Winnie the Pooh Day!

 I love Winnie the Pooh.

He has a really special place in my heart. Although enjoying the Disney versions as a child, it wasn't really until my later teenage years that I began to appreciate Pooh and his gang in all their glory. As a young trainee nursery nurse, I started my career in a Naval base nursery setting and all their rooms were named after the characters! I started in Piglets room with the babies and worked my way up to Owls Preschool, but my favourite was being in Tiggers room! 

I found a true love for Tigger and his bouncy personality. He portrayed everything I wished I could be, outgoing, no care for what anyone thought about him but with a massive caring heart (I had that part!) I still have many cuddly Tigger toys and a few little Winnie the Pooh memorabilia around the house which are close to my heart! It was from that Nursery time of my career when I learnt the poem:

Isn't it Funny 

How a bear likes honey?

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz!

I wonder why he does?

It was used as a little circle game, but I learnt how it came from A A Milnes many works.

Today marks his 143rd birthday, and has become known as "Winnie the Pooh day" 

Over the last few years, I have become more interested in the whole story of how Winnie the Pooh came about and the story behind Christopher Robin. I have seen the 2018 film and wondered how much of it was true. I was lucky enough to be brought the autobiography of Christopher Milne and have recently finished reading it. It is actually quite sad how he became resentful of his part in the way Winnie the Pooh became such a household name and how he hated the name "Christopher Robin" It is definitely worth a read.

However the way it came about has its rather sad connections, I am grateful for A A Milnes inspiration for writing the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his sons adventures. The characters and poetry have seen me through many aspects of my life (with my daughters dancing  along to Pooh Bears exercise song when they were young!) and the inspiration it has given others to create (Like another favourite of mine, The Muppets who turned "Halfway down the stairs" into a song I love!)

Happy Pooh Bear Day!!! I must be bouncin' off!!