to send something a bit more original…. like a Clan Clock or a TBC Umbrella? However your mind works, there are gifts to match in our online Shop. Go on….ya big softy.

Click Here To Buy

EYE SEE

A bear’s eyes are as good as a human’s, but they are fairly nearsighted. This helps them focus on small things like berries and insects.

A GOOD NOSE

Bears have an excellent sense of smell. A bear’s nose can pick up a scent for many miles. It can even smell an animal that passed by several hours earlier!

A BEAR’S HOME IS BIG!

Bears’ home ranges can be as big as 2500 km2 (965 mi2). As the seasons change, they follow their noses to find a mate and places where there’s lots of food.

AS HUNGRY AS A BEAR

A bear can eat up to 20,000 calories in 24 hours. That’s like eating 40 hamburgers and 40 sundaes in one day! Grizzly bears can eat as many as 100,000 berries a day!

BEARS ARE SPEEDY

Bears may look slow and clumsy, but they can run up to 60 kilometers per hour (40 mph) – that’s twice the speed of the fastest sprinter! They can run uphill or downhill and even sideways.

BEAR MESSAGES

Bears rub their backs on trees and scratch the bark to let other bears know they were there. They also will grind their feet into the ground to mark a trail. Sometimes other bears will step into the same footprints year after year, making them deeper and deeper.

SPEAKING BEAR

Bears “speak” to each other by making sounds, touching, seeing and smelling. This helps keep mothers and cubs together, and lets other bears know how close they can get to each other. It is helpful to understand their language because bears communicate to people in the same way.

A bear standing on its hind legs is checking things out. It is simply trying to smell or get a better look at something interesting.

Bears make many sounds. Bears can make low throaty noises and blowing sounds when they are worried. Bears also make low sounds when they are near each other. Cubs will cry when separated from their mothers. Mom will often talk to her cubs by making popping noises. She could be telling them to climb a tree or that she is nervous.

Often sounds are used together with body movements.

Making sounds towards people usually means a worried bear. Black bears will swat the ground and grizzlies might run towards you. Often they are simply bluffing. Bears will rarely actually touch a person because they don’t really want to get hurt themselves.

Body talk. When a bear wants to show another bear that it does not want to fight for dominance, a fishing spot or a mate, it will move away, sit or lie down. If a bear walks or runs toward another bear, it could be trying to show who’s boss.

Smelly messages. Bears learn about each other by sniffing footprints and droppings. They leave messages for other bears by rubbing against or biting trees and bushes.

Bears communicate by playing and touching. Even adult bears have play fights. ‘Friends’ sometimes greet each other with rubbing and sniffing. Mothers and cubs are constantly touching, playing or nursing.

Some ‘beary interesting’ stuff

Did you know?

A bear’s teeth keep on growing all his life! To find the age of a bear, scientists remove a tooth, cut it in half and count the rings – the same way they find the age of a tree.

Bears have been around way longer than people! Fossil records of ‘Ursavus Elemensis’ date back 20 million years ago to the Miocene era.

Bears don’t get lost! Bears have an amazing ability to find their way around – day or night. But, no one knows exactly how they do this. Bears have a keen sense of smell and are extremely intelligent. Some people say that bears can sense the earth’s magnetic field. Others believe that they keep imaginary maps in their brains. You could say that bears have an inbuilt ‘sat-nav’!

Bear populations grow very slowly. A male and female black bear born this year could grow into a population of 15 bears in 10 years. During the same time, a pair of grizzlies might only produce 8 bears. However, two white – tailed deer could become 1,400 deer in 10 years.

Bear cubs are born while their moms are hibernating, during the coldest months of winter – January and February. They are the only mammals that do this. The cub’s nurse, sleep and play in the den until it’s time to come out in the spring.

A newborn human baby weighs 10 times more than a baby bear! At birth, bear cubs are barely the size of a squirrel. Human mothers weigh only about 15 times more than their babies, but mother bears are 300 to 500 times heavier than their cubs.

Written for The Bear Club by Evelyn Kirkaldy of the Get Bear Smart Society (www.bearsmart.com)

www.thebearclub.co.uk

The great Nanook stared out across the majestic barren Duvet Lands, with its vast expanse of white rolling hills as far as his eyes could see. He sniffed the dust-filled air and let out a low, ground rumbling growl. Something, he sensed, was about to change. That something, he’d assumed, would be of his own making. His fur quivered and his skin tingled in anticipation. Worst of all his paws itched, which they always did when he felt unnerved, though why he should feel this way, he wasn’t quite sure!

In the bygone snuggle-days, when the Duvet Land was covered by a thin and frayed blanket of compassion, he would have strided out in search of the Buka, for she would know what to do. But ever since the settling of the great dust, the clans had fallen silent. The Buka hidden, deep under cover, taking with her the tales that once filled this great land and which now lay in front of him in twisted layers of bitter emptiness! Turning his back on the relative safety of the duvet, the Nanook self-consciously hid a tear; from who he didn’t know. He felt that at long last, the time had come to leave this place, the place he had called home for so, so long. But things hadn’t been the same for some time now. He would wander the unstable carpet lands, never to return. Never to look back. But his draw to this place was strong; it was after all his home and his sense of security, so he couldn’t leave it without just one last glance goodbye. That was when he saw it. On the horizon, a distant cloud of rising, peculating dust.

The Nanook raised himself up on to his hind legs and snorted.He’d been looking for signs for so long now that he’d almost given up. His heart was pounding. He couldn’t leave these Lands now! Turning, he headed back towards the settling dust.
It had begun.

To read the rest of the story, visit

www.thebearclub.co.uk