Bears on Parade

The Bears on Parade on line show is now in full swing. This is the selection of bears we made for the show, several of them have already found new homes. A few quite different from our usual pastel colours.

Yesterday was St Swithin's Day, the day on which people watch the weather as tradition says that the weather on that day will continue for the next forty days! Given that it started raining last night, looks like we are in for a wet summer.

'St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'

St Swithin was the Saxon Bishop of Winchester. Legend says that on his deathbed he asked to be buried out of doors where he would be walked on and rained on (Bishops always seem to be interred in church crypts). For nine years his wish was granted until the monks decided to remove his remains to a special shrine inside the cathedral. According to legend there was a heavy storm during the ceremony or on its anniversary. Hence the folklore tale that if it rains on St Swithin's day it will rain for 40 days. Quite why 40 days, history does not relate!

Have a good weekend .................

All the ancient histories, as one of our wits say, are just fables that have been agreed upon. ~Voltaire