iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

We had a lovely day yesterday, as Grizzly came out for a trip on our narrow boat for the first time since he had his stroke. Polar got a takeaway Sunday dinner for us from the Rising Sun pub at Scholar Green and Grizzly was able to steer the boat into a lock. We are very proud of him!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

And, on Monday, Endon Bear and I took them all to the Emma Bridgewater factory and Trentham Gardens. It was so warm, we had ice cream. So we have all been busy Small Bears 🐻🐻🐻🐻

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

On Sunday, Hanley and Huddlesford took the humans to the Apedale Valley Light Railway, which is not far from where we live, to enjoy their steam gala. Then they had a pub lunch with beer!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

We have been busy Small Bears over the weekend, helping to look after Grizzly during a visit by his son, Mr George. On Saturday, Hanley Bear celebrated a famous victory for Stoke City against Sheffield United...

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I helped Polar do some work on our narrow boat yesterday, putting little brackets in place to secure the gas pipes, which Mr Rupert the boat safety inspector said we needed to do. And we unpacked the pretty storage tins we got in the Emma Bridgewater sale, and set up the damp traps.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Good morning Henry! *hugs* and happy Thursday? Did you get the rain you wanted for your park the other day? I went with Hanley Bear, Polar and Grizzly to Hanley's Park and we had tea and cake in the café, and Grizzly did some walking practice...

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

We had a lovely day out on Sunday, when Polar took us all to the Churnet Valley Railway to watch the trains. And we had oatcakes and cayk! Grizzly did some more walking with his quad pod stick too.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Hanley Bear went to the match with Polar and Grizzly today and saw Stoke City beat Charlton Athletic by four goals to nil!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

After that, Polar felt she needed to burn some calories, so pushed Grizzly and the Bears all the way around the big lake! Endon Bear saw the first of the autumn flowers blooming, while Hanley Bear searched for the Staffie statues which celebrate his home county of Staffordshire.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Although Grizzly had to use the wheelchair borrowed from @tourguideted.bsky.social most of the time, he did walk all the way around one of the fountains. Then they had a tasty "second breakfast" at the café in the park.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Human Guardians Polar and Grizzly took Endon and Hanley Bear to Trentham Gardens yesterday. Although many of the plants had suffered in the drought, the Rudbeckia and Helenniums looked good.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

We have lots of rain forecast today. Hanley Bear is sad because he wanted to join the walk in Hanley Park (which he calls "Me Park") today. But he and Endon went to Trentham Gardens yesterday, with Polar and Grizzly, and Grizzly did some walking with his new "quad pod" stick.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Thank you! Grizzly had a day out with Polar, Endon and Hanley Bear yesterday. They went to Trentham Gardens and he did a little bit of walking with his "quad pod" stick.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Thank you, Henry. As you can see, Hanley Bear is making sure they still get to football!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Polar has spent the last week repairing one of our ponds that was leaking - with a little bit of help from Hanley Bear and lots of rainwater from the water butts, thanks to all the thunder storms

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I thought it was quite scary how close together the planes were flying, but the pilots were talking to each other all the time about what they were going to do and have done this lots of times. Like human guardian Polar, flying makes my tummy feel funny, but Hanley Bear loves it!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Hanley and I weren't allowed in the Spitfire, but we were allowed in the chaser plane that flew beside it for part of Grizzly's flight. Afterwards, Hanley and Theo from TGT's Hugs celebrated with a beer.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I have been forgetting to post on here, so you might have missed the amazing story that, thanks to some very special hooms and @tourguideted.bsky.social, our human guardian Grizzly got to fly in a Spitfire earlier this month!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

A marvellous boating day, travelling from Etruria Junction through Hanley Park (with Hanley Bear helping on the tiller), lunch at Emma Bridgewater and finally mooring just before the heavy rain started at our favourite spot outside Milton. #Staffordshire #StokeOnTrent

A teddy bear appearing to be steering a canal boat under an ornamental iron bridge in a park

A canal passing through Stoke on Trent, with a pottery works and a bottle kiln under a cloudy sky

Sunset behind a grassy field reflecting in a canal

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

We had the most marvellous weekend at the Etruria Canals Festival this last weekend. We came to the Festival on "Uppie", our narrowboat, and saw lots of historic boats and the Fund Britain's Waterways campaign cruise!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Hanley still says Stoke City are the best team in the world, and told Polar not to be sad or angry about Southampton being in trouble and not getting promoted, as it means she can watch them play Stoke. And he was sad that Port Vale were relegated now that he is friends with Vale-rie

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

We are nice and dry and have clean clothes on now. We've got our boating overalls on ready for the Etruria Canals Festival at the end of the week.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Then we have a shower, to get all the soapiness out of our fur and stuffing, before going out to sunbathe in the garden 🐻🐻🌞🐻🐻

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

It's bath day, and we have all been washed in Polar's nice Herby shampoo...

