Introduction --: Hi there, I'm Tommy Teddy or Tommy the Tramore Teddy to be precise. Up to a few weeks ago I was happily sitting on a shelf in "Cahills Store"in Main Street, Tramore, County Waterford. Ireland. I was always hoping that some nice boy or girl would come into the shop and bring me home as a special friend. Along with all the other cuddly toys in the shop, we used to chat at night about where we would all end up and what sort of adventures we would have when we left the shop. Sometimes I used to have lovely dreams, of all the places I would visit and the good times I would have, someday. But for most of us,it was all just pipe dreams, as we lay there, all day, everyday hoping to start our real life adventures.
I arrived in Tramore in early January 2000, having mised all the millennium celebrations, in a lage cardboard box along with many other cuddly toys. We were carefuly placed along the display shelf in the middle aisle of the shop by Marian, one of the ladies who works there. I always felt that I was the cutest of them all, with my lovely green Ireland top and my cute sun visor. Everytime a young boy or girl came in to the shop, I sat up and gave them a big smile, but they always passed me by for one reason or another. I was either too big or too small. At one stage I was beginning to wonder, would I ever leave the shop. January ended then, February came and went, we were then into March and I was still there. I began to feel depressed and very unloved. I even had stopped smiling at the young boys and girls. I just lay there totally dejected.
Then
one day two boys from The Edmund Rice Primary School,here in Tramore came in with their
teacher, Mr. O'Neachtain. They asked Maureen Dineen, who also works in the shop to look at
some soft cuddly toys. They wanted to sent one to their new friends in Newfoundland,
Canada.There was great excitement amongst all of us soft toys, when we heard that one of
us was going to go all the way across the sea and visit Newfoundland. I said a
little prayer that it would be me. With Maureens help they looked up and down the line of
cuddly toys. They passed me by once , they passed me by a second time and they them picked
up Tosh, who was sitting near me. They looked him up and down. I was hoping he wouldn't be
picked. Imagine my delight when they said he was too big. Then Maureen said "What
about this cute little fellow". They picked me up and looked me up and down and
even upside down. They looked at the price, and even weighed me on the weighing scales. I
was glad I went on thet diet in February. Then they left me down and went back tothe
counter to have a chat with their teacher and Maureen. Then they rushed back , grabbed me
and said "he's perfect", we'll take him". Well, I wanted to do a double
somersault there and then in the shop I was so happy. Imagine me off to Newfoundland. I
said goodbye to all my cuddly friends and promised to keep in touch.
I
was taken back to the school where I met a ot of new friends, twenty three in fact. They
had a competition on what name to give me. After a close vote , they decided to call me
Tommy. I was very happy to have a proper name at last. They were very busy working on a
project about their pets. There was a small box in the corner and I was carefully placed
in it along with a few gifts for the boys and girls in Topsail Elementary School,
Conception Bay South, Newfoundland. I was given a good feed of bacon, egg and sausages to
prepare for my long journey. They also put in a note saying that I was going to
Newfoundlanfd and that all the boys and girls were to write back to the boys in Tramore
and tell them about all his adventures with them. They also put in some bars of chocolate
for me to nibble. That evening I was brought down to the local post Office to start my new
adventure. They wrote the name and address on the cover of the box and the man in the Post
Office put me and the box on a weighing scales. "That will be eleven pounds and forty
pence" he said. Mr. O'Neachtyain nearly swolled his false teeth, when he heard this.
"That's a lot" he said. I thought for a minute I was on my way back to the shop
but the boys pleaded with him to please send me as the boys and girls in Canada were
expecting me.
I was put into the
van and from there to Waterford, up to Dublin, straight on to a 747 and eventualy arrived
in Conception Day South on, would you believe, St. Patrick's Day. Well,l what a welcome I
received. I was hugged and kissed by pratically ever person in the school. I
was heading for Mrs. Shea's class,where I would be taken home by her pupils and share in
all their adventures.
Over the past few weeks I have been spending time with some lovely children here in
Conception Bay South in beautiful Newfoundland,in Canada.
You can read all about my adventures by clicking on my picture.
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