Do We Have Any Winnie The Pooh Fans Here?
By Darkwing
@Darkwing (21583)
February 12, 2007 7:35pm CST
A. A. Milne, who wrote Winnie the Pooh, set his stories in woodland, in a place called Hartfield, which is in East Sussex. I live in West Sussex and Hartfield is not too far away, so my grandchildren often ask to go over to Pooh Country. When you arrive in the village, there is a shop called Pooh Corner, which sells all sorts of Pooh souvenirs, ornaments, colouring and notebooks, pencils, pens, trinkets, soft Pooh toys; just about everything you can think of to do with Winnie the Pooh. Down a few stairs, there is a small cafeteria where you can buy a cup of tea and a light snack, as well as ice cream in cones with teddy bears on them. You can also sit out in the garden, at picnic tables to drink your tea and eat your ice cream.
In the shop, you can buy Pooh Sticks, little sticks for racing under the bridge and the Pooh characters did in the books. Then, you take your sticks, walk a little way down the street and you come to some woods. You can walk right through the woods, to a little lane which leads way down into the valley, and Pooh Bridge. This is truly a magical place in May, when all the bluebells are out in the woodland beside the track, and bluebells and wood anemones on the banks of the stream. Adults and kids alike crowd the bridge, Pooh Sticks in hand, toss them into the water, then run to the other side, to see whose comes through first. This is a game that Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and co. used to play! lol.
I've seen American tourists wandering down with their Pooh Sticks and a large, soft Pooh Bear under their arms. It's a really magical place, and you can see what inspired A.A. Milne to write the stories. On the opposite side of the road to the woods you first walk through, is expansive heathland. There is a picnic area on this heath, which was also used in the books.
I love this place, and so do my grandchildren. I think people of all ages will ever be coming to Pooh Country. Have you ever been, or would you like to visit Pooh Country and Pooh Bridge? What do you think of the Winnie the Pooh story books and which is your favourite character?
11 people like this
52 responses
@lifeiseasy (2292)
• United States
13 Feb 07
i think you have missed your calling there my friend ...lol you should be employed there to write about Pooh Country... you have made a place come alive for me ...never heard of Pooh Country and now I am wanting to take my little one there to see it, she would love it ...she loves tigger and he is my favorite too ...lol
watch out Disney World sounds like Pooh Country is in the running for the next hottest magical place in the world ...sounds like so much fun to viist and see it all ...I have no plans to go , to far away for me ...but maybe you can upload some photos for all of us to see that would be wonderful ...winnie the pooh books are still the best around !!!
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
13 Feb 07
Awwww, thank you Life. You've given me an idea for my next hub, where I do my writing. :-)
There aren't any characters in Pooh Country as such. It's all in the places which are in the books, and where your imagination takes you. If you've watched the movies and tv series, you can go to those places and let your imagination run wild. Pooh Bridge is there though. They've refurbished it recently, but with the Pooh Corner Shop, you can get your characters and take them with you to these places... sort of build the magic yourself. My Granddaughters love going there, and there's no charge except for what you buy in the shop. It's just like a historical setting, where A.A. Milne sat and wrote his books.
Thank you for your response, and Brightest Blessings. Just so you know what it is when it arrives, I think I might send you an invite to my Hub Fan Club. :-)
1 person likes this
@lifeiseasy (2292)
• United States
13 Feb 07
thanks that was awesome ...loved the little brigde ..that was better than pics ...lol
@Bizziebod (3497)
•
13 Feb 07
Hi Darkwing, I didn't even know this place existed. I knew of Winnie the Pooh but just thought it was all fictitious. You learn something new everyday! Well if I'm ever in the area then I will be sure to throw a Pooh stick in the river at Pooh Bridge! Brightest Blessings!
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
13 Feb 07
Hi Bizzie! The stories were fictitious, from A.A. Milne, but Hartfield is where he leaved, and the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh Bridge and every other place in the books, is real. Apparently, the stories were based on a real bear cub, which A. A. Milne encountered in a zoo near Winnipeg. Hence the name Winnie. I found that quite interesting to hear. lol.
Here's a URL I looked up for somebody else, if you would like to take a look at what it's like...
http://www.pooh-country.co.uk/
Thank you for your response, my friend, and brightest blessings.
@gwenmari1029 (1481)
• Philippines
13 Feb 07
ever since i saw winnie the pooh, i got attracted to him already. whenever i get the chance, i would collect items of this character. pooh is such a cute being :) among all the character of the book, i love pooh the most. he is such a lovable creature among his friends.
if i could go visit Pooh country, i would. i'd really like to see this place and experience being in a place like this. if i won't be able to go to the Pooh country, i'll be satisfied even if I can just go visit hongkong disneyland (because it has also a pooh land here :)
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
13 Feb 07
Hi Gwenmari!
Yes, Winnie the Pooh certainly stays in your heart, as do all his friends. Pooh Country is not a theme park, like Disneyland, but it still has the magic and dreams. I gave a URL in the previous response, so if you would like to do a tour of Pooh Country, you would do well to visit that.
Thank you for your response and Brightest Blessings.
@tecklebuggg (209)
• United States
13 Feb 07
How truly beatiful it sounds! My daughter is 27 and has EVERYTHING pooh! It started when she was very small, I decorated her nursery all in pooh. she has kept it all, sadly she has no children to pass it on to, but it brings her much joy. I would love to purchase her something unique one day from " pooh land". that would make her incredibly happy! Maybe a pooh stick, i know she has none. Maybe i can find one online. THANKS FOR THE IDEA!
