Brighton, London or Ludlow: in 2017 it could be a list of places to visit or a reception class register. Yet it’s not just babies who get named after some of the world’s beautiful places - teddy bears are also more popular if their moniker can be found on a map. Merrythought, Britain’s last remaining luxury teddy bear manufacturer, today revealed their biggest sellers were bears named after towns and cities, with the medieval town of Shrewsbury proving more popular than the country’s capital, London.
Oxford is the third most popular while Chester and Windsor following closely behind in fourth and fifth place. However, some names have had the stuffing knocked out of them, with Banbury discontinued from the Merrythought range after struggling to keep up with its neighbours. Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Merrythought has been making handmade jointed teddy bears from the finest mohair since 1930 at its headquarters in Ironbridge.
It’s a meticulous 15-stage process which uses the finest materials and skills, making a Merrythought bear not only hugely collectible but long-lasting, too.
Most of Merrythought’s classic collection and limited edition ranges are given names in the factory, and include a Freddie, Rosie, Noah, Alberto and a Floris.
But Shrewsbury is the cuddly companion most buyers are keen to take home, outstripping London by two-to-one.
Sarah Holmes, who runs Merrythought with her two sisters Sophie and Hannah, said: “There has been a trend for parents naming children after places - we’ve had India, Brooklyn and Ireland - but it seems teddy bears named after towns or cities are also capturing the imagination.
“I think there is a certain attachment to locations that helps people to form a special bond, whether it’s a reminder of a special trip or a connection with home.
“Our bears are all lovingly handcrafted and we know customers do buy them to have that sense of long term connection so it is not surprising really that they look for something which might have extra significance to them.”
But as some parents have found out to their cost, not all places prove to be such a big hit and it’s the same with bears.
“While we have a special place in our hearts for our Banbury bear it has not proved as popular as some of the others.”
