She lived in Uffington, close to Archie’s old house, and thought that Betjeman might like to know about her own teddy, Ted.
Jemima Brown photographed with Ted outside their home in Little Coxwell, prior to their move of a few miles to Uffington, where she and her family lived from 1976 to 1986
Jemima and Ted in 2025
Jemima recalls: “One of my Christmas presents in 1977 (when aged 6) was a copy of Archie and the Strict Baptists. I think the reason I enjoyed the book so much was that it sparked in my imagination the idea that my Ted might like to meet Archie and friends. We lived in Uffington in the former pub the Baker’s Arms and the Baptist chapel was at the end of our garden.”
Ted wrote a letter to Betjeman, and Betjeman wrote back.
Betjeman’s letter reads: “Dear Jemima, Will you please tell Ted how very grateful I am to him for his letter. I am pleased to think he may be going along to the Uffington Strict Baptists. The Baker’s Arms was always very quiet and old-fashioned. I remember Tom Weaver in the village wanted to paint a sign for it which would have been a lady with very large arms dipped in a barrel or tub. I very much liked Uffington church when I lived there. Yours sincerely, John Betjeman.”
The exhibition at Magdalen provided a rare opportunity for Ted to meet up with Archie and Jumbo.
