I keep forgetting their names so here is a page about the soft toys that Virginia and I have, and a short biography for each. The soft toys are part of our household, taking part in Christmas and starring in one of my gamelets.

Beatrice was got as a present for my mother on our cruise to the Baltics with Dad in 2011. After my mother died in 2012 we gave Beatrice a home. As Beatrice is dressed for sea voyages we have taken her with us on later cruises.

Virginia got Benjamin who is a smaller version of Sebastian from a Post Office

Virginia has had several Chocoholics parties at our house, apart from chocolates one of the items on sale was Daisy. She's a soft toy containing a bag you can heat up in a microwave, then snuggle up to in bed.

Figment was my mother's souvenir of seeing the magical original Journey into the Imagination at EPCOT. Over time Disney changed the rides to be rollercoasters.

Fleur we got from a Butlins shop on one visit to Spring Harvest.

Decades ago Virginia's mother worked at the Central News Agency department store in Durban South Africa. One Christmas promotion involved the Bentley bears, available for a lot less if you spent a certain amount. Virginia's mother leveraged this promotion to give her daughters each a bear. Hamilton was originally called Bentley but that name wasn't really suitable. So Hamilton he became. Hamilton has been through the washing machine once because he got dirty, and still suffers trauma as a result.

Helena was a gift from Virginia's sister Justine.

Horton came out of a box of tea bags as a promotion for Horton Hears a Who!.

Katie is a kiwi I brought back from a trip to New Zealand.

Keeley is a koala I brought back from an antipodean trip. She spent her formative years sealed in a tin can, but harbours no resentment for it.

At my work one team I was on each got given a puffin soft toy as part of a team building exercise. Oswald was the puffin I got.

Peter Junior was toynapped from a hotel Virginia and I stayed at. He was in our room to start with, so we took him as a souvenir. The hotel probably thought he got lost somewhere.

Rachel was a gift from Virginia's sister Justine.

It was Virginia's last working day before Christmas at Addenbrookes Hospital, and Ralphie was on a money off sale at the Stock Shop, and Virginia had a staff discount.

Rhys we got as a result of buying a copy of Bolt.

Virginia used to work at Careforce in Waterbeach. People used to come round Careforce regularly trying to sell books. One time not only was it books on offer but also large soft toy tigers. So Sebastian joined the household. He reminds me of a jigsaw Virginia did.