Duns has Jim Clarke and Duns Scotus, Paxton its connections with 'Sweet Robin Adair' but Hutton is now thrust open the world stage by its association with the Fighting, Drinking Smoking Bear: Voytek; who has his own website at:
http://www.voytekbear.com/

The world medja from the Washington Post, Al Jazeera,Musings from the Merse, BBC, Daily Mail to our own Berwickshire News have been full of his exploits about to be further immortalised in a book by local (Eyemouth) school teacher Garry Paulin. The Hutton connection (claims this week is being pushed by the indefatigable Mrs Aileen Orr (SNP- as the Berwickshire labels her) who has been in touch with Holywood over a possible movie and also with Prince Charles and his two lads who are apparently Voytek buffs having seen the exhibit about the bear in the Imperial War Museum. Mrs O is campaigning for a national monument to mark the Scottish connection-and according to her and more locally : "myself and others have used our own money to finance a monument in Winfield Camp (where the Polish contingent of which Voytek was a member were stationed during the war)and I think Hutton Village Hall committee are keen to have some sort of plaque on their building"

Well there we go. Hutton and its own celeb. Wingfield Aerodrome (a bit disused) and Hutton Village Hall will be another two points of interest on the Hutton Tourist Trail so long sought after by the Hutton Think Tank (Media and Natural Resources section)Perhaps in slower time the Voytek Museum, the Big Bear Trail Much more exciting than following Paxton Ted around the grounds of Paxton House)-it might even lead to the reopening of the old pub: The Hairy Arms (or in tribute to modern phone help lines : The Bear With Me)celebrating that feature of the Polish Soldier Bear seen in this illustration from the website-seemingly shaking small change (and fag ends?) out of a comrade on its way to the NAAFI.

Some killjoy has suggested that it is most politically incorrect to promote as a role model a Fighting Drinking Smoking character:

'The Peaceful,teetotal non smoking Bear' lacks something.
Doesn't it?

Labels: Hutton, Voytek

  ¶ 9:41 AM