I realise I am probably a bit old for going on a bear hunt, at least in the context of the Michael Rosen book. But when we arrived in Leeds last Friday night and spotted a bear sculpture outside the Corn Exchange (whilst we were searching for something to eat), I was intrigued.

A bear hunt? Now this sounds fun.

Obviously, finding food took immediate priority, but we spotted two more on our way back to the hotel.

Definitely invested now – I blame it on all those Usborne spotters guide I loved as a child. Finding things and ticking them off in a book was always a great holiday pastime and I’ve never really stopped:

Left to right – looking for Clyde the Mascot at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, following the Haiku pathway in Katikati in 2019, bear-spotting in Berlin in 2018, and trying to watch as many countries as possible compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 (66 out of 72, we only missed Kiribati, Bangladesh, Vanuatu, Turks and Caicos, Tonga and Montserrat).

So I did some googling and discovered there were 35 bears around Leeds City Centre, all waiting to be found, each with a little story to tell, but only for the next few weeks until 9th September.

Although this was a flying visit to Leeds, there was a small window of opportunity for bear hunting. Mr T was heading straight back to Stoke, but I had a couple of hours after an extended parkrun morning – lots of coffee and chat and catching up – to see how many I could find.

I downloaded the map and started wandering. I got a little bit lost coming out of the Merrion Centre, but got myself back on track and headed for the First Direct Arena – “A Walk on the Wild Side” was one of my favourites.

Bear hunting is obviously hungry work – fortunately, there were more bears (The King and Grizzly Stardust) and food to be found at Trinity Kitchen – a food court, another thing I love. I had to dodge a few skateboarders to Bear-lieve in Magic!

Finding Nettie outside the City Museum – “a tribute to all those football-loving women who have triumphed over adversity and proved that there is a place for women on the football pitch” – seemed especially appropriate on the day before the Women’s World Cup Final.

With just 30 minutes to go before my train, I did one last loop of the city centre and found my last bear in the station concourse – after missing it on my first work through.

And then it was time to go home – I didn’t find them all, but I gave it my best effort. Bear hunts are fun.

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50 for 50 #6: 50 posts for my 50th birthday to be posted before I’m 51.