Panda, British, 1930s

Small, stiff-limbed teddy bear representing a panda, made from mohair with a soft (wool?) stuffing. The bear has brown plastic eyes, its mouth and nose have been picked-out in black cotton thread.

Given by Lionel Hemsley

Purchased for Lionel Hemsley in about 1938 by his Swiss au pair, Georgette, who also bought him a souvenir skull cap from Switzerland (see B.14-2106). He named it Panda. Mr Hemsley gave it to the Museum in 2016 [2016/575].

Lionel Hemsley was born in September 1932, at home in Shirley, near Croydon. He was the second child, with a sister, Coral, who was 15 months older. His father was in the Air Force and his mother (maiden name Potter) did not work. Lionel’s first school was Miss Miles’s small private day school, in a house in a nearby street.

The Hemsley family were on holiday when War was declared in September 1939, and the children were sent to the Cotswolds. Lionel attended Chipping Campden Grammar School. The move away from the family seven was traumatic and Lionel describes hiding pleas for help in pictures sent to his mother. Bullying, hardships of rationing and strict discipline were the ongoing themes of Lionel’s school life. At the age of twelve, Lionel moved to King’s School, Bruton. He was placed with the boys of Eddington House, a Grammar School formerly based in Herne Bay, Kent, which had been evacuated to Bruton for the duration of the War. When Eddington House returned to Herne Bay after the War, Hemsley moved too. At Eddington House, he wrote for the school magazine and set up The Hippodrome, a comedy troupe based on a BBC radio show. The collection includes programmes and scripts for The Hippodrome performances.

In 1946 Lionel started Senior School at King’s School Bruton, in Priory House. During this period he continued to perform, and also wrote his second short novel. Lionel studied Art for the School Certificate, and started cycling to local churches to study the architecture. However, since Lionel’s aspirations were in science and Bruton’s provision was very limited, he moved at short notice over Christmas1948 to Whitgift School in Croydon. He had “the best two terms of [his] school life”, as a day student, joining the Natural History and Bird Watching Societies, before getting a place to study Veterinary Medicine at Bristol University aged 17.

Lionel graduated in 1954, and went on to practice, study and teach Veterinary Medicine in private practice, universities and government departments. Lionel specialised in pathology, and developed global expertise through posts in USA, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. In the 2010s, Lionel divides his time between Britain and Australia.

Lionel Hemsley's father worked in Switzerland before the Second World War. His Swiss au pair, Georgette, bought him this souvenir bear to commemorate the arrival of Ming, the first of four giant pandas acquired by London Zoo in 1938.

B.9-2016