In 1995, the author was given an old teddy bear as a gift from her brother. The old bear had lost most of his fur, one eye was very loose and wobbly, his nose was very worn and he had lost both his ears. To cover up his modesty the teddy wore an old sock that had been cut off to fit over his head and so, covering his modesty. When the author first held him in her arms, she realised that he was obviously full of history and that he had a story to tell.

Ever since she was a small child and given her first teddy bear, she has had a fascination with the teddy bear and has a very interesting collection. In 2009 she started an on line business supplying collectors all around the world with old and antique teddy bears who come from many of the well loved makers from days gone by. Speaking to many of her customers, she has been told many wonderful stories about their life and adventures together, many of the stories touching her heart.

After writing a couple of books on the history of the teddy bear etc. she decided it was time to write a book that had literally been wandering around her head since she was given the old bear who she called Sock. The book took approximately eighteen months to write and it tells of a whole lifetime as seen through the eyes of an old teddy bear.

The story begins in 1930 when an old teddy bear is found sitting in a dusty toy shop window somewhere in Dorset. Life in that window was not particularly ideal for an old teddy bear....

‘....The owner of the shop was a very strange man, who walked with a crooked back, his

face full of very deep creases and when the sunlight shone upon him, the creases

seemed to be full of dust. His hair was pure white, the colour of snow, and it

seemed to stick out at all angles. I don’t think he ever really gave the shop

a clean or even himself for that matter.’

When the teddy is bought, he is taken to live in a small and very idyllic village in Dorset where he lives with his owner, Dorothy, a beautiful young girl who he immediately falls in love with. You meet her Father, the very good looking dark haired Bryn Jones, who all the local women fall in love with, a kind and gentle welsh man.

‘......To describe Bryn Jones in just a few words, I would say gentle, kind and extremely

good looking. A tall man with dark hair that had reddish tones

when in direct sunlight and just a little bit longer than other men’s

hair of those times.’

The story takes you through the second world war, the time when Sock losses both his ears and he talks of how he came to terms with the way he looked, a part of the story that will undoubtedly melt your heart, it also tells of how he got the name Sock. Moving on, you travel with him and his owner, Dorothy to various parts of the world, as she becomes a professional musician and together they have many adventures and meet many people from all walks of life.

The story is based, however in a small village that the author discovered many years ago. It is a place that for her has a magical feeling and somewhere that even today she goes to when she needs to recharge her batteries. Ever since she first visited the village, she knew there was a story waiting to be written there.

If you have ever owned a teddy bear that has held a special place in your heart, then this story is for you. It is a tale that will make you smile but will also make you cry. It will take your heart and melt it, then stay with you forever and ever.