14 months after being left in a bag in the departure lounge of Bristol Airport, ‘Bristol’ the teddy bear is still waiting to be reunited with his owner.
The only clue is a black and white photograph accompanying him. Dated March 1918, it shows Bristol (as he has been christened by the UK airport’s staff) in his pomp, sharing a couch with two little girls.
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Today, with an eye missing and his fur no longer as resplendent as it once was, Bristol cuts a forlorn figure on airport spokesperson Jacqui Mills’ desk.
“He was with lost property and we were certain that someone would claim him, but when they didn’t he was passed over to the airport police who took very good care of him and tried every means possible to find his family,” says Mills.
With his need for repairs, and without a maker’s name, Bristol is unlikely to be troubling the upper echelons of the vintage teddy bear market.
In fact, unless you have the Steiff button in your ear, you don’t have a hope of making it into the 10 most valuable teddy bears ever sold.
Dan
Paul Fraser Collectibles 