Old Bear and his friends are playing in the garden. As Bramwell is making pirate hats with scraps of newspaper, the toys think it would be a good idea to have a boat race. First of all, the toys have to build their boats, (although Sailor already has his own) then, when they are ready, they launch them in the stream and the race begins. It doesn't go quite according to plan but a spectacular air/stream rescue by Rabbit saves the day and it isn't the biggest boat that wins the race. Old Bear promises to read Little Bear a very special bedtime story because he has been so helpful. Little Bear is very excited as he gets ready for bed but then he can`t find Old Bear anywhere. It seems that everyone else is also too busy to read him a story. Little Bear is very disappointed, but he needn't worry; he eventually discovers Old Bear and the reason why all his friends have been so busy. And his bedtime story really is extra special. It is Little Bear's birthday and the toys have given him a tent. He is so excited that he wants to sleep in it that night. Old Bear isn't so sure but Rabbit volunteers to look after him, so they all go out in the garden to put up the tent. As it gets dark Little Bear and Rabbit discover that they are still rather hungry but they have forgotten to bring a torch to find the food. However a night-time visitor comes to their rescue and the birthday goes on getting better long into the night. I used to watch this show when i was a kid, but i only rediscovered it recently when they started showing it on Channel 5. It is a truly wonderful show that makes you feel warm inside every time you watch. It follows the story of a group of living toys who have adventures inside a house. A pretty simple and familiar premise, certainly, but when you take into account that this show was made in the early 90s even before Toy Story, you can see how Old Bear Stories has been influential. I'm sure there was a book that predated the TV show as well. It is Old Bear's birthday and the toys decide to surprise him with a special, musical treat. Everyone sets out to find or make an instrument and soon they are making wonderful music. Old Bear is delighted with his surprise and the only problem is that Bramwell has managed to lose his special birthday buns. However, all is revealed when Little Bear's big bass drum rolls out of control.

While searching for treasure in the sandpit Rabbit discovers a hoard of yellow counters. Bramwell Brown suggests they use the counters as money. They decide to have a market and all make their own stalls to sell odds and ends. They have great fun buying things from each other with the counters and are puzzled when Old Bear buys lots of containers from Rabbit's stall. The mystery is soon solved when Old Bear teaches the toys another game they can play with their counters. Old Bear Stories is a BAFTA award-winning stop frame animation television series for children based on the Old Bear and Friends books by Jane Hissey. Jane Hissey also created the television series, starting it on 22 September 1993, and creating 3 seasons, which ended on 24 December 1997 with a double-length Christmas special. In all, 41 episodes were made. [1]

Old Bear: an elderly dusty teddy bear, he was put up in the attic when he reached an advanced age, but was rescued by the other toys. They now looked up to him as a fearless, yet wise, leader. Jolly Tall: a toy giraffe who despite his height didn’t like heights - he said his head thought it was high enough already. It is a very cold day and all the toys are trying to think of ways to keep warm. They play various games that involve running, skipping and rowing but as soon as they stop they feel cold again. Zebra even suggests that they hibernate under a pile of leaves. Ruff thinks that a game of catch would be a better idea. However, it isn't until they are in the middle of the game that they realise just why they have been feeling so cold all day.

The dolls: a family of 3 dolls (a father, a mother (Mrs. Doll) and a daughter) who lived in a dolls' house in a corner of the play room.Rabbit's rather rude cousin turns up unexpectedly and decides to stay with the toys for a few days. After a large picnic tea, where she eats most of the food, the toys get ready for bed. She puts on her pyjamas and climbs into the bed, leaving no room for Rabbit. The next morning the toys decide having a guest is not as much fun as they thought and Old Bear thinks of a plan that might persuade her to go home. Little Bear decides to grow an apple tree as a surprise for Old Bear. With help from his friends he manages to plant an apple pip in a flower pot. He is disappointed to hear that, despite watering it and keeping it warm, his pip could take years to grow into a tree. However, while he is waiting, Bramwell Brown finds a way that they can help Little Bear make an instant tree that will really surprise Old Bear.

Old Bear is busy redecorating the bathroom. Rabbit thinks decorating looks like fun and gets the other toys to come and lend a hand. The toys are very enthusiastic about painting but soon there is paint everywhere but on the walls. Old Bear thinks of a way that everyone can help without making a mess and in the end they are all delighted with the result! Camel: a toy camel who was almost as tall as Jolly Tall. Once tried to use Little Bear's trousers as hump warmers.Soft toys have also been made of some of my characters and now lots of people have Old Bears of their own. In my stories Old Bear is always the sensible one who likes to sort out problems and keep everyone happy. He likes to look after all the other toys and loves reading them a bedtime story at the end of the day.

There has been a party in the playroom and the toys can see that there is lots of food left on the table, but it is just out of reach. Little Bear explores underneath the tablecloth and discovers that it looks just like a circus tent; a starting point for a wonderful new game. Many of the toys want to perform in the circus and others come to watch. It is Rabbit who turns out to be the star of the show and he, accidentally, solves the problem of the out-of-reach food. A mysterious box arrives in the playroom. After approaching it cautiously the toys discover it contains a new friend; Jolly Tall the giraffe. With Jolly still inside, everyone sets to work to turn his box into a cosy house for him. There is a problem though; Jolly is too tall to get out of the door! Using a toy crane, the friends finally manage to rescue Jolly and Jolly, in return, performs a rescue of his own. In the end the toys find that something Bramwell has been knitting all week turns out to be the perfect present for their new playmate. The toys are searching everywhere for a missing piece of jigsaw puzzle. Their search leads them all over the house and they find all sorts of interesting things they were not looking for. When they find some plates that belong to the Dolls' House dolls, Mrs Doll invites them to tea to thank them. When tea is served everyone is amazed to see what Mrs Doll is using as a tray.Rabbit's cousin: female cousin of Rabbit, who occasionally stayed with the toys. She wore a straw hat, and seemed to like to cause mischief, and didn’t like cleaning. Castle, Paul. "Old Bear Stories by Jane Hissey". PDC Music. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017 . Retrieved 20 December 2020. Jolly Tall has never seen snow and he wishes it would snow today. The other toys try to find ways to show him what snow is like. They all have fun making pretend snow out of flour, paper decorations, bubbles and feathers. Bramwell even makes snowflake biscuits. They are so busy enjoying themselves they almost forget to look out of the window. What a surprise they have when they do. It's winter and snow has covered everything in the garden. The toys have fun playing on a sledge and building a wonderful snowman. Little Bear is worried that the birds must be very hungry as their food is hidden under the snow. At lunchtime the toys all go inside to make bread snowmen to go with Old Bear's delicious soup. While they are waiting for them to cook, they tell each other food stories and become more and more hungry. At last the bread is ready but Little Bear has not forgotten that the birds need feeding too and he has a really good idea.