Is this new? I don't remember seeing it, but perhaps I just didn't go to the right part of the zoo. I know that Winnie and Christopher Robin were real. Were there real Tigger, Kanga, and Roo too that were London Zoo residents?
I think most of the others were stuffed animals. This statue is quite recent, dating back to the 1990s and is in the Children's Zoo ('Animal Adventure'). This area also contains the Zoo's pair of Aardvarks
At the back of the Reptile House is a far older bear cub statue, which is pre WWII.. That stands at the entrance to the Mappin Terraces, where Winnie lived from 1914 until 1925. This is where AA Milne would pull rank as a Fellow to get his son behind the scenes so he could feed her condensed milk - but with a heavy iron door between bear and child.
Yes, the rather odd line-up of other creatures were based on Christopher Robin Milne's collection of soft toys. The classic Shepherd illustrations were based on the actual appearance of the toys.
Yes, the rather odd line-up of other creatures were based on Christopher Robin Milne's collection of soft toys. The classic Shepherd illustrations were based on the actual appearance of the toys.
Utter self-indulgence, but I couldn't resist posting this.
There are lions and roaring tigers,
and enormous camels and things,
There are biffalo-buffalo-bisons,
and a great big bear with wings.
There's a sort of a tiny potamus,
and a tiny nosserus too -
But I gave buns to the elephant
when I went down to the Zoo!
There are badgers and bidgers and bodgers,
and a Super-in-tendent's House,
There are masses of goats, and a Polar,
and different kinds of mouse,
And I think there's a sort of a something
which is called a wallaboo -
But I gave buns to the elephant
when I went down to the Zoo!
If you try to talk to the bison,
he never quite understands;
You can't shake hands with a mingo -
he doesn't like shaking hands.
And lions and roaring tigers
hate saying, "How do you do?" -
But I give buns to the elephant
when I go down to the Zoo!
My Mum was born in 1923, and London Zoo, at that time the greatest menagerie on earth, must have conveyed that sense of wonder to her on her annual visit. I still wonder if she ever saw the Zoo's last thylacine, which died in 1931.
Utter self-indulgence, but I couldn't resist posting this.
You can't shake hands with a mingo -
he doesn't like shaking hands.
My Mum was born in 1923, and London Zoo, at that time the greatest menagerie on earth, must have conveyed that sense of wonder to her on her annual visit. I still wonder if she ever saw the Zoo's last thylacine, which died in 1931.
I don't think that this is self-indulgence Ian. It is a special memory that explains your deep attachment and concern for the London Zoo.
Can somebody please explain what a mingo is in the context of this poem? The Google search popped up its use to refer to an American Indian tribe which I don't understand in relation to the zoo in the poem.
I don't think that this is self-indulgence Ian. It is a special memory that explains your deep attachment and concern for the London Zoo.
Can somebody please explain what a mingo is in the context of this poem? The Google search popped up its use to refer to an American Indian tribe which I don't understand in relation to the zoo in the poem.
I think that it's a small child's muddled memory of dingo (or olingo?). But there may have been outlying Native American settlements in Regent's Park at the time, for all I know...
