About

Hello and welcome to Broadacre Bears. My name is Simon Conway, I live in Kent with my wife and young son and I have been making bears on and off for over 20 years. 

I have always loved arts and crafts, so when, years ago, I stumbled across a simple teddy bear sewing kit in our local shop, I decided to give it a try. That was the beginning of my bear-making adventures and I haven't looked back since.

I discovered bear fairs and teddy bear magazines, usually with a free pattern, so I was able to fuel my increasing passion for bear-making. Those first few bears were pretty rough, but, inspired by the bear artists and photos in the magazines, I was able to develop and hone my bear-making skills.

At the time I was living in a road called Broadacres so when I was looking for a name that I could use for my bears, Broadacre Bears seemed appropriate. To me, Broadacres conjures up images of a broad-leafed woodland full of plants and animals and home to all the bears that I create. I can imagine the bears living out their lives, playing and having adventures in the microcosm that is Broadacre Woods protected from the outside world. 

For many years bear-making had to take a back seat as work and home-life came in the way. Then around a year and a half ago I found myself in a position where I was able bring my bear-making back to the forefront again and I have been concentrating on it ever since.

Most of my early bears were given as gifts to friends and family, but recently people started to ask for more information about my bears. This inspired me to create a website so that I could introduce my bears to a wider audience. I hope that you enjoy looking through my bears.