Friday, April 4, 2014
She was born in in 1944, but two years ago, she celebrated her 17th birthday
Claire Lesley Ollerton, who is known in Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary as ‘The Bear Lady’, makes the best of still remaining a teenager instead of being 70
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
ANNAN, SCOTLAND
(ANS) – Because she was a “Leap Year” baby, Claire Lesley Ollerton from Annan, Scotland, is still only 17 despite being born in 1944.
Claire Lesley Ollerton with Smudge [bear]and little guest at their special birthday party in 2012
February 29 is a date that occurs every four years, and is, as a corrective measure, called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days.
Claire is a retired school teacher and also a prolific author.
According to a story by Lisa Herbert in The Annandale Observer, Claire, who is a committed Christian, marked her last special birthday on 29th February 2012 with a “quintessential” teddy bear’s picnic.
“The [then]68-year-old, invited her friends [the young and young in heart]to bring a bear along to an [all day]celebration where she enjoyed her 17th proper birthday,” wrote Lisa Herbert. “They tucked into party food and drinks and even took home a [Christian filled] treats’ bag to remember the special date.”
Later that morning more of Smudge’s furry guests arrived. The celebration was inspired by Claire’s former association with “The Good Bears of the World” charity, which places teddies in the arms of those who need love, reassurance and hope. Smudge, is so called, because he has one eye up and the other down. He came into my possession in 1972 so he is chronologically 40 years old but he’s a ‘leapling’ of 10. I was living in Lancashire, England, at the time,” Claire explained to ANS.
The first time I took him to a school was on the first day of my first teaching practice in a reception class of a local Christian school near my home. The little ones were quite frightened of me because I am a tall lady [5’10½”] and they could only see from my waist downwards, so at lunchtime I asked my supervising teacher, Mrs Sellars if I could take the bear in. She agreed so Smudge was introduced to the children that afternoon. You see ‘God chooses the foolish things [in this case a teddy bear]of the world to confound the wise;’ 1 Corinthians 1:27a.”
Smudge with Claire entertaining the children at the library
“I told the children that Smudge needed help with his sums and put 1 + 1 = 3 on the chalkboard whilst having a ‘conversation’ with Smudge [getting him to nod]to confirm that he thought it was right; then I asked the children if they thought he was right but they all told Smudge that it wasn’t.
“Later, after praying about it, I told them the first story about his adventures. After the story I asked the children to pray and of course Smudge had to pray too so I put his paws together but his eyes are fixed so he can’t close them but I kept my eyes half open to see what would happen, sure enough a little voice suddenly said, ‘Miss, Smudge hasn’t closed his eyes.’ I quickly remedied it by bending his head forward and all eyes closed we proceeded.”
She went on to say, “On the following days more stories and repeats of stories followed and Mrs Sellars, told me I ought to have them published but up to now those first ones haven’t. “
“I started by writing an inspirational poetry book in 1977 [but that is another story.]Then along came inspiration to write the collection of Smudge’s Cook [Recipe] Cards in 1985 followed by a little story/prayer-book, in 1986, called ‘Smudge’s Day.’”
“My books are all Christian ones,” she stated. “Another book followed called: ‘Smudge’s Cookbook.’ Then I wanted to show children how a marriage was conducted so along came ‘Smudge and Kandy’s Wedding.’”
“Research for that one led to The Tillington Hall Hotel in Staffordshire where I was staying for a Teddy Bear Festival in nearby Shrugborough. I prayed then asked the Head Chef, Mr. R. Timmins, if he could make up tiny cakes etc. for a teddy bear’s wedding reception – I explained that it was for a book and I would bring along necessary miniature plates etc. He wasn’t sure whether to agree or not but he did and a few months later I was back at the hotel with bears and props + camera and the chef was marvelous – in fact afterwards he said that he’d regretted not bringing his little daughter to look at it.”
The front cover photo of the book ‘Smudge and Kandy’s Wedding’
“Other books followed about Smudge and his adventures and I continued to take him to schools with me. This was followed by two invitations to a library outside of my home town, the first was to give the children a cold cooking demonstration based on ‘Smudge’s Cookbook’ and helped hilariously by Smudge. The second was to judge a teddy bear competition and promote the wedding book, by reading it to the children.”
”This was followed by a series of Christian coloring booklets for both Chinese and English children [I was teaching the first stages of Cantonese Chinese to little ones at the Preston Chinese Christian Sunday School at the time I wrote them and Smudge went along there too to help me tell them about Jesus.]”
“Next was ‘Smudge’s Sports’ which has a link with Miss Ginger Rogers and then ‘Hamish McBadger Came to Stay.’ Claire then said, “Hamish, [means James]a badger, and his best friend Raymond, a rabbit, arrived to stay in 1993 and caused a lot of havoc with Smudge’s family for Hamish was a bully.”
Claire said that in 1993, British TV personality, Esther Rantzen, did a program about bullying and Claire had herself been bullied at High School and since on her travels around schools, she found that there was nothing published about bullying for the four year olds and under so “I solicited the help of my then class in a deprived area of Preston, where bullying was a serious problem, and she wrote up a story about Hamish McBadger and his long suffering friend Raymond McRue, who had joined the “family” and she penned “Hamish McBadger Comes To Stay,” with a diagnostic sheet included suitable for 4-9 year olds.
