Months before Valentines Day several years ago, I found myself on the top of a box, on a shelf in a card shop on Princes Street in Edinburgh. I was holding a big red heart between my paws. Fine I decided, someone would soon see me and I would be on my way to a good home. Several customers certainly looked at me, I was squeezed and cuddled, then put back again. Unfortunately I toppled backwards and fell of the box. Nobody noticed, I just could not move and was stuck there for weeks.

One morning the manager was not amused to find dust on the shelves. The staff went to work to clean up and found me. Thank goodness, at last I could have a good stretch, I was stiff from the experience and frankly would have been delighted to have been parted from the big red heart. I heard one member of staff say I should be put away for next year, I dreaded being put inside the box!

Anyway, they forgot, I was left sitting on the top of the box again and looking out at the castle.

Nearing to closing time one day in walked mother and son, son was looking for a birthday card for his girlfriend of the time. This thought Mom with a knowing look would take a long time, so she started walking round the shop, getting very close to me.

The son walked up and asked if Mom thought a card with a Teddy Bear on would be suitable. Teddy Bears, Teddy Bears?? What about me?? I would make a nice present …….. and I fell off the box!

Mom heard a noise and looked round, seeing me on my back, she picked me up.

Oh what a lovely bear you are, she said quietly.

And I was on the start of my journey to a new life.

First I went back to my name sake, Professor Boris’s flat, where I was introduced to a number of Teddy Bears. Both large and small, all with intriguing stories to tell about their adventures. How the two largest were rescued by Mom from car boot sales, then went on to study at Cambridge and had many a story to tell from there.

A few days later Mom said we had to pack to go home, a short time later we were in a taxi heading for the railway station. This was a very big place, lots of people milling around, we finally found the right platform where a train was waiting. The cross country service is rather long and slow, as we must have stopped at every station on the way. Still, I did get to have a good look at both the coast line and countryside.

Some hours later we arrived at our destination and Dad was there in the car with Freddie to collect us.

From that point the life and times of Freddie and Boris began ………

Here are some of Boris's favourite photographs