The school bear that likes to roam has visited 45 countries around world
A travelling teddy bear has returned from an exciting encounter on a warship in the Middle East – just the latest trip in a long-running round-the-world journey.
For 10 years the much-loved brown bear of St Alban's Primary School in West Leigh has spent the summer holidays travelling the globe with pupils and teachers – clocking up more than 78,000 miles in the process.
And this summer six year-old Emma Livings took him all the way to Bahrain to visit her father Iain Jones, 47, who is a Royal Naval Reserve lieutenant stationed on the warship HMS Atherstone, a minehunter based in the Gulf.
Alban Bear has clocked up thousands of miles during his jet-setting life, globetrotting with pupils and teachers to exotic places such as Ghana, Australia, Disneyland in Florida, New York and Dubai.
St Alban's headteacher Alice Wood said: 'He's a very well travelled little fellow, we reckon going to Bahrain mean's he's up to 45 countries now.'
But this latest trip in August was especially exciting for Emma, from Horndean, who got to take Alban Bear on to the bridge of the ship and was invited by its commanding officer, Lt Cdr Chris Nelson, to try his chair.
Mum Naomi Livings, 33, said, 'St Alban's is a church of England school, so going to Bahrain was a great chance for Emma and Alban Bear to experience first hand a Muslim country.
'It's especially poignant as we were there during their holy month of Ramadan.
'The school has strong naval connections with three other dads of children in Emma's class in the navy too.'
Lt Jones was an accountant until he was called up to go to Iraq in February and the Gulf in June. His wife – who uses her maiden name – said: 'It was hard for Emma to get used to at first but she has settled down now.
'Although we are in contact on the phone and email it was so nice to see him in person for a week.'
HMS Atherstone is based in the Gulf for up to two years, while the Portsmouth-based crews rotate, spending five to eight months in the Gulf.
The ship, which has a crew of 45, uses highly sophisticated sonar equipment to find underwater hazards that might be dangerous to shipping.
Emma and her mum will be standing on the dock in Old Portsmouth waving to welcome the ship back home when she returns next year.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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