Yvonne Briggs tells me that the most interesting person she knows on the Coffs Coast is Mr Scribbles.  I’m immediately concerned because Mr. Scribbles is not really a person, he’s a bear.  But Yvonne insists that he is interesting and that’s what matters.  I’m nervous about interviewing a bear, especially one who has travelled the world.  But he turns out to be very easy to talk to….except for the crick in my neck from having to bend down to hear him.

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An Interview with a Very Small Bear

What do you do for a living?

I suppose you could call me a professional companion.  I travel the world with Yvonne, making sure she’s OK and also checking up on her work.  Really she’s nothing without me, but very few people know that.  I’m the bear behind the woman!

Visiting the Great Wall while at the Beijing Olympics made me feel a very small bear indeed

Here's me at the Super 14 in South Africa. Those vuvuzela horns were so loud I had to sit at the back of the stadium.I see.  And what sort of places do you travel?

Well Yvonne is involved in television sports broadcasting, so I accompany her to the Olympics, World Cups, European Championships.  Most recently I’ve been to Beijing for the Olympics, the World Cup in South Africa and now I’m living in Switzerland getting ready for the next European Championships. 

They make the vault too big for bears. This knock on the head was enough to put me out of the Games!

I was all grace on the beam. There's just so much space, but the dismounts are a bit scary!Wow, that’s impressive!  What do you do at these amazing sporting events?

Well, it depends.  Sometimes I just dive right in and get involved with the sport.  I think it’s important that bears be seen to be active and are given equal opportunities at global events.  So for the Beijing Olympics I took up gymnastics and came ready to compete.  Unfortunately I hit my head on the vault during a practice session and had to pull out.

My moment of glory. Being interviewed for Spanish TV. Andele Andele Ariba Ariba!!

That's me filming at the pool in Beijing. I developed a bit of a crush on Stephanie Rice, but kept my distance like a true professional.

And if you’re not actually competing, what do you do?

I’m remarkably good with the cameras.  Sometimes they need a very small bear to get into the tangled wiring.  Plus I can see through the eye piece with both eyes, which I think is a plus.

 But I’ll tell you it’s being in front of the camera that really gives me a buzz.  I’ve been lobbying for a slot up front for some time and finally the Spanish broadcasters recognised my talents when I was in South Africa for the World Cup.   Here’s a shot of me talking to camera.  You’ve got to admit I look better than that Fatso the Wombat who got lucky at the Sydney Olympics.  I think I’ve got a future as a commentator.

Pop star in Kiev. Met her after the show and she just couldn't keep her hands off me.Ukrainian TV presenter. She thought I was hot, hot, hot!What do you like to do in your spare time when you are travelling?

When I'm in the mood I can be a bit of a party bear.  I like to go to concerts and bars, and frankly the girls love me.  I’m cuddly, I think that’s the attraction.  Here’s a shot of me in Kiev with a local television personality, and here’s another one with a pop singer.  You see what I mean, the women adore me.

When I drink I like the hard stuff. Beer and wine are for raggedy anne dolls - bears drink tequila and Jim Beam!The morning after a big night in Kiev. Waking up on a park bench really makes a bear think about himself.Does the partying get to you after awhile?

To be honest, I drink a bit too much.  I know I do.  But, it’s difficult with being so attractive to women and having a small bear's metabolism.  I woke up one morning on a park bench and thought this is it….time to check myself into an animal clinic.  But then I got things back under control.

Setting up an online crusade to stop cruelty to bears.Filming our television ad campaign against cruelty to bears. Everyone agrees that I make a great spokesbear.You seem like a good time bear, Mr Scribbles.  Is there anything that really makes you angry?

Cruelty to bears….that’s what makes me angry.  You would not believe how bears are treated out there.  Packed away in boxes when little girls move away, thrown into drawers or suitcases, forced to sit on the bed with other not so friendly animals.  It can be humiliating.  I’m lucky.  I’ve had a good life and for the most part have been treated with the respect I deserve.  But I’ve seen plenty of bears abandoned, ignored, unloved….it’s not right.  I want to use my position in sports broadcasting to raise awareness. 

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Mr. Scribbles says the most interesting person he has met in Coffs Harbour is Rob Lyons, the captain of the Sawtell Surf Club.  Having led such a busy life himself, what Mr. Scribbles finds fascinating about Rob is his laid-back nature.  “He’s a surfer dude,” says Mr. Scribbles.  “Just goes with the flow of life.”