Family of polar bears join the festivities at Stratford's Victorian Christmas Market

A family of animatronic polar bears were unveiled as the latest addition to Stratford’s Victorian Christmas Markets on Thursday 9th December, with three local children given the honour of naming them.

The family of three polar bears were revealed by Mayor Kevin Taylor outside the former Debenham’s building on Bridge Street after he officially opened the annual event.

Nell, Honey Tot and Grouchy Grandpa were the names chosen by Millie Smith, 7, Ted Lowe, 4, and Millie Lowe, 8, after the three local schoolchildren won a competition to put a name to the three furry faces.

Mayor Kevin Taylor said: “These three polar bears are a fantastic new attraction to our Victorian Market, and it was amazing to see the kids’ faces light up when they saw them for the first time. We love the names the three children chose, and the bears will be a wonderful addition to our subsequent markets.

“It was great to see so many people out enjoying the market after the pandemic forced us to cancel last year. We hope all our visitors enjoyed saying hello to the polar bears and experiencing the market once again.”

The funding for Stratford Town Council to purchase the bears came from the Welcome Back Fund from the European Regional Development Fund, with Shakespeare’s England managing the programme and awarding funds.

Glyn Slade, Welcome Back Event Manager from Shakespeare’s England, added: “The polar bears took pride of place at the market this year, and having a competition with local schoolchildren to name them was a great way of getting people engaged.

“They’re a lovely addition to the market and we hope they will make plenty of reappearances in the years to come.”