Rare teddy bear collection in Oxfordshire sells for nearly £300,000 at auction
It includes one famous bear that starred 1980's TV show, Brideshead Revisited
A collection of rare teddy bears in Oxfordshire has sold for nearly £300,000 at auction, including one very famous TV star.
Aloysius was Lord Sebastian Flyte's teddy bear in the famous 1980's TV show Brideshead Revisited and has since been living in Witney for the past 28 years.
Ian Pout, 80, is owner of Teddy Bears of Witney and has been of Aloysius for some time and says, “I just want him to be loved”.
“It's really hard saying goodbye to things you love, it's not an easy thing for me, and it was very emotional”, said Mr Pout.
He added: “The atmosphere in the room was brilliant, and I just felt there's a lot of goodwill and love. It was going to be difficult, but it was as little difficult as it possibly could have been. So, in a way it was a happy day.”
"I have no intention of stopping just now"
Overall, the collection of Ian’s rare soft toys fetched £290,000, including Aloysius who sold for £26,000.
Mr Pout has been collecting teddies 1985 and he says since he’s turned eighty, “I was persuaded by my family to sell all the pieces in that museum”.
“I love what I do. I buy and sell teddy bears, and for as long as I can, I will.
“I have no intention of stopping just now. So, I'll continue as normal, but we just don't have a museum”, he added.
Other parts of Mr Pout’s collection which has been auctioned was a handwritten letter from Ernest H Shepard, from 1971.
He’s the artist that illustrated the Winnie-the-Pooh characters in books, which sold for £14,000.
Mr Pout added: “All the bears have given me pleasure and I hope they will to other people now for years to come.”