I met the original Fozzie Bear Today............

[Kermieuk]

Hi Guys,

Today, Wed 22nd March I actually got to fullfill one of my life long ambitions.

I actually met Fozzie Bear.

As a huge fan and collector of the muppets all my life I always wanted to see an actual 'real' Muppet Puppet. Today I did!

I went to The Teddy Bear Museum in Stratford-On-Avon in UK. It is a small place about the size of a small house. On entering there is a bear gift shop, nothing Muppets there. You pay your £2.95 entrance fee and go through a door. Up some stairs there are hundreds of teddy bears, posed like there having a picnic etc. Then there are glass cabinets with The famous Bears. Bears owned by The Queen, Barbera Cartland, and many more. Up stairs again, glass cabinets line either side with 'famous Bears' there the original Sooty Puppet, The original Nooky Bear, a stand on Rupert, Tony Blairs Bear, Mr Beans (Rown Atkinson) Bear, Paddington,and Pooh. You leave this area to another random Teddy display. You then turn the last corner to head down the last flight of stairs, on standing on the top stair you look straight in front of you, and there on a small shelf sits the Original 1976 Fozzie Bear Puppet as used in Season 1 of The Muppet Show. This for me was amazing to actually see a 'real' Muppet. Not only that but he was not behind glass and standing beneath him, I was able to hold his hand!!
He is by no means the attractive Fozzie Bear we all know and love, after all he has been used and is now, like me, 30 years old. The stuffing has gone from his nose, his eyes are discolored and scratched and his neck tie is yellowed. But it is still Fozzie Bear. On looking at him and holding his hand, I thought of all the people who he links to, Frank Oz, Jim performing the right hand, all The guests that this particular Fozzie encountered in Series 1, it was very overwhelming. Fozzie was given to the museum in 1988 by Jim Henson.

NO PHOTOGRAPHY is allowed in the museum, however on leaving I did see a postcard of Fozzie from the museum. Here he is.........

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/KERMIE1/DSC00030.jpg

If you are ever get chance to go to Stratford-On-Avon, pop to the bear museum and cease this fantastic oppurtunity. Be warned though, the hardest thing is leaving without taking him home with you!!

As Im on holiday this week, Im heading to Cornwall tomorrow to see the Lighthouse used in the opening of the UK version of Fraggle Rock.

Cheers

Chris

 

[Daylight]

Wow! That sounds like an amazing experience. I'd love to see a real Muppet in person. Next time I visit my relatives in the UK, I'll have to try and go there. Thanks so much for the story and the photo.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Congratulations and thank you for the picture link

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

congrats

 

[janicegroupie]

Very cool! I know that's one of my dreams in life to see a real Muppet in person. Congrats on acheiving every Muppet's fan dream!

 

[Pug Lover]

That is so cool.It's always fascinating to actually see a real muppet.I remember back in the summer of 1988,while touring the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC,I saw one of the original Kermit muppets on display in an exhibit called"A Nation of Nations".Except Kermit was behind glass so you couldn't touch him.But that was my first time ever seeing a real muppet in person.

 

[superboober]

Interesting to see how long his neck really is

 

[puppetise]

um did u bring a bag to smuggle him nah kidding but i would personaly be tempted

 

[MWoO]

Wow thats pretty cool. And the placed him a the end of the museum which is perfect. Best for last. Considering the age of the puppet, he looks pretty good.

 

[muppetperson]

That Fozzie looks strange!!!His head looks too small for his body.Season 1 Fozzie had the wide grin expression that was motorised.This puppet doesnt seem to have the season 1 features?How was Fozzie set up?Was he a half puppet or legs attached?Was he proped up on something or just slouched on the spot?In a way it's great that you can touch him, but in the long run, it will ruin him.Imagin kids trying to poke his eyes and the dust that will get to him.