Why Choose Winnie the Pooh Books and Toys?

Who is Winnie the Pooh?

Original Winnie The Pooh Toys

Winnie the Pooh is probably the most famous stuffed bear that the world has ever known.  Along with his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, these lovable characters have been firm favourites with generations of children.  So how did the worldwide phenomenon that is Winnie the Pooh come about? It all started back in the First World War, when some Canadian soldiers were travelling across Canada on their way to Europe and the Western Front.  During a train stop, Lieutenant Harry Colebourn bought a small black female bear cub for $20 from a hunter who had just shot her mother. Lieutenant Colebourn took the tiny bear cub to Europe with him and she became the Brigade mascot.  He called her after his home town of Winnipeg, and she became known as ‘Winnie’.  Lieutenant Colebourn could not take Winnie to the battlefields with the Brigade, so he arranged for her to stay at London Zoo and when the war was over in 1919, Winnie became a permanent London Zoo resident. 

She lived until 1934 and was a very popular attraction at the zoo.  One of her particular admirers was a young gentleman called Christopher Robin, who was the young son of the author A.A Milne. Winnie the bear and Christopher Robin became firm friends, and Christopher Robin even spent time in her cage with her.  He was also so taken with Winnie, that he changed the name of his teddy bear from Edward Bear to Winnie the Pooh. The friendship between Winnie and Christopher Robin inspired A.A Milne to start writing stories about his son Christopher Robin,  a teddy bear called Winnie the Pooh and their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood.  Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh were joined in their adventures by other friends such as Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga and Roo, again all inspired by other stuffed animals owned by Christopher Robin.  You can still see the original stuffed toys that belonged to Christopher Robin in the Children’s Centre in the New York Public Library.  The original stories were published by Methuen, with ‘Winnie the Pooh’ appearing in 1926, ‘Now We Are Six’ in 1927, and ‘The House at Pooh Corner’ in 1928.  One of the things that made these books so special was the enchanting illustrations of lovable stuffed bear and his friends that were drawn by E.H Shepard.  These books, including ‘When We Were Young’, became worldwide bestsellers and sold millions of copies.

Winnie the Pooh DVDs

Winnie the Pooh then went on to catch the eye of the great Walt Disney.  The books had been firm favourites with his young daughters and so he brought the magic of Winnie the Pooh to the silver screen in 1966.  The first feature-length animated film starring Winnie the Pooh was ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ released in 1977 and was followed twenty years later in 1997 by ‘Pooh’s Grand Adventure’.  The Bear of Little Brain had become a worldwide movie star, and Disney acknowledged that he had probably came second only to Mickey Mouse as their most loved animated character. His animated adventures have also now been released on DVD, so you can catch up on all of the stories from the Hundred Acre Wood in the comfort of your own home.  His friends also get to star in their own movies and there is a Tigger movie and a Piglet movie that you can find on DVD. There are also quite a few other Winnie the Pooh DVDs now that you can get both in the shops and  online, including new stories and adventures and Disney has a series of Pooh learning DVDs that introduce numbers, words and shapes and sizes.

Winnie the Pooh Books

You can still buy the original books by A.A Milne, ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The House at Pooh Corner’ and ‘Now We Are Six’, with the original E. H. Shepard illustrations.  The stories are such classics that I think that they should form an integral part of every child’s book collection.  You can also get some very beautiful compilations of the original Winnie the Pooh stories and also boxed sets of all the books.  Of course, there have also now been many other stories telling of the adventures in The Hundred Acre Wood published which range from colourful picture books and pop-up books for very young children to longer stories for older children.  If the child you are buying for is creative, you can also get colouring books and sticker books that will provide hours of interest and fun. You can also find the Winnie the Pooh Books on audio CD, so your children can listen to the adventures of the stuffed animals of the Hundred Acre Woods at home or in the car.

Winnie the Pooh Stuffed Bears

Of course, we must not forget that Winnie the Pooh is a teddy bear, and a famous one at that, so it is only right that there is a huge range of cuddly Winnie the Pooh stuffed bears for you to choose from.  There are stuffed bears in all sizes and in lots of different outfits, although most of them are made of soft golden plush and are wearing his signature red shirt.  There are cuddly toys especially designed for new babies and for older children, so your baby’s very first teddy bear could be the one and only Winnie the Pooh.  You can also get ones that can be programmed to know your name and say around 1,000 phrases.

Winnie the Pooh Toys

If your children are big fans of Winnie the Pooh, there are so many toys that you can choose for them today.  Play is a very important way of learning for children and there is a wide range of Winnie the Pooh learning toys available. The toy company Vtech produce a good selection of learning toys, including Pooh’s Picture Computer, Winnie the Pooh Sort ‘n Learn Cart and Winnie the Pooh Teach ‘n Lights Phone. You can also get play sets of figurines, lot of different games and stacker toys for very young children.  In fact, our favourite bear of little brain is fairly ubiquitous, so he appears on everything from nursery bed linen, to balloons, picnic cups and napkins.

He has become so popular that you can now find a huge range of Winnie the Pooh books, stuffed bears, toys, nursery furniture, clocks, games and clothes, which can all easily be bought either in ths shop or online.  Winnie the Pooh toys and books make great gifts for kids at Christmas and birthdays, and there are ranges of books and toys that are suitable for all ages. It also doesn’t matter what your budget is, because there is Winnie the Pooh merchandise out there that can be bought with pocket money all the way through to unique collectibles that cost that little bit more.

