03/06/2026
Today’s theme is
Museums preserve the objects that survive when so much else is lost.
This teddy bear was one of the last items sold from Atkinsons Department Store before the building was destroyed during the Sheffield Blitz on the night of 12 December 1940.
It was bought by Cyril Dodgson for his daughter Brenda just as the air raid sirens began to sound. Because it was a gift for a little girl, the shop assistant completed the sale before helping to close the store. Like many people that evening, nobody was in a hurry to take shelter after so many false alarms.
By the end of the night, Atkinsons lay in ruins.
Today, on display here at the National Emergency Services Museum, this small teddy bear helps tell a much bigger story. Not just about destruction and conflict, but about ordinary families, childhood, resilience and the importance of remembering.
As long as these stories are remembered, the people who lived through them are not forgotten.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
