WHO'S ZOO

My friend Darren very generously gave me a Fellowship of the Zoological Society of London for Christmas and David and I spent a wonderful sunny Friday afternoon in the London Zoo in Regent's Park enjoying, among other things, the brand new Tiger Territory attraction...

I relived many memories of earlier visits to 'The Ark in the Park' which I was first taken to when I was quite a little tot in order to see the newly-born polar bear cub, Brumas.

My first-ever job ambition as a schoolboy was to be a zoo-keeper and, after a number of visits during my childhood and adolescence, I became a 'Friend of the Zoological Society of London' in my late teens and remained so for many years until a spell of hardship forced me to give it up.

During the time of my membership I would visit at least once a week often with my best pal (meeting, without plan or arrangement, but always knowing that the other one would be there) or with my first girlfriend (yes, you did read that right!), my Mum (who loved having afternoon tea on the Member's Lawn) or, again, special guests such as my friend, the actor and teddy-bear fancier, Peter Bull.

When  the Zoo unveiled a statue in memory of a bear called Winnie, who once lived on the Zoo's famous Mappin Terrace and who was the part-inspiration for A A Milne's young son naming his teddy, 'Winnie-the-Pooh', I was a guest at a celebratory lunch lunch seated next to the grown-up Christopher Robin Milne...

At another time of my life, during a particularly bleak mid-winter when I was teetering on the edge of a breakdown: I went AWOL from my job in the City and spent every day for a week wandering among the snow covered animal houses...

Anyway, David and I had the first of what I hope will be many brilliant visits to a place that, throughout my life, has been one of several, beloved Special Places.

Thank you, Darren...

 Photos: David Weeks and Brian Sibley © 2013