Traditional and timeless, the teddy bear is a symbol of childhood: a cuddly friend, a constant companion and a source of infinite comfort.

Whether for fun, financial gain or a continuation of childhood fascination, collecting bears becomes a hobby for many into adulthood.

For one Dorset man, the teddy bear was a lifelong passion and his collection of over 260 bears is now to go on display in Mr Simpson’s Teddy Bear Museum at Basingstoke’s Milestones Museum.

Mr William Simpson, known as Bill, was given Rupert, his first teddy bear, in 1917 by his father, who was home on leave from serving in World War One.

Sparking Bill’s lifelong love of bears, Rupert became an important part of the Simpson family, often to be found in the kitchen sitting on an old chair.

After serving in the RAF during World War Two, Bill married his sweetheart, Margaret. Mr and Mrs Simpson did not have any children, but over the years, the couple received many teddy bears as gifts and the collection grew.

Margaret knitted outfits for the bears and Bill made furniture and props for them, arranging them in little scenes around their home.

After Margaret fell ill in 1994 and moved into a care home, Bill began collecting bears more seriously as a form of comfort.

When Margaret died, the bears became Bill’s only family and he started to plan for their future. He decided to bequeath them to Hampshire County Museums Service – now Hampshire Cultural Trust – along with a legacy for their care and display.

Following his death in 2013 at the grand age of 97, Mr Simpson’s collection of over 260 bears passed into the care and stewardship of the County Museums Service.

Honouring Bill’s bequest, the bears will all now be displayed at Milestones Museum. After spending many years on show in the Simpson’s house, the bears had collected dust, while moths had eaten their clothes, and, in some cases, their fur.

In preparation for being put on display at their new home at Milestones, the team of conservators at Hampshire Cultural Trust set up a teddy bear hospital, spending more than 1000 hours cleaning the bears, repairing them and even making them new clothes.

The lifelong collection of over 260 bears which will be on display in Mr Simpson’s Teddy Bear Museum traces the history and development of teddy bears from 1908 to the early 2000s - an extraordinary legacy of an extraordinary collector.