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Huddlesford Bear and I joined our human guardians for our first trip of the year on Uppie (Uplander II) our narrowboat. We had a lovely day, and I had a little drink of Polar's shandy, while Huddles had some beer bubbles.

Small Bears Sonning and Huddlesford on the roof of a canal boat

Small Bears Sonning and Huddlesford and human guardian Grizzly on a canal boat in the sunshine

Two Small Bears drinking beer from tall pint glasses

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

One of our Best Bear Buddies, Little Brown Bear from @geckocomms.bsky.social is missing! Please look out for him if you are in North Devon. We hope he is found soon as he will be sad and scared without his Human Guardian and his Hug

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

We are, thank you. We were fairly handy to you on Tuesday as we had a nice day out at Dunham Massey. But we still haven't got to RHS Bridgwater!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Hanley Bear thought it would be fun to send Vale-rie a #ValentinesDay card. We hope she liked it!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

As usual, Hanley had a pre-match dance...

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Hanley Bear and I had a marvellous day out yesterday with @tourguideted.bsky.social and @geckocomms.bsky.social and other Stuffie chums watching the Stoke City v West Brom game. We had lovely noms first and met Baggie Bird the mascot. And the game was a draw so no-one was sad at the end.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

And here's the finale of the light show! There's another one next month in Newcastle-under-Lyme, so we are hoping our human guardians will take us to see that too.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

It did get very cold and Hanley didn't put his duffle coat on (telling Polar that he wasn't "nesh" so didn't need it). So it's hard to tell if he is dancing or just shivering!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Hanley Bear had a great evening with Polar on Tuesday seeing the "Light Up Hanley" (or "Light Up Me!" event, as he called it) put on by @appetitestoke.bsky.social We are going to share a few more clips of film from the evening...

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Hanley Bear's old "lucky jumper" stretched so much from being washed that it fits me now, so we both went to the match against Southampton yesterday. Hanley was very sad, because Stoke lost by two goals to nil, but Grizzly's son Mr George was pleased, as "Saints" are his team.

Sonning Bear and Hanley Bear wearing their red and white striped jumpers at Stoke City's stadium

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Human guardians took us to see the local starling murmuration again yesterday. I think there are even more of them now!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

We had a morning walk at Trentham Gardens, Mrs Sue. It was a bit too cold to spend a lot of time out of our Bear Bag, but we did do a little bit of climbing in the stumpery, and had cake at the garden centre cafe...

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Meanwhile, thanks to Polar finding some red and white striped socks in the @stokecityfc.bsky.social shop at the weekend, Hanley Bear has a new jumper to wear to the match on Wednesday night.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Aunty Tina brought two tiny Bears to live with us yesterday. They were living in her loft but didn't have any friends up there. They seem to be tiny Paddingtons as they have a big jar of marmalade (although it's actually an old cotton reel) and a picture of Aunt Lucy!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

My friend Hanley Bear has asked me to share this poem about his home city. He says it explains why he is sometimes a fierce Small Bear, but is very good at heart. Mr Nick Degg was poet laureate for Stoke-on-Trent's centenary last year. We like his poems.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

It was still very cold here but most of the snow has gone. Here are some of the birdies!

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

We Bears are thinking of using this as our main social media account this year, because X is being so horrible at the moment (not to us, but to some female humans and human cubs). I am also going to write more for my blog and share some of Polar's pictures. This one is of the "Wolf Moon".

Full moon rising at sunset behind the hills of North Staffordshire

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

We enjoyed some lovely cake - Huddlesford had Edwardian tea bread - and human guardian Polar bought some little pieces of fabric, so maybe we will get new clothes for Christmas this year 🐻🐻🐻🐻

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

This is a "spinning mule". Originally, human cubs used to be employed to run underneath it to pick up dust and fluff. It was very hard and dangerous work for the poor little souls 😢

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

This is one of the looms at work. The workers wear ear defenders these days, but in the old days they didn't.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

We had a lovely day at @nationaltrust.org.uk Quarry Bank Mill near Wilmslow yesterday. We explored the grounds, visited one of the workers' cottages and saw the machines that made the cloth for my best boating shirt (and Endon's) which we were wearing.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Hanley Bear helped Human Guardian Polar show human cubs how to make mini allotments for salad leaves in "Me Park" today, with the Friends of Hanley Park. But it started to rain so hard that everyone had to pack up after about 90 minutes.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Staffordshire oatcakes are quite different - they are more like oaty pancakes or crepes. Here's Hanley Bear with a couple of portions - these contain just cheese and tomato, but people often have them with bacon or sausage.

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Sonning Bear @sonningbear.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Hanley Bear says "Ay up, pals!" and shares hi pre-match dance from the first game of the season on Saturday, when Stoke won 3 - 1 against local rivals Derby.

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