Claire with Hamish’s daddy and Hamish also with my two friends who helped her to compile the book
“Two of the boys had their photographs in ‘The Lancashire Evening Post.’” Said Claire, “and I was interviewed on BBC Radio and in 1996 I gave the whole school a party for Smudge’s 6th leapling birthday. I gave all the teachers a day off from marking and set little competitions for each class which tied in with their curricular modules and so they wouldn’t lose out educationally.
The book is diagnostic and helpful for children under six and in 1994, with the help of a Christian friend from the Full Gospel Businessmen’s International, Chorley Branch, I made an audio cassette recording of the book to help blind and partially sighted children who may also be bullied,” she said.
If that wasn’t enough, Claire went on, in 1996, to produce another audio cassette story about “a kleptomaniac Mouse called Martha,” but added that “the actual story hasn’t been written down as yet.
“In the same year I decided to tackle the subject of bereavement for children because the mother of two young friends of had died and their father had disappeared, so they were adopted by their aunt and she said that this book definitely helped them to overcome their grief, [and at the time I didn’t know my own Mom had colon cancer and was dying – I only found out 3 years ago when looking through some papers I came upon her death certificate which had a long word on it {she had thrombophlebitis and I thought a blood clot had moved and that had caused it} I looked up said other word on the internet and it was a shock when I found out but it explained a lot of things.]”
“So ‘Hamish Went To Glasburgh’ came into being [I couldn’t decide whether he should go to Glasgow or Edinburgh so I married the two together so I wouldn’t offend either!] It traces in the story Hamish’s Mom’s situation from hospice to burial and then there is an explanation of becoming ‘born again.’”
Claire with the characters in the book ‘Kandy’s Flower Arrangement.’
(Photo taken by ‘The Chorley Guardian’ photographer)
“Further books ensued including one about bereavement for children and the last one written in Lancashire in 1997 was ‘Kandy’s Flower Arrangement with a Gardener’s Diary and other stories.’ My Mom also and had become blind due to macular degeneration and I was her carer, Every time I went to her to make her comfy she was always saying: ‘Glory, Halleluyah, Praise The Lord,’ so I asked her if I could put it to music and put it in the book and she was pleased I’d asked and so I did.”
“A few weeks before my Mom went to Glory I received a proof copy of the book. I sat on the side of her bed and put the book casually in front of her whilst settling myself, she suddenly said, without me prompting her, ‘That’s Kandy on the front.’”
“I said, ‘Mom you can see!’ so I thought I’ll turn to the back page and show it to her, on which are several types of hats and she told me exactly what they were, then her sight went again. She went to Glory on the 3rd October 1997. What a miracle! I dedicated it to her memory and made it into a limited edition and it was published in 1998. The book is designed to help children to learn how to do a simple flower arrangement and to start them off gardening.”
“I wrote all of the Lancashire ones under the pseudonym of Claire King until I discovered there was an actress of the same name and she was playing roles which included naughty ladies.”
“When The Lord moved me to Annan,” she said, “I continued writing and a little bear called Mikayah [means Micah]McBear joined the family so he ended up first in a mini book and now there are two stories about him in my latest book, ‘Stories about Mikayah McBear and His Friends.’ The first replicas of Mikayah went to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Children’s Ward which brings me to explain why I am known as ‘The Bear Lady’ there.”
“In about 1984 I went into a toyshop in Lancashire, where I lived, and I was drawn to a lovely teddy bear, just a little larger than Smudge and I knew that I was to take that bear to the Children’s Ward of my local hospital which was not far from my home. I took it and left it with the nurses with the instruction that the child to whom they gave it was to take the bear home afterwards with him/her.”
“A week later I had a ‘phone call from the Ward Sister Snow, she said that her husband used to teach me history and she had called about the bear. I asked her if there was something wrong with it. She said there wasn’t but she had called to say that a child had been in a coma there for about six weeks and one of the nurses put the bear in the child’s arms and there was a slight movement and the little girl suddenly said, ‘Teddy’ and opened her eyes. Praise God!”
Claire with her latest book ‘Special Stories about Mikayah McBear and His
Friends.’
(Photographer Steve Matthews of
The Annandale Observer’)
“However that is not the end, there was a hiatus whilst I looked after my Mother, then when she passed on, The Lord brought me to Annan in 2000. One day I had an appointment at Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary and after it I went into the hospital shop and a little bear was looking at me from a shelf opposite, I bought it and asked the lady assistant if she would kindly take it for me to the Children’s Ward and I told her the story.
“Subsequently I bought another at the shop but the same lady suggested I take the next bear up to the ward myself and I have been taking bears there ever since when I have had the opportunity but now the bears come via a wholesaler so they are straight from the manufacturer and therefore in pristine condition. The nurses know me very well and have given me the title of ‘The Bear Lady’ which I regard as a great privilege and honor.”
Many of Claire Ollerton’s books are listed at www.amazon.com and if you would like to contact her, just send her an e-mail at info@steadfastministries.co.uk or write to: Ms. Claire Ollerton c/o Steadfast Ministries, PO Box 7409, Annan, SW Scotland, DG12 6YG.
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Dan Wooding, 73, is an award-winning journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 50 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and he hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States and around the world. He is the author of some 45 books, the latest of which is a novel about the life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother called “Mary: My Story from Bethlehem to Calvary”. (Click to order)
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<!–BYLINE:By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries–>