Two Hundred – Yes this the 200th story posted by Mindfully Bertie!
Two Hundred.
To celebrate, we have a short story for you. The Teddy Bears’ Picnic was due to be held on 8 May. As in previous years, we had been asked to write a story for the programme. By the time we did, the picnic was cancelled. Instead, they have a virtual Teddy Bears’ Picnic on Facebook and the story appears on that. You may also like to see the last time the Picnic appeared in Mindfully Bertie in 2018. A glorious day for the picnic…
And as you know, the VE Day street party was also cancelled and took place instead in the front garden of Laurel Cottage. It was in effect a Teddy Bears’ Picnic!
And so, here is story two hundred.
The Story
Bertie, Eamonn and Trevor.
Eamonn: “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!”
Bertie: “Wotsa matter, Eamonn?”
Eamonn: “They have cancelled the Teddy Bears’ Picnic, Bertie!”
Bertie: “I know, mate . Everything has been cancelled. Even going out.”
Eamonn: “I like going out. Just think where we went last year. I’ve never been to the Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”
Bertie: “Well that’s because you were a rescue bear from Alice’s Teddy Bear Hospital. When they mended my bonce.”
Alice’s Teddy Bear Hospital.
Eamonn: “Did it hurt, Bertie?”
Bertie: “No mate. I did feel a bit detached when they took my bleedin ‘ead off. Looking at my body at the other end of the couch!”
Feeling detached.
With me ‘ead stook underneath me arm.
Stanley Holloway:
Eamonn: “Why did they?”
Bertie: “My fur split and my ‘ead nearly landed in the River Thames from a big boat. So they took my ‘ead off. Mended the fur and stuck it back on again. And gave me an all over shampoo.”
Smart eh! Soft as a baby’s bottom.
Eamonn: “I’d like that.”
Bertie: “Your fur has nearly all gone. You are eighty now. All the way from Ireland.”
Eamonn: “Bertie? Why is Trevor so grumpy?”
Bertie: “He isn’t, Eamonn, It’s because he is full of beads and when they sink so does his ‘ead. Isn’t that right, Trevor?”
Trevor: “If you say so, Bertie. As a matter of interest, how much longer do we have to sit in this window?”
Trevor, Eamonn, Ellen, Bertie.
Bertie: “Dunno mate. We are supporting the NHS for all the humans who aren’t well. We should have lots of Union Jack flags and bunting as well to celebrate VE Day. But our bunting is all the colours of the rainbow. Seems right, looking at all those pictures in the window.”
Trevor: “What’s VE Day?”
Bertie: “Well, Trevor it’s 75 years since the war ended in Europe.”
Trevor: “Dunno about that. Everyone is friends now, but it’s still a sad world with all this illness.”
Eamonn: “Well, Bertie, believe me, you won’t be in this window for ever and we can go on adventures again. But I do like people waving to you when they go by.”
PS
Especially for our 200th edition. Here is a new drawing by our great friend Kate.
And finally:
Two hundred stories is a lot. Weekly, with a few special mid-week editions now continuing while the crisis persists. The first story was, in fact, a preview:
www.mindfullybertie.org.uk/mindfullybertie
Check the ideas we had at the start. I think we have gone far beyond those early expectations. When I say “we”, that includes Tim and Tracey. Our canal boat friends. Mindfully Bertie could not exist without a Technical Director doing all the clever stuff. We write. We take pictures. We have so many ideas that we will never run of stories. Without Tim, none would see the light of day. So, for two hundred stories and more – thank you Tim and Tracey.
Lighting a Candle for Diddley.
Here is the very first candle lit for Diddley for the preview.
Lighting a candle for Diddley.
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Can’t believe it’s 200! Amazing – long may the blog continue.
Here’s to the next 200 !
What an amazing achievement Bob (and Bertie)! Keep em coming