Page 46 - Blaze Bear
P. 46
Reprinted with the Kind Permission of Peter Fagan
December 1997
Almost three years after the serious bedroom fire that
destroyed and damaged so many teddy bears, a good
news story was being spread about a new character
bear phenomenon in the teddy bear world. The fire
had spawned the idea of a new bear when Peter and
Frances Fagan’s vintage collection of bears was smoke
damaged and their daughter Lucy’s bear collection was
destroyed in the fire that had started in her bedroom.
Initially Frances adopted a bear as her Fireman Blaze.
It was Bennington Bear. He soon gained popularity and
his fast growing reputation meant that he was an ideal
candidate to become the new Blaze Bear TM and later a
national mascot for the FSNBF before the name was
changed from FSNBF to FFC in 2008. Twenty one years
on many thousands of pounds would have been raised
with his help or in his name. Go Blaze Bear’s Team!
