My youngest daughter, Roberta, was around four or five years old when she decided my husband, Iain, needed a toy to take to work with him. Her school had recently had a “bring your favourite toy to school day” and she thought it would be a good idea for Iain to do the same. The only problem was that the toy she had chosen was much too big, so we went out to look for a small teddy to go in his briefcase. We found a lonely green fluffy teddy about 7" high – the last one on the shelf! - and we bought him. Berta wrote note, in her best hand writing ("My name is Briefcase Bear I am here to be your friend!") and we then snuck him into Iain's briefcase. What I didn’t realise was that Iain had an important meeting first thing the next day, so the well-intended gift didn’t just surprise him but also his superiors sat next to him when he opened his case to find a tiny shaggy teddy with a child’s hand written note around its neck staring at him! Thankfully, Iain’s bosses have a sense of humour, and Briefcase Bear has gone everywhere with him since. It was Roberta (now in her twenties) who suggested that the bears I had recently taken to making be called Briefcase Bears, a reminder of the intention behind that first little bear – a brighter start to the day, a companion that doesn’t argue or talk back, and more importantly, a friend at work to cheer you up.