Highgate Bears Hoodie

There's bears in them there woods."

You'll recognise that quote from Dick Whittington, who was a real person and held office as mayor of London several times.

How many? No one is sure - official sources state 3 times but Wikipedia claims 4, and Wikipedia has never been wrong. After introducing a Penny Farthing hire scheme, and banning alcohol on zeppelins, he decided to knock up a large hospital.

The intended site was Queens Wood, which was right on the doorstep of his exuberant pad in leafy Highgate Village.

However the discovery of a family of bears and subsequent protests by eco-activists thwarted his plans. Instead he had to settle for a site in South Highgate, sometimes known as Archway. After several high profile disputes with builders, the Whittington Hospital finally opened 4 years later, treating a flurry of eco-activists for minor bear bites on its opening day.

The legend of those bears lived on through the Highgate Bears American Football team. In the early years they were bankrolled by a billionaire Russian who lived on Bishop's Avenue.

The huge investment in talent paid off and they won the London Megabowl in 1982. The benefactor decided to leave the country soon after as it was far too warm in the winter. With no backing and huge wage bills, the Bears filed for bankruptcy just 3 years later. The only memories we have now are these fantastic tshirts!