Countries, Europe, UK

German English anthems for the footy

Fur der Woche that’s in it Rainy days and Songdays celebrates German English anthems for the footy.

And no triumphalism here or throwbacks to the World Wars, just banging songs the British have taken to their hearts.

I’ll start off with a curve ball here with a prog rock concept act many outside Germany might not know.

To Be Or Not To Be

On the Elbe, Dresden

I’ll Call Thee Hamlet (Woods of Birnam): And you can’t get much more English than Shakespeare.

I caught these guys in Dresden where they were the headliners for the German Travel Mart.

And just for good measure Birnam lead singer Saxon Christian Friedel throws in a soliloquy.

Give a little whistle

Tear down that wall: Reagan said it about the Wall

The Scorpions (Winds of Change): The Hanover rockers’ biggest hit was adopted as the song of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Of course anyone who listens to the words beyond the opening whistling and before the chorus will know different.

And who says a song can’t have an unintended journey and follows the Moskva down to Gorky Park… and onto Berlin.

Did you ever think that we could be so close like brothers?

Model craft

Der Fab Four:

Kraftwerk (Das Model): And the Dusseldorf kings of synth pop who did wonders for the image of the German fraulein.

And also cornered the market in Tour de France music.

Da Da, Ja, Ja

And then there was three.

Trio (Da Da Da): And if learning a language was only this easy.

The rest from this Grossenkneten is German and our translator reveals it is staple pop fare boy loves/doesn’t love girl.

Ja, we know, Da, Da, Da.

Up, up and away…

Nena (Neunundneunzig Luftballons): And this Eurovision banger is one of those rare songs that is just as good in its native language and English.

And of course, there will be English red balloons to greet the home side tomorrow.

North Rhine-Westphalian Nena’s song is thd best of the German English anthems for the footy and no mistake.

And to misquote Nena although it will be her sentiment…

This is it, boys… this ain’t war.

 

America, Asia, Countries, Culture, Europe, UK

Teddy Bears’ window to the world

Every bear that ever there was… is in somebody’s window.

And the children of my neighbourhood are checking them off in an Easter hunt.

Of course we have a ‘hug’, or ‘Roosevelt’ of teddies, if either if those is the collective noun, vying for space on our window sills.

We all know that the bear was named after the-then US American President.

Who refused to shoot a tethered bear in Mississippi.

 

A Lara, Lara love

The home of the Blues and Elvis and Medgar Evers, it truly is the state that keeps on giving The Promised Land, The story of the Blues and The King of Kings

But it’s news to me that Richard Steiff from Berlin https://www.visitberlin.de/en has a counter claim to Brooklyn, New York www.nycvb.com Morris Michtom as the inventor of the bear.

All of which silly, willy, nilly all stuffed with fluff is just an excuse…

To talk about my favourite bear Winnie The Pooh (don’t tell Paddy) and other Teddy Bears around the world.

Bear with us here. http://www.teddybearmuseum.co.uk/the-museum

First port of call is the Teddy Bear Museum https://www.teddybearmuseum.co.uk/the-museum in Dorchester, Dorset which is 30 years old this year.

First opened in 1990 as The Bournemouth Bears it moved to Dorchester five years later and is Britain’s oldest Teddy Bear museum.

We’re told that Edward Bear (his Sunday name) will welcome you.

And that you will be treated to a range of vintage bears.

From the earliest prototypes by The Ideal Toy Company.

As well as Steiff, Farnell, Merrythought, Deans, Chiltern, vintage Chad Valley and many others.

Including Winnie the Pooh, Rupert, Paddington, his Aunt Lucy and Sooty.

Furs and stripes

In America where Teddy was born the best place to go is Morris’s adopted New York State (he was born a Russian Jew).

And The Den of Marbletown, Kingston, Ulster County. Visit https://www.syracuse.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/03/eb88eaf1a6864/have-you-heard-of-the-teddy-bear-museum-in-the-hudson-valley.html.

Teddy Bears’ Tea Party

Owned and operated by Nan and Steve Ferri it boasts more than 5,000 Steiff teddy bears and animals, Madame Alexander dolls, Barbie dolls, and hand-carved wooden toys.

WunderBear

Of course if you’re a Steiff fan the best place to go is the Steiff Museum in Berlin https://www.steiff.com/de-de/steiff-shop-outlet#.

And here purists may baulk at it but as well as the Steiff bears there is Disney and Harry Potter merchandising here too.

Now Germans are known for their efficiency so just a detour here to flag up the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg https://www.miniatur-wunderland.de.

Catch of the day

Big in Japan

Back to the bears and the Japanese who are a soppy bunch too and daft as brushes have the Izu Teddy Bear Museum in Ito, Shizuoka.

My Japanese needs some brushing up.

But take a look at these pictures and when you’re next in the Land of the Rising Sun catch http://www.teddynet.co.jp/izu/. Also visit https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/.

Thai high Teddies

As a qualified Tedologist I’m obviously all over the Teddy Bear Museum Pattaya in Thailand http://Teddy Bear Museum Pattaya, Thailand. And see https://www.tourismthailand.org.

And Pattaya is a world of wonders.

With zones throughout including a China, Europe, Dinosaur, Inca, Underwater and Space Super Hero among others.