Hamilton

Being Senior Bear in this house gets quite demanding. On Friday we went all the way to Cardiff to see Daughter and Daughter's Chap and we all think it was worth every second of the six hour drive. (Even Tony thought so and he was the one who did all the driving.) If you're anywhere near Cardiff, go and see Nativity - The Story. Real live donkeys and everything.

Daughter was the first person to discover that I can fly. I don't normally do it when people are about but she came down one night and found me going for a zoom around the room. Quite a lot of bears can, you know. And when you spend a long time in a hotel room there's a lot of flying to be done and a lot of exploring, too. My Margi thinks she's the only one who plays with the complimentary soap and shampoo in the bathroom. It takes an effort to stay as snowy white as this.

What was most upsetting was that when the housemaid came to make up the bed she put me on the settee and LEFT ME THERE with nothing to read. Did she think I was a toy? And my Margi had left me sitting on a pillow with a good book, too. When we went to Kingussie the lady there used to talk to me when she came to do the room. At the hotel in Thornbury the girlie came to do the turndown and popped me into bed, which was just the nicest thing ever. Bears have feelings.

And I'm most excited about next year, when there will be two weddings in the family and two new waistcoats. We were discussing my page bear's outfit this weekend. And special occasion waistcoat that I wear for Christmas - is it time yet - when will it be time?