Merrythought - Home of the classic English teddy bear The story of Merrythought began in 1930 when Gordon Holmes, owner of a mohair spinning mill in Yorkshire, recognised an opportunity to make beautiful soft toys from this special fleece. His ambition was to create the very finest teddy bears, that would be cherished by children and adults for years to come. Gordon discovered a beautiful brick foundry building in the heart of Shropshire, and with the help of a small team of skilled local seamstresses, Merrythought was born. The original workshop remains our home to this day; an enchanting place where each soft toy is expertly brought to life using luxury materials and traditional craftsmanship that has been handed down the four generations of our family business. Only soft toys of the highest quality are allowed to carry the trusted Merrythought label. We therefore ensure the utmost care and attention to detail in everything that we do, right down to the hand-embroidered nose and delightful smile that gives each teddy bear their own personality. A Merrythought is not just a teddy bear, but an exquisite piece of British heritage and a loyal companion through life.