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The popular children's song, Teddy Bears' Picnic, written in the early 20th century, is composer John Bratton's only enduring hit. Conjuring up images of friendly teddy bears having a big party in the woods, it started out as a musical score in 1907, with the lyrics being added almost three decades later.

Over the years, Teddy Bears' Picnic has been recorded by numerous artists - even the great Bing Crosby released a version in 1950. The lyrics have also been the basis for several films and a television series.

Composer's background

Back in 1907, Delaware-born John Bratton was a 40-year-old composer and theatrical producer, who had enjoyed moderate success during a period known as the Gay Nineties. This nostalgic American term described the 1890s, a decadent period marked by high society scandals, the witty plays and trial of Oscar Wilde and the start of the suffragette movement.

Bratton was a serious Tin Pan Alley composer - one of a group of theatricals in New York City who dominated the US music scene at the time. A student at the Philadelphia College of Music, he had become a baritone singer on finishing his studies and performed in stage musicals.

He became a songwriter to make extra money, teaming up with his friend, lyricist Walter Ford, to write and sell songs for $10 each. Although they made enough money to survive, they weren't well-known. They conceded their earlier song, Hats off to the Boys Who Made Good - a tribute to veterans of the Spanish–American War - was "terrible". Their songs, The Sunshine of Paradise Alley in 1895 and I Love You in the Same Old Way the following year were more successful.

Teddy Bears' Picnic was to change Bratton's life. Originally called Op103 when he wrote it in 1907, it was an instrumental that he decided not to add lyrics to, as it immediately became a best-seller on sheet music and was used in a number of silent films. It was the composer's biggest hit to date.

He went on to marry Broadway actress Dorothy Zimmerman in May 1907 and they had one daughter. Op103 remained popular up until Bratton's death, at the age of 80, in 1947.

Lyrics added

Op103 might have remained incidental background music for films, had it not been discovered by Northern Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy in 1932. The 30-year-old Omagh native made a living mainly by adding lyrics to existing instrumental music.

His career spanned more than 50 years, during which time he was a prolific artist, writing around 2,000 songs. More than 200 of them were hits around the world and 50 - including Teddy Bears' Picnic.

Timeless charm

Recorded by many artists over the years, starting with Henry Hall and the BBC Orchestra in 1932, the timeless charm of Kennedy's lyrics turned Teddy Bears' Picnic into a popular hit song. The lyrics told the tale of a big and important gathering of teddy bears, starting with the words: "If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise!"

The teddy bears' picnic was a chance for young bears who had been good to have lots of treats. It was a secret gathering that humans weren't supposed to know about, as the narrator added: "Beneath the trees, where nobody sees, they'll hide and seek as long as they please, that's the way the teddy bears have their picnic!"

Real-life bears

In real-life, bears live in the woods in many areas of Canada and the United States. Black and grizzly bears are the most common species in North America.

In July 2019, it was announced that a new UK wildlife conservation project was planned for Bear Wood in Bristol. It would see native bears and wolves co-existing in the woods for the first time in around 1,000 years.

The scheme, which is being coordinated by Bristol Zoological Society’s Wild Place Project, is aimed at giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like in the historic woods and forests that once covered much of the UK. European bears became extinct in the wild in Britain in medieval times.

Wolves, bears, lynxes and wolverines will be placed in a large, 10,000 square metre, wooded paddock. Members of the public will be able to observe them from a safe raised walkway. The idea is to segregate the animals initially, but over time allow them to share one paddock.

This will enable them to live naturally in the woods, as they would have done 1,000 years ago. The project is part of the great debate about "re-wilding schemes" in the UK.

If you go down in the woods today!

Although it's unlikely we'll be seeing wild bears loose in our woodlands just yet, there's plenty of wildlife that's well worth seeing. Take advantage of the summer weather and make sure you're suitably attired for your walk.