Alresford in Hampshire is the town where I began my life. I was made by Alresford Crafts in the Town Mill back in the 1970s. I can’t remember much about those days but I always enjoy visiting. We were on our way to Canterbury for a holiday and decided to stop at Alresford on the way. I was very hungry when we arrived so the first stop was for lunch at Tiffin Tea Room.

Alresford is famous for growing watercress. In Spring each year they have a watercress festival, which oneday I would like to attend. I decided to have a cheese and watercress scone ploughman’s for my lunch which I very much enjoyed.

After lunch I set off on a nostalgic walk around town…

Here I am in front of The Station Mill, where many of my younger siblings were made. These days it is a health and fitness centre.

Next on the list was Alresford Station. I have very happy memories of travelling here on the Watercress Line steam train with Growler a few years ago.

I had a wander about on the platform hoping to maybe see a train, but there were none due to arrive.

I weighed myself on the scales!

In the gift shop I decided to buy a postcard featuring an engine like the one I travelled on back in 2016.

I was going to call in at the library but it was closed (I delivered a copy of my book to them when I visited in 2015)

It was a beautiful sunny day to be wandering around very picturesque town. My next destination was The Town Mill, where many bears and other cuddly animals were made, including me, in the 1970s.

Enroute I passed a splendid vintage car.

Finally I reached Alresford Town Mill, which is now an apartment block where humans live. It is in a nice place with a waterwheel and the River Arle running along behind it.

I stood outside the front door for a moment for a photo; it was about 50 years ago that I began my life there.

I walked down the road past the Mill feeling happy that I was made in such a lovely place.

The Old Fire Station is now a museum.We didn’t expect to be able to go inside as it only opens occasionally and wasn’t officially open. While I was posing for a photograph outside my human started talking to a friendly chap who had just come out of the picture framing shop next door. He was a volunteer at the museum and very kindly offered to open it for me to see some of my relations that live inside and a splendid fire engine.

The Merryweather horse-drawn steam fire engine inside the museum was built in 1893. Fire engines like this were used up until the early 1920s.

Here I am wearing a fireman’s hat:

Many bears and other cuddly animals made by Alresford Crafts live in the museum.

I was quite taken aback by the size of the resident Alresford Honey Bear. We both smiled at each other.

I explained to him about my adoption from a charity shop by Karen back in 2011, and my recent decision to wear clothes due to my fur beginning to wear out. He was a lovely chap.

A brown bear was very pleased to see me.

The owl behind me is just like the big one that lives in the corner of our dining room at home. There was even an elephant!

The Kangaroo had a little joey in her pouch and seemed friendly with another very fluffy owl.

The museum has some Alresford Crafts animals in a basket that they let children cuddle, which I thought was wonderful. The big rabbit was in the cuddle basket so I lifted her out for a cuddle.

I could have spent ages and ages saying hello to everyone; there are dolls too as Alresford Crafts also made collectable china dolls. We had to continue our journey as we had anothe 120 miles to travel to our holiday cottage

The humans bought me a special Alresford Museum fridge magnet as a souvenir.

I signed the visitor’s book and we thanked the kind man who had opened up the museum just for me.

I walked back up the road feeling very happy.

We managed to fit in along the river to the 13th century Fulling Mill before continuing our journey east.

This was my 3rd visit to Alresford, everyone seemed pleased to see me and it made me feel very happy indeed.

Blogs about previous visits:

My first return to Alresford in 2015 https://horacethealresfordbear.com/2015/06/28/going-back-to-my-roots/

Watercress Line Steam Train trip 2016 https://horacethealresfordbear.com/2016/08/23/returning-to-alresford-on-the-watercress-line/

Horace the Alresford Bear 24/6/2025