Teddy bear enthusiast and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth is to sell his Teddy Bear Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon. Brandreth and his wife opened the award-winning museum in 1988 and it now features more than 1,000 bears and related items.

The museum is to be sold as a going concern by Christie’s, along with the Tudor building in which it is housed – once the property of King Henry VIII.

Highlights of the collection include several early Steiff bears, a 1904 Steiff rod-bear and the Teddy Bear Hall of Fame, which features both famous bears and bears owned by famous people. Bears in this category include the original Fozzie Bear from The Muppets, Paddington Bear, Sooty, Super Ted and Nookie Bear.

“The museum has come of age and it’s now time for us to find new owners for its unique collection,” said Brandreth. “Our children are all grown-up and my work commitments mean that I simply don’t have the time to give it the care and attention it deserves. We want to find new owners for the museum who will love it as much as we do and see it go from strength to strength.”

If a buyer for is not found by the end of 2006, the museum’s contents will be sold by auction at Christie’s South Kensington in the spring. Details: www.theteddybearmuseum.com

Photograph: courtesy of Christie’s Images