Merrythought facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Private limited company | |
| Industry | Toy manufacturer |
| Fate | Operating |
| Founded | Ironbridge (1930) |
| Founder | Gordon Holmes and George H. Laxton |
| Headquarters | Ironbridge, Shropshire |
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Area served
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Worldwide (principal markets: UK and Japan) |
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Key people
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Gordon, Trayton, Oliver, Sarah and Hannah Holmes |
| Products | Stuffed toys, notably teddy bears |
| Owner | Holmes family |
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Number of employees
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25 |
Merrythought is a company in the United Kingdom that makes toys. It started way back in 1930. They are famous for making soft toys, especially teddy bears.
Since 1930, Merrythought has handmade traditional teddy bears. They do this in Ironbridge, Shropshire, UK. This area is a special World Heritage Site.
The company's factory in Ironbridge has a small museum and a shop. You can visit them! This is also where the toys are made. The factory used to be an iron foundry (a place where metal is melted and shaped). It sits by the River Severn. This spot is very close to the famous Iron Bridge. The whole area is part of the wider Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.
No one is quite sure where the name "Merrythought" came from. It might be an old word for "wishbone". The company has used a wishbone as its symbol since 1930.
Contents
The History of Merrythought Bears
Merrythought was started in 1930 by Gordon Holmes and George H. Laxton. Their first toy catalogue came out in 1931. They hired talented people to help them. These included AC Janisch, who was good at sales. They also hired Clifton James Rendle and Florence May Attwood from another toy company. Florence Attwood created the first Merrythought catalogue. It showed 32 different toys, including the first Merrythought teddy bear called 'Magnet'.
One of Merrythought's most famous bears was "Mr Whoppit". This bear was the mascot for Donald Campbell. Donald Campbell was famous for breaking land and water speed records! Merrythought started making teddy bears based on the "Woppit" character from the Robin comic in 1956.
The company first rented rooms in Wellington. Then they moved to a building in Coalbrookdale. In February 1931, Merrythought found its permanent home in Ironbridge. The business grew very quickly, even during the Great Depression. By 1935, the Ironbridge factory was the biggest soft toy factory in Britain. By 1939, over 200 people worked there!
The company first rented its Ironbridge site. But they bought it in 1956. Merrythought has been at the same spot since 1931. The only time they left was during World War II. The Admiralty (the navy) took over the factory. They used it for making maps from September 1939. During the war, Merrythought made things for the war effort in Wellington. They returned to their Ironbridge factory in 1946.
Gordon Holmes's son, Trayton Holmes, joined the company in 1949. His son, Oliver Holmes, joined in 1972. Oliver later became the managing director. In 1957, the "Cheeky" bear was first made. This bear design is still produced today! In 1996, Merrythought bought the Farnell brand name. In 2001, they made a special Hope Bear. It helped raise money for the World Trade Center Disaster Fund.
In the 2000s, the company faced challenges. It was hard to compete with cheaper toys made in other countries. So, Merrythought stopped making many of its plush animals. They decided to focus on what they did best: traditional mohair teddy bears. These were the bears Merrythought was most famous for since the 1930s.
From 2007 to 2010, another company made the bears in the original factory. Merrythought Ltd only handled design and sales. But this didn't last long. In 2010, Merrythought brought all production back in-house. They still manage everything from Ironbridge, Shropshire. All Merrythought teddy bears are still 100% handmade in England!
Oliver Holmes passed away in 2011. His eldest daughter, Sarah, was working at Merrythought. She took over running the company. Her younger sister, Hannah, soon joined her. They are the fourth generation of the Holmes family to work in the company. Sarah and Hannah Holmes are now joint managing directors.
In 2011, Merrythought won an award from Fortnum & Mason. This is a famous luxury store in London. Merrythought also won the National Red Ribbon Family Business Award for Innovation. Sarah Holmes won an award for her 'Outstanding Contribution' to the business.
Merrythought Today
The company still uses old methods and materials. For example, they use mohair for their bears. They make a special range of handmade toys. These toys are for people who like high-quality, unique items. Oliver Holmes, the founder's grandson, ran the business until 2011. Now, his daughters, Sarah and Hannah Holmes, continue the family tradition. All four shareholders are members of the Holmes family.
Today, Merrythought mostly makes traditional and collectable teddy bears. This includes their special "Punkinhead" (from 1948) and "Cheeky" (from 1956) bears. They also make some other soft toy animals. Since 2007, they release many special designs. Each design is made in a small batch, usually 75 to 200 bears. New designs come out regularly.
They have made special bears for important events. These include the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. They also made bears for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Merrythought toys are sent all over the world. They are very popular in Japan. There's a "cult following" of Merrythought Bears there! The shop and museum at the Ironbridge factory are open every day. You can see old and new Merrythought products there for free.
Merrythought Village
Some parts of the Merrythought factory site are now rented out. Other businesses use these spaces. This is because Merrythought has become a smaller company. So, many factory buildings are now rented to other businesses. The whole area is now called the Merrythought Village. It has offices, workshops, and shops.
The Merrythought Village includes the Merrythought factory, museum, and shop. But it also has other businesses. These include Ironbridge Interiors and Ironbridge Fine Arts and Framing. The Ironbridge Brewery used to be there until 2014. A Co-op supermarket opened there in December 2014. The old name for the Merrythought site is the Dale End Works.
2012 Olympics Bears
Merrythought was chosen in 2011 to make the official teddy bears for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games! This was a big boost for the company. They created a range of special London 2012 Olympic Games Commemorative Teddy Bears. Each one was a Limited Edition of 2,012 bears. They also made bears for the Paralympic games and the British Olympic team. All these Olympic teddy bears were handmade at Merrythought's Ironbridge factory in England.
Special Edition Bears
The company often releases 'Special Edition bears'. These are usually made in limited numbers. In July 2013, they released a special bear for the UK Royal baby, Prince George.
Other members of the Royal Family own Merrythought bears. The Queen received a Merrythought corgi in 1952. Prince Charles was given a special hippo in 1982. The Queen Mother, Prince William, and Zara Phillips also have special Merrythought bears.
Another special edition was a 2004 Merrythought bear called 'Heathcliff'. Only 100 of these were made. They were unusual because they had black mohair instead of the usual gold color.
Gallery
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A limited edition "Henry" teddy bear, made in 2011 with brindle-grey hair
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An "Ironbridge Gold" teddy bear, one of the company's regular designs, made around 2010
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Iron railings with metal teddy bear heads, outside the "Merrythought Village"
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Another part of the teddy bear railings
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An outside view of some of the buildings at the Merrythought site
