In the News: Teddy bears at bedtime!

Yay, it's official, a third of adults still take a teddy bear to bed! I was obviously drawn to this fab headline on the Telegraph website and simply had to share the story. 

The hotel chain Travelodge has surveyed 6000 British adults and come up with some very cute statistics on our furry friends:

• Over half of us still have a teddy bear from childhood
• The average teddy bear is 27 years old
• A quarter of men take their teddy away with them on business
• In only the last year the hotel chain has reunited over 75,000 teddies and their owners!
• 35% of respondents said that sleeping with a teddy was a comforting and calming way to end the day, and it helps them to sleep

According to a psychologist, cuddling a teddy bear is an 'important part of our national psyche' and it 'evokes a sense of peace, security and comfort'. I totally agree. While I don't cuddle a teddy or stuffed animal every night, there does come the odd occasion when I've had a tough day, feel poorly, or just can't sleep, that a teddy makes it into the bed. It is a nice warm comforting feeling, just like when you were little. It hink it's great that people are taking their teddies on business trips and holidays, and I would be frantic if I lost mine so I'm glad to hear Travelodge are reuniting teddies and owners up and down the country!

While I am partial to a stuffed animal or hundred (!), I'm not particularly a teddy bear person. But for all you teddy lovers out there, this is the official teddy top 10, as voted by the British public:

1. The classic Teddy bear 
2. Winnie the Pooh
3. Paddington Bear
4. Tatty Bear
5. Sooty
6. Care Bears
7. Yogi Bear
8. Fozzie Bear  
9. Rupert the Bear
10. Super Ted / Baloo

My most precious childhood toy is Goldie the knitted doll. We literally went everywhere together, and I used to carry her round by the neck! I'm sure she didn't mind too much. She looks a little 'loved' now, but she has pride of place on a chair in my house, and I'd go crazy if I ever lost her. I have posted about her before, but here she is again:

If anyone would like to share their childhood teddies or toys, please leave a comment on this post! I'd love to hear your stories.

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Now I don't want this post to become an advert for Travelodge, but here are 2 adverts for Travelodge (!). They are obviously the inspiration behind the survey, and quite cute, so it's only fair we take a look: