This is the Pooh tea shop in Hartfield, in the middle of the ‘Hundred Acre Wood’ (in reality Ashdown Forest) and not far from Brighton. It is still possible to play ‘pooh sticks’ even if the original bridge has been replaced!
I knew all about Christopher Robin, Pooh and Eyore as a child. AA Milne knew a thing or two about creating characters, full of humour, hope, challenges, coping with disappointment. Can anyone forget Pooh’s efforts to find his honey or the ‘burst balloon’ birthday present for Eyore? Loved the poetry too, think it was described as verse all those bears and squares, Alice and changing guard at Buckingham Palace! Brilliant!
‘When we were very young’ on the right not my copy unfortunately but a first edition.
I loved ‘Barbar the Elephant’ and still have a well worn copy given to me in 1945 in danger of falling to pieces. They were very big books which added to the attraction. Barbar overcame adversity, his mother was shot by hunters but he went on to have a wonderful life of adventure being adopted by an old lady in Paris. Lucky elephant! 
Milly Mollie Mandy had her attractions too. What a simple life she had! But ‘Alice in Wonderland’ came on to the scene when I seven, but more because it was often part of our marionette performances rather than the book.
My children liked everything about ‘Pooh Corner’, I think it was the way it was read to them, mainly by their grandmother.
I asked them the other day which book they remembered from very early childhood. These ranged from ‘Ant and Bee’ ‘Cat in the Hat’ ‘Mrs Pepperpot’ to ‘Where the Wild things Are’. One of the grandchildren loved ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’, another found ‘George Speaks’ fascinating. I wonder if modern mums still find time to read their children bedtime stories?
If you cast your mind back to your favourite childhood stories you’ll probably find it creates a brilliant ‘feel good’ factor.
In case you missed it, this is one of our reconstructions of ‘Alice’.
Making the characters for the boat, balancing it in the pond and getting the reflection just right took forever, worth watching in my humble opinion just for that shot! Love it! Forget the rest!
Ann Perrin 