Hi there, does anyone remember the massive stuffed polar bear that used to hang out in the museum. The one that was stood on all fours and not the one that later appeared (much smaller) which i think was stood in an upright posture.

I remember been shown the bear as a young boy and thinking how threadbare it looked. Is it still in the museum archives or has it disappeared along with those fancy park gates??

Do you remember the bullet hole the bear had?

I remember the bear - and the life-size wrestlers revealing a
tuft or two of pubic hair to the goggling and giggling kids-and the bees in the see-through plastic hive.
But the strangest thing was the Viking sword which one of the pupils at Pomona St County school had fished out of a river in
Lincolnshire.He was swinging it round the schoolyard until a
teacher took it from him and thought it wasn't your Woolworth's
toy.I think the sword is still on display.

im sure i saw it in the bushes when i was hanging around there the other night.:D

I'd love to get a photo of the bear Laney, maybe you could go into the bushes and flush him out and I could get a shot off as he makes a run for it. :lol:

The Polar bear stood near the entrance of the museum and i also remember the wrestlers.
Not sure if thety took it away when refurbs started at the museum a couple a years ago.

Think the museum's closed till 2004 or maybe after that, can't remember to be honest.
Chloé

Was it a polar bear? I thought it was just an ordinary brown bear.

No a Polar Bear upon all fours bearing (pun) its teeth.

But there was a bear stood upon it's hind legs upon some rocks. If I recall it was near to the mummies and a replica of the mammoth tusk found at Woodhouse Mill.

a couple of years back i took the kids to the museum.i asked about the polar bear and was told it was in storage down stairs.it was almost thread bare ( not FRED BEAR ) with all the kids that had climbed on its back.and it did have bullet holes in it.

Both the bear and the two fighters.
also the musty smell of the place.

I definately remember the bear from a school visit to the museum in the early seventies. I recall being genuinely surprised by the sheer size of the beast. It was definately a Polar Bear rather than any other variety, i.e Grizzly, Teddy etc.

The polar bear which stood on all-fours, rather than the littler one which stood on its hind legs was getting threadbare and extremely "sad-looking", when I was a child, in the 60's/70/s.

I do remember feeling rather cheated, however, when that polar bear "went" and was replaced, about 20 yrs ago, with the "upright" polar bear.

Now, the Japanese sumo-wrestlers were amazing! They really are something else!!

They used to scare the bejasus out of me, they were so lifelike. I have heard tell that originally, when they were first put on display, they were naked, in all their anatomically-correct glory...(coff!)

I was astounded by the attention to detail that their creator had put into them, right down to the individually inserted hairs on their arms and legs. It is amazing to think that they are carved wood!

I am really looking forward to experiencing the re-vamped museum, with my grandchildren. I have been part of the committee which looked into the best materials to use, and how to make displays so that everyone, whatever their ability or disability, can benefit, from the experience and enjoy the exhibits.

PT

I think I remember a gorilla skeleton alongside a human skeleton
in a glass case. stood near to the Polar bear.

Originally posted by Jon
Do you remember the bullet hole the bear had?

Yes. I still have the scar.

Does anyone know if the old Polar Bear will be part of the new museum exhibits ? It would be nice to see the old boy/girl and say hello.:)

Originally posted by laney
im sure i saw it in the bushes when i was hanging around there the other night.:D

No, that was me in the bushes. I was dressed up for a bet. :)

Hi there, does anyone remember the massive stuffed polar bear that used to hang out in the museum. The one that was stood on all fours and not the one that later appeared (much smaller) which i think was stood in an upright posture.

I remember been shown the bear as a young boy and thinking how threadbare it looked. Is it still in the museum archives or has it disappeared along with those fancy park gates??

Yes I remember it well! I also recall my father terrifying a child who had accopmanied us to the museum when he did his best ventriliquist act saying (pretending to be the bear's voice) Hello little boy through gritted teeth.

The museum has been closed for refurbishment for a couple of years now but I visted shortly before is closure and the bear still took pride of place!!

Does anyone recall the figurines of the two Japanese Wrestlers that were housed within a glass cabinet?

Those wrestlers used to terrify me !!!!!

Don't know if anyone is interested but the Museum (http://www.sheffieldgalleries.org.uk/westonpark/index.html)
is due to re open this year.