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
13 Feb 07
I'm so glad you liked it Tecklebuggg. There certainly is a place online, where you can browse and buy! Here is the URL for Pooh Corner... I looked it up for you!
http://www.pooh-country.co.uk/
In this site, you can tour Pooh Country, join the Pooh Corner Club and get the news and directions for the place. Have fun browsing.
Thank you for your lovely response and Brightest Blessings. I'm sure you'll find something unique in the shop.
@tecklebuggg (209)
• United States
13 Feb 07
Thank you! I was hoping you would have an idea! God bless.
@mel_87 (856)
•
13 Feb 07
i love winnie the pooh i would love to go there it sounds fantastic iv had so many teddy bears and pictures of winnie the pooh i didnt even know anywhere like that was about i will have to try and make it there one day maybe me and mum could go lol winni the pooh is a great character for kids and adults
@Darkwing (21583)
•
13 Feb 07
Hi Mel. Well, it's not out of your reach, but maybe you'd like to take a look at the website first. There aren't any characters there. It's where A. A. Milne lived and dreamed and wrote his stories. All the places that are in the books, are in that area. Here's the URL. You can take a tour and a browse around the shop on here.
http://www.pooh-country.co.uk/
Have fun with it... thank you for your response and brightest blessings.
1 person likes this
@freak369 (5113)
• United States
14 Feb 07
One of my boys was a huge Pooh fan. His very first backpack was a fluffy Pooh and it went everywhere with him. I started reading the stories to him when he was only two and he caught on quick. He liked the movies but to him there was nothing better than climbing up on my lap and reading with me. Out of all the characters, Pooh was always the best. Me, I think that they are all great characters and they each have their own personality.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
13 Feb 07
I had never heard of Pooh Country, but it certainly sounds like a wonderful place to visit! ^_^
I loved the Winnie the Pooh stories. My favorite character was always Tigger, because he's orange (orange is my favorite color) and happy and bouncy, lol! I also like Rabbit, even though he had almost the exact opposite personality to Tigger. My mother's favorite is Eeyore, aw. I always wished that I could cheer Eeyore up, the poor thing! Could any creature sound more down in the dumps?
@Darkwing (21583)
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14 Feb 07
I go with your mother, Shywolf! Eeyore is my favourite too. Yes, he is down in the dumps most of the time... nay, all of the time, but perhaps that alone brings out the maternal instinct in us. lol.
I like owl too. He's great!
Thank you for your response Shywolf, and brightest blessings to you.
@poohandchocolate (348)
• United States
19 Feb 07
I am a HUGE Pooh fan. I have been for years now. I have never heard of a Pooh country. That sounds so cool. I have to go there one day. I read that Pooh is based on a real bear named winnepeg. It was a female bear and she was black too. Winnie the pooh name came from the name winnepeg. I know there's a pooh land in disneyland but this sounds so interesting and cool. I'm not familiar with Hartfield or East Sussex. Where is this exactly?? Thank you for sharing this.
@Darkwing (21583)
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20 Feb 07
I see you're from the States, Poohandchocolate. Hartfield is in East Sussex, which is in the south of England. It's not a theme park, it's the countryside in which A. A. Milne wrote the Pooh Stories, and contains all the spots where the characters used to go, such as Hundred Akre Wood, Pooh Bridge and Roo's Sandpit. It's beautiful countryside, and there is a site where you can see what it is like, if you care to have a look around. The URL is...
http://www.poohcountry.co.uk
Enjoy, and thank you for your contribution. I would never have known you were a huge Pooh fan, lol.
@poppoppop111 (5731)
• Canada
13 Feb 07
i never seem to know when winnie the pooh plays on tv, i personally can't stand the show but my daughter likes it. she has 2 video's but we don't watch it too much.
1 person likes this
@bicklelady (1404)
• United States
14 Feb 07
I think Winnie the pooh is one of the best stories for all ages. There was a ride I rode on at magic kingdom that was all about winnie the pooh. It was great.
1 person likes this
@shaneomac00 (6)
• Canada
13 Feb 07
I watched show and seen all the movies as a tot but clearly grew out of that phase. It wasn't until I saw my girlfriend's bedroom at the time did I realize how much of an epidemic it was. Wall to wall of Pooh memorbelia and sadly, my apprecation for the bear and friends grew the more time I spent with her. I don't think his popularity is going to dwindle anytime soon.
1 person likes this
@kittyloki (140)
• United States
13 Feb 07
even I'm an adult I love Winnie the pooh :D The book and movies are great. My daughter isn't even two months yet and she loved tigger. Rabbit is my fav character.
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
13 Feb 07
I think a lot of us are adults, Kittyloki. lol. Pooh stays in our hearts until we're old, I'm sure and we love to pass him on to our children.
Rabbit's a different favourite. I think you're the first to name him.
Thank you for your response and brightest blessings.
@sharon613 (2321)
• United States
13 Feb 07
After being an ex cast member at Disney, one of my favorite character happens to be winnie the pooh.
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@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
13 Feb 07
I never heard of this place before-- I love Pooh.. I call my daughter Pooh (She's 10 now). We own all of the big characters--
Pooh Country sounds wonderful-- I would love to take my daughter there.. Nope I've never been... How fun it would be to play Pooh sticks..
Pooh is my favorite charcater because he's so cuddly and a great friend.
My daughter loves Tigger the best-- Because he's so much fun and jumpy!
I'm certainly going to put this on my places to go list-- and soon before my "pooh" grows up and doesn't want to come along.
Thanks for the great post!!
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