 

Good Value Designer Handbags From Hilary Radley

Hilary Radley Handbags

Is the latest designer handbag something that you would ever think of buying online?  We women love getting new handbags and, unfortunately for us, the latest style by a famous designer tends to retail for a very large sum of money. While you may not have several thousand dollars to splurge on the latest designer handbag, there are some very good designers out there who have ranges of that are a lot more affordable and can be bought easily online.

Hilary Radley is one of North America’s fashion success stories.  She was born in England and did a BA Degree in Textiles before going to work in television as a costume designer and lecturing in fashion.  She then emigrated to Canada where she began working on building her empire in fashion design. She is now based in Montreal and has been successfully designing iconic outerwear for twenty five years and markets a full range of ‘Hilary Radley’ branded coats, shoes and those all important handbags.

But if you do not have a retail outlet near where you live that stock Hilary Radley coats or accessories do not worry as a wide range of Hilary Radley outerwear, shoes and handbags can now easily be bought online.

Hilary Radley Jump It Parachute Bags – Cross Body and Tote

If you are looking for the perfect purse for casual occasions that still looks effortlessly chic, look no further than the Hilary Radley Jump It Parachute Handbags.  They have a quilted fabric body, faux leather straps and trimming and have plenty of pockets to keep your things safe in.  They also have an adjustable strap, so that you can wear your handbag in any style that you choose. By contrast, the Hilary Radley Jump It Parachute Tote is designed to be carried in your hands, but still has the convenience of having an adjustable add-on strap.   These great designer purses come in a delicious range of colours including pretty pastel pink, smart black, cool beige, rusty red with a brown trimming and pale grey.  So there is a colour you could choose that is perfect for every season and a handbag to go with all of your favourite outfits!

Hilary Radley Canvas Totes

All women know that their handbag can never be big enough!  Mine is a bit like a tardis and once something goes in it may never be seen again.  So if you are one of those women who need to carry nearly all their worldly possessions with them whenever they go out for the day, a tote handbag is the ideal choice for you.  If you need a purse that can fit in your entire make up collection, the book you are reading, your glasses case, wallet etc etc but still look great, why not think of getting a Hilary Radley Canvas Tote online?

The Hilary Radley Coated Canvas Tote is made from coated canvas and is lined with twill. It has a zip fastener and contrasting snake-skin trim and handles.  It is the perfect size to carry all the belongings that you will need during the day, and still let you look stylish and trendy.  It  comes in a gorgeous range of colours, that include a wonderfully bright coral, green citrus, mocha brown and natural, so there is bound to be a colour that is perfect for you.

If you did want a smaller, daintier tote handbag, the Hilary Radley Coated Canvas Mini Tote could be just what you are looking for.  This handbag is identical in all respects to the Hilary Radley Coated Canvas Tote except for its smaller size.

If you wanted a slightly more casual look for your tote handbag, but still want a stylish yet practical bag, have a look at the Hilary Radley Coast Bucket Tote.  Made of the same coated canvas as the other Hilary Radley tote bags with a twill lining, and the snake-print trim and handles, the Hilary Radley Coast Bucket Tote has a magnetic fastening at the top.

Hilary Radley Hobo Handbags

A hobo style handbag is one that is fairly large, crescent shaped, made of some sort of soft, flexible material with a long strap designed to be worn over the shoulder and squash up a bit when it is put down.  This popular style of handbag is named after the shape of the bundle on the stick that hobos are pictured carrying over their shoulder in cartoons and drawings.

If you have set your heart on a new, designer hobo handbag, there may just be one in the Hilary Radley range that has been produced with you in mind.  The Hilary Radley Taylor Coated Canvas Hobo is a casual, yet elegant bag, which is big enough to fit in everything that you might need.  It is made of coated canvas with a twill lining, and has a snake-skin effect trim and strap.  The bag comes in citrus, mocha, natural or vibrant coral.

If you are looking for a hobo handbag that is a bit fancier, take a peek at the Hilary Radley Button Up Hobo. This hobo handbag has plaited handles, and is decorated with covered buttons, studs and stitching in circular patterns. The Hilary Radley Button Up Hobo has a cotton blend lining and is fastened with a zip at the top.  This versatile handbag comes in cognac, burgundy or navy.  If you prefer a more modern look to your hobo, choose the Hilary Radley Studded Ways Hobo, which combines a soft leather-like body with patterns picked out with studs and stitching.  Or if you like your handbags to be a bit edgier choose the Hilary Radley Kats Staple Hobo with staple accents, stitching and some angled zip pockets.

Hilary Radley Satchels

If you are looking for a handbag that is a bit more formal and elegant, something that you could take to a smart meeting but still has enough space for all your things, why not look at a Hilary Radley Satchel? The Hilary Radley Woven E/W Satchel is smart and elegant, and is such a classic shape that you could be wearing it season after season and it would still look fashionable. It is a very capacious handbag, with an interior that is divided with pockets that keeps all your things well organised and easy to find.   The Hilary Radley Woven E/W Satchel has a zip fastening and comes in the timeless, elegant colours black or brown.  For a twist on the classic satchel design, try the Hilary Radley Tab Square Satchel, which has a chunky over-the-top tab fastener with some metal accents and an attachable, adjustable strap.

So whatever you are looking for in a handbag, you will be able to find the perfect Hilary Radley handbag for you.  Whether you are looking for casual chic or a timeless classic, you cannot go wrong buying Hilary Radley Handbags online.  And if you find one that you fall totally in love with – then why not get it in all the different colours!