PEOPLE had a chance to catch up with the bear necessities of life amid the pre-Christmas rush.
Artist Michael Quinlyn-Nixon took his work to a craft fair at the headquarters of Durham County Cricket Club, in Chester-le-Street.
Mr Quinlyn-Nixon, from Consett, is well-known among collectors for his illustrations of teddy bears and British wildlife, particularly red squirrels, as well as more exotic creatures such as giraffes.
He was educated at Tanfield Comprehensive School, Stanley, Derwentside College, in Consett, New College Durham, and Cumbria College of Art and Design, in Carlisle.
Mr Quinlyn-Nixon, whose card and calendar business, Bear-a-Thought, is based at Prudhoe, Northumberland has held several successful exhibitions throughout the country.
Visitors to the fair, on Sunday, were able to buy 2004 calendars featuring paintings and drawings of teddy bears autographed by the artist.
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