Thursday 14 October 2010

THREE CHEERS FOR POOH!

Today is Winnie-the-Pooh's 84th birthday (the first book of stories about him by A A Milne was published on 14 October, 1926) so, it's time to greet the character described by Christopher Robin as 'The Best Bear in All the World' with that idiosyncratic greeting once penned by Owl...

HIPY
PAPY
BTHUTHDTH
THUTHDA BTHUTHDY!

Thirty-four years ago, today, the BBC broadcast my very first radio programme – a documentary celebrating Pooh's 50th birthday, entitled Three Cheers for Pooh! Ever since Pooh has kept on popping back into my life.

Why, only yesterday, just like Eeyore in Chapter Six of Winnie-the-Pooh ('In which Eeyore has a birthday and gets to presents') I received two surprises: one was a copy of the Norwegian translation of The Pooh Book of Quotations which I edited (in English) many years ago and which, for those who read contemporary Norse, looks like this...


The other was a Royal Mail First Day Cover of their most recent set of commemorative postage stamp featuring the Bear of Very Little Brain and his Friends as depicted by the official artist of the 100 Aker Wood, E H Shepard.

Unfortunately, I can't show you the stamps because, if I were to do so, I might infringe the copyright of Disney who owns all Shepard's visual representations of Pooh & Co.

However, you might like to know that the Presentation Pack of stamps, miniature sheet and the First Day Cover are all accompanied by Words (by Me!) telling you Who's Who, What's What and Explaining Everything You Might Need to Know...

The Pooh stamp collection is available from all good Post Offices or directly from Royal Mail.

8 comments:

SharonM said...

Many Happy Returns to Pooh - and to you too, Brian (I think you've got a lot more brain than our cuddly, honey-loving friend.

Suzanne said...

Happy birthday Pooh! I have a particular affection for him as I used to have a teddy named Pooh when I was a baby. Yes, I still remember that teddy!

Brian Sibley said...

SCB left the following comment, but Blogger has designated it an 'error bX-1gbdfc' and refuses to publish it. Anyway, regardless of Blogger's willful stupidity, here's what SCB said...

'Sing Ho for the life of a Bear!'

Wol's timeless words say it best. "A Very Happy Birthday, with Love to Pooh".

I didn't encounter the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories until I was nearly eighteen, and I was instantly captivated. Pooh, Piglet, et al have decidedly enriched my life since then.

'Three Cheers for a Pooh! Three Cheers for a Sib(ley)! Sing ho for a Bear! Sing ho for a Pooh! (and we'll have a little something in an hour or two.)'

Boll Weavil said...

We should all raise a glass to the universally popular, cuddly chap who has done so much to enhance our enjoyment of life !
And happy birthday to Pooh as well :-)

Geno said...

Many happy returns to Pooh, my favorite bear! Although I am in the middle of reading LOTR to my children I think I will stop and reread some of our favorite Pooh stories tonight for such an Important Day.

Steven Hartley said...

Happy birthday to Winnie the Pooh - I quite like it and the illustrations by Ernest Shepard are just brilliant.

Although, some of my friends think Winnie the Pooh is for "babies" but I find it quite charming and clever.

Brian Sibley said...

Blogger is playing up again, this time declining to publish the following comment from Phil:

Happy Birthday, Pooh...but I am prompted to ask a question that has long puzzled me:

Why did A.A.Milne hyphenate the title/name Winnie-the-Pooh? It seems such an odd construction.

Brian Sibley said...

Boll – :>

Geno – Hope it wasn't too much of a literary gear-shift from Fangorn to the 100 Aker Wood!

Steven – The odd thing about this book, is that the older you get the more grown-up it seems...

Phil – Good question and the only answer is the one offered by Christopher Robin to the Narrator (AAM) in the book's opening chapter... :)