London is a very big city. It is not advisable to go into the
city by car because you have to pay for it and parking lots are
very expensive, too. So the car is parked in a suburb and Felix
and Pooh take a train to Victoria Station. They can use this
ticket on the bus and underground as well. Felix and Pooh choose
the bus because they want to see London and because there is a
busstop near the main entrance of London Zoo. Near the large
enclosure for the bears - they probably had their midday nap,
there was no living bear to be seen - there are 2 statues that
remind of Winnie, the bear that lived in London Zoo from 1914
until her death in 1934.
Felix and Pooh first had a look at the statue of Winnie and
Captain Colebourn. Captain Harry Colebourn was Lieutenant of a
Canadian Regiment that was sent to Europe in World War II. In
August 1914, in White River, Ontario, Colebourn had taken over a
black Canadian bear cub, whom he called after his hometown
Winnipeg, Manitoba. Soon the bear became known as Winnie. The
little bear was very tame and became a loving pet for all the
soldiers. While they had to fight in France Winnie stayed in
London Zoo. This little bear from Canada captured the hearts of
many people, among them author A.A. Milne and his son
Christopher. Christopher Milne changed the name of his teddybear
Edward into Winnie-the-Pooh (Pooh, on the other hand, came from a
swan...) A.A. Milne wrote the famous Pooh-stories. On May 12,
1934, Winnie died in London Zoo. In 1995, the statue was
presented by the inhabitants and the government of Manitoba to
London Zoo. The original was dedicated to the children of the
world at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg in 1992.
Hi, it is great that we can
visit the bear who gave Pooh his name. I like the bear designed
by the English sculpturer Lorne McKe best.
By the way, Christopher Milne attended the dedication in 1981.
At that time he was already 61 years old and he felt somewhat
uncomfortable being officially remembered to his playmate of his
childhood. Now I am looking forward to a game of Poohsticks at
the real Pooh Bridge. I hope I'll win the game! See you,
yours FELIX
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