This teddy bear was named Rupert and belonged to Mr William Simpson, an avid collector of more than 250 teddy bears. He is dressed in hand-knitted garments and brown velveteen trousers. He is accompanied by a little home-made ration book.
Rupert is part of a family of teddy bears consisting of Tino, Tilly, Roberta, Nicholas, Nicola, Lord Meight, and Lady Sidonie. According to Mr Simpson, he is the oldest of the family.
Mr Simpson provides a substantial amount of information about Rupert. A yellow card label which accompanies the bear states: 'This is the Bear which was given to me by my parents on my 2nd Christmas in this world. At one time it was thought that he might be a Dean's [i.e. produced by Dean's Ragbook Company] (the oldest surviving Teddy Bear Company in England). He was assessed by Dean's and it was decided that he was unlikely to have been made by them but more probably by one of the small companies whose identity has been lost over the years. Said to have cost 2/6d. He was blown up and damaged by the first V2 rocket to fall in England ([on] Chiswick).'
The V2 rocket which Mr Simpson mentions fell on Chiswick on 8th September 1944. Rupert required a fair amount of restoration after this ordeal.
