Being a photographer allows you to meet (and photograph) some amazing characters, often in stunning locations.

Recently I was approached by a chap called Gary who asked me if I would be interested in taking some product-style shots for an exhibition he was hoping to display at his small village museum. By email, he spoke enthusiastically about a bear called Archie and an elephant called Jumbo.

The plan was to photograph Arch and Jumbo separately and together in a portrait-style shoot. Now, in my head I was imagining two humans dressed in a bear suit and an equally attractive Elephant suit… (think 1970s bear in the TV show Rainbow!!!) and my reply to Garry was are they going to fit into my studio?

I could not have been more wrong.

Archie was approximately 35 inches tall and Jumbo was just a bit smaller.

What was more intriguing was these two small little characters had such an amazing history that I will touch on for you now.

Sir John Betjeman CBE

Sir John Betjeman CBE was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984. He was a member of The Victorian Society and had a passion for defending and maintaining many of the countries Victorian assets. As such, today there stands a statue of Sir John Betjeman at St Pancras station in London.

Now you might ask what all this has to do with a small little bear sitting in my studio looking somewhat used.

This little bear called Archie or as Sir John named him, Archibald Ormsby-Gore was the childhood and lifelong friend and companion of Sir John Betjeman. Archie even traveled to Oxford with Sir John when he commenced his educational studies at Oxford University - but Archie had a friend - Jumbo, Sir John's toy, and elephant companion. The three of them were inseparable.

Indeed Archie became the model for Aloysius, Sebastian Flyte’s bear in Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead revisited.

These two little comfort companions spent a lifetime with Sir John, and in true loyal fashion were with him gently in his arms when he died in 1984.

Given Sir John’s close ties to Oxford and the surrounding areas (Uffington near White Horse Hill), it is fitting that these two special characters remain at a location close to Sir John's Heart.

Uffington Museum, therefore, is running an exhibition advertising the life and times of Sir John Betjeman and his two trusty companions Archie and Jumbo.

On the day of the shoot, they arrived with Garry at the studio carefully and safely packaged and ready for their portrait session.

Clearly, Archie had undergone many restorative interventions along with Jumbo along the way. They sat first alone, then together whilst we positioned them capturing each stitch and patch in close detail. All along I couldn’t help but think if only they could talk…. the amazing tales and stories they could tell.

Before I knew it the portrait session was over and they were heading off for their new adventure - this time safe in the knowledge that I had captured their own little moments in time.

Sir John, these images are for you…..

Thank you for the pleasure of allowing me the privilege of meeting your two special friends.