THERE'S a lady in Scotland who buys teddy bears for her new born grandchildren. Every time another baby's born, she calls Kate Atkinson and asks her to make another bear.

So far Kate has made 13 for the same lady - all in the family tartan.

Kate's shop, Bears and Crafts, is easy to find. Just drive into Carrville near Durham and look for the four foot teddy bear, Van Gogh, standing on the doorstep. Inside, tucked in a corner, Kate sits - blissfully happily - making teddy bears. After years as nurse, child minder, foster parent and warden for the elderly, she has found her true vocation.

"I started making soft toys for my own two girls and for the children I looked after. Then I made them for friends, then I started doing craft fairs. Then one day I made a teddy bear and that was it. I was smitten."

Her bears are splendidly happy, all with smiley faces. And, daft though it may be, it's impossible not to smile back. "Once I started making bears I gradually gave up on the soft toys. I mean, once you've made one Peter Rabbit, all the others are just the same. But each teddy bear is different. They're real individuals with their own character."

She opened the shop two and a half years ago. Part of it is given over to displaying the jewellery, paintings, glass and items made by other local craftsmen. But there are also a lot of bears. There are cuddly mohair bears, corduroy bears, flowery, felt and velvet bears. "You can't make two bears the same, because the fabric dictates a lot of their characteristics."

Some very posh bears have been made out of people's old sheepskin jackets and fur coats, which is a novel twist on recycling. There's even a bear in some rather strange modern material that makes him look faintly leopard-like. But each one has a smile - of course - and a fashionable little stud in one ear, with Kate's initials on.

They are also tough. "A teddy bear isn't just a toy for a little while. These have to least at least fifty years." The hand-made felt, used for some, is apparently so tough that historically it was used for armoured waistcoats as it was strong enough to deflect arrows. A bear has to be prepared.

Despite the lady in Scotland, most teddy bears are bought by adults for other adults, or even for themselves.

"Well, it takes you back to your childhood, doesn't it?" says Kate, who is soft, but not sentimental, about bears. "They're safe and friendly and very tactile, made to be cuddled. And, of course, they're perfect for talking to."

Although she has a stock of bears ready and waiting for new owners, most are made to order. A bear takes three days to make, but there's always a waiting list, so don't leave it till the last minute if you want one for a special occasion. Hand-made by Kate Atkinson means you can't just speed up the production line.

And what's another week when your bear will be with you for fifty years.

* Bears plus Crafts, 95 High Street, Carrville, Durham.Tel: 0191 383 9615. www.bearspluscrafts.com

Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 9.0am-5.0pm; Sat 9.0am-4pm. Hand-made bears from around £35. Also stocks jewellery, paintings, glassware, wood carvings, rag dolls, toys and other work made by local craftspeople